The Good, the Bad, & the Cute: The Secret Ways of Dolls

By Piers Anthony, K.B. Bailey, Matthew Brady and 9 more

Modern or antique; benign or malevolent; porcelain, stuffed, articulated, or life-size, dolls have long been a subject of fascination. This eclectic collection of diminutive tales explores the many enchanting facets of these inanimate curiosities and their secret ways. But then again, "inanimate" is just the assumption...

Genres include horror, psychological horror, science fiction, and speculative fiction with moods ranging from sweet and heartwarming to disturbing and horrific.

Featuring all original stories by:
Piers Anthony
K. B. Bailey
Matthew Brady
Gary Clifton
Benjamin Michael Greene
Connor Kuntz
Ronald Linson
Rhiannon Lotze
Tim Mendees
Rachel Nussbaum
Deidre J Owen
Gary G. Power

"The Good, the Bad, and the Cute: The Secret Ways of Dolls" is a Mannison Minibook Anthology published by Mannison Press, LLC.

CONTENT WARNING: Some stories contain depictions of violence and disturbing allusions to the deaths of young persons. Discretion is advised.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mannison Press, LLC
• Release date: Jul 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005150136

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most popular fantasy writers, and a New York Times–bestselling author twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives letters from his devoted fans. In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other bestselling works. He lives in Inverness, Florida.

Book preview

The Good, the Bad, & the Cute

The Secret Ways of Dolls

Editors Ronald Linson and Deidre J Owen

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2021

Published by Mannison Press, LLC at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

CONTENT WARNING:

Some stories contain depictions of violence and disturbing allusions to the deaths of young persons. Discretion is advised.

When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.

~C. S. Lewis, Of Other Worlds

Contents

Introduction

1. Rattenfänger

About Rhiannon Lotze

2. Foundlings

About Gary G. Power

3. Ollie

About Tim Mendees

4. Octo

About Piers Anthony

5. A Weary Mother's Nightmare

About Deidre J Owen

6. Baby

About Benjamin Michael Greene

7. The Deal

About Connor Kuntz

8. The Untethered

About K. B. Bailey

9. The Daily Isabelle

About Ronald Linson

10. A Rattle Tale

About Gary Clifton

11. Inside an Empty Room

About Rachel Nussbaum

12. Childish Things

About Matthew Brady

Introduction

Deidre J Owen

About nine years ago (in 2012) I had a disturbing experience when my toddler left a small plush dolly outside on the porch. It was late in the evening when I discovered this innocuous little thing sprawled out in the gathering darkness, and she sent me spinning down a rabbit hole of horror.

Recently, I shared this story in detail with my business partner, and I found it fascinating that the experience—however silly it may have seemed—had left me scarred, as a mother. I hadn't thought of it in years, but the memory had been triggered by a business discussion about potential project ideas...one of which was an anthology about dolls.

Our first story! Well, maybe. Or maybe not. My story was a simple one and could only be fleshed out so far; it wouldn't have the legs to stand as a short story for such an anthology.

But! What if...

What if we made it a flash fiction anthology? Yes, in our Minibook format!

With that, the ideas began to flow freely and a new breed of anthology was born in our little publishing house. You see, financing another large-scale project like our Youth Disrupted anthologies is still a bit out of our depth, but a Mannison Minibook anthology was well within reach.

After much discussion, we decided to make this inaugural Minibook anthology an invitational. We reviewed our ever-growing list of authors and created a shortlist of some folks who we thought might fit the bill. And the list was long! Yikes! Whittling the list was a difficult task, but due to the constraints of the Minibooks format we found ourselves limited to only a handful of writers. We were pleased when our invitations were met with enthusiasm, and soon a wonderful variety of stories filled our in-box.

As for the cover, if you're curious, that is the real Jacqueline doll straight from my daughter's shelf. As lovely as this antique is, I've always found her to be rather unsettling. She has a wind-up music box inside her soft body, and occasionally—every now and then—the tension will slip just enough that a single tone will escape. Chills rip through my body just thinking about it.

And the malevolent cephalopod? Courtesy of one Tim Mendees, from an ocean away. Gratitude, friend!

Now, without further preamble (or pre-ramble, in my case) we are pleased to present to you: The Good, the Bad, and the Cute: The Secret Ways of Dolls.

Deidre J Owen

Lithia, Florida

June 2021

1. Rattenfänger

Rhiannon Lotze

(folklore)

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Proud stalks of golden wheat undulated in the field. Children flooded the grain sea, laughter trailing behind them as they weaved in and out of the neatly planted rows.

Dragons swooped through the sky, conjured from imagination, and dive-bombed the army of tiny warriors who wielded sticks with all the panache of brave knights wielding swords. The dragons looked eerily similar to crows but, if asked, every child without fail would tell a tale of scaly behemoths spewing fire from their snouts.

Monsters plagued not just the skies, though.

On the ground, packs of vicious werewolves attacked on all fronts, leaping from the wheat to seize the bold warriors between razor-sharp teeth. The army valiantly fought them off with bows and arrows which looked suspiciously like slingshots fed with pebbles. Even the werewolves bore an uncanny resemblance to rats but, if asked, every child without fail would tell a tale of snarling beasts armed with ten-inch claws.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, a new danger encroached.

Although the children protected their fortress of wheat ferociously, some enemies could not be overcome. A conquering army of stern-faced parents approached, warning that supper was almost ready and tardiness would be punished with an empty belly.

Knowing they were beat, the gallant warriors laid down their arms and surrendered, but with the promise to take up the fight another day.

A short time later, the crows and rats had only each other for company.

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Bruise-like clouds gathered during the night while the town slumbered. Just before dawn, the sky split open and great sheets of water poured down, turning the streets to muck. The garlands festooning every house drooped soggily.

Bleary-eyed and bundled thickly in woolen layers, the townspeople emerged tentatively from their homes, eying the fat droplets with distaste. A celebration had been planned, but the rain made the comforting call of cozy fireplaces all the more alluring.

Nonetheless, a few daring souls stepped over their thresholds and into the wet streets. The rain slowed to a gentle mist and others joined in, until the streets were crowded.

Despite the throng, the only sounds to be heard were those of the squelching mud and the whistling wind.

The eyes of the townspeople couldn't help but notice three