Edgar was thrilled with the success of his demonstration, but he had hoped that Fay would have reacted differently. Seeing Silof, the man he is going to take down was rough. But now he knew for sure what he needed to do. He finished the smaller doll, about the size of Jasper. He started the resurrection process while humming happily.

After a few resurrections, he felt confident doing it, and it went easily. “Annabel, I summon your ghost.” The small mechanical doll whirred to life, she looked at her mechanical hands. Edgar grimaced, “Welcome back to the land of the living,” he brought her to the office and put her next to Jasper. “Well mom, say something, play music, a gesture.”

Jasper looked at the doll next to him, Annabel? Is that really you? Did he bring you back too? Oh no, this is bad, he must have gone through with the demonstration if only I could speak.

Edgar came closer to Annabel, “Hello, mom, play some music, do something.”

Annabel grinned, it made her cogwheels turn, she punched him in the face with her tiny fist. Edgar stepped back, “Goddammit, why did you do that?”

Jasper had to laugh and played a funny song from a nearby broadcast. It seems Annabel is not too happy about being brought back.

Edgar groaned, “What was that for mom, you punched your child.”

“Well, if I could, I would disown you right away, but I cannot walk, and legally, I am dead.”

Edgar shot back in fear, “What, you can talk?”

Annabel nodded, “I can talk, creepy huh when the dead talk back, sent us back, destroy the dolls, and move on with your life.”

Edgar chuckled awkwardly, “Or what? You can only punch me if I get close, you might be able to talk, unlike the other mechanical dolls, but I can just go on,” he quickly left the office.

Annabel looked at Jasper, “Hey, I guess we are back at the start, I can talk, you being stuck in a mechanical doll. Well, I am stuck too, this is really bumming me out, I fully realize your reason for wanting to go back to Elysium.”

Jasper managed to scoot a bit closer, he scrounged a few words from a nearby radio broadcast, music, shows, anything he could gather, then he sang, “Edgar, demonstration, bad, wants, Fay.”

Annabel nodded, “I figured out as much, good job on using different words from radio broadcasts, I might not be able to do something but maybe the woman in the room can help us?”

Jasper looked around, woman? What woman, I don’t see a woman in this room.

Annabel grinned, “This reminds me of something, this sucks. It is wrong for the dead to live in New Albion, my son has gone too far. Oh, you are wondering where this woman is?” She pointed at me.

Jasper tried gesturing a top hat and his mechanical joints creaked. I heard Edgar talk about a woman with a top hat, being invisible. Is that who you mean? You can somehow talk, which means you can see her.

Annabel nodded, “Yes, the woman with the top hat, I think her name is Kate.”

I walked over to her, “Annabel, you are not supposed to be in this narrative, or even see me, I am the narrator here, not you.”

Annabel stared at her, “I know, but I had to do something, seeing Fay that miserable, coming back seemed wrong, especially like this, it seemed like a good plan.”

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“Wait, you’ve done this, deliberately?”

Annabel nodded, “I have a plan to stop Edgar, it is going to take a while and I need to speak with Fay.”

Jasper sighed deeply and made mechanical creaks, yes, Fay, I would love to see her as well, being in this doll form is bad. I want to go back to Elysium, I cannot even see the person you are talking to.

Annabel sighed, I don’t know how this plan is going to pan out, but I fear it’ll become much worse before I can enact my plan.

I investigated her closer, “You barely creak, like Lloyd. Does this mean, you flowered? Did you transcend humanity? How is that possible, I mean we are in a world where people can flower, Isabella did it too.”

Annabel tilted her head, “Flowering? Is that what it is called?”

I nodded, “Yes, it is, did you see a man named Lloyd in Elysium?”

“No, I haven’t, who is he? Can you please help me?”

“It doesn’t matter. And no, I am the narrator, I do the narrating, you know, if you have a plan, you are going to have to rely on your own guts.”

Annabel smiled, “Thank you for your honesty, now Jasper, I want, no, I really need your help, we have become good friends in the land of the dead. If Edgar continues, he’ll drain Elysium empty, which will have severe consequences, it might allow a certain evil god to contact the land of the living, we need to prevent that.”

Jasper gave her a thumbs up as he creaked and smiled, you don’t even have to ask for my help, even though this situation is very awkward. I don’t like being back here, in the land of the living, and now you are with me. As a mechanical doll, to help, to help everyone. As selfless and caring as always.

Annabel grinned, “I am going to take that as a yes, I have a plan to get all the dolls destroyed that will be made in the future. But until we get to speak with Fay, we have to be patient. I asked Jacob to wait for me, he has plenty of books to read, he will barely notice I am gone.”

Jasper took on a comfortable position and grabbed the pack of cards on the desk, do you want to play cards with me?

Annabel stretched her hands, “Give me some cards, we can play a never ending game of cards while we wait for Kate over here to narrate the rest and Fay will eventually end up in this office.”

Jasper dealt the cards, it is like you are trying to read my mind, this Kate sounds like she is not going to help us, but she seems to be important and is telling the story to someone. I wonder how long we are going to play cards before we get to see someone useful.

Edgar walked into the room, “Annabel, why are you talking with-” Edgar stared at them, “Wait, are you guys playing my cards?”

Annabel looked at him, “Hey, we might be miserable and want to go back to Elysium, since that is not going to happen anytime soon. We better play some cards, don’t you have some evil things to do, my son? I told you time after time to let the dead rest.”

“This is, strange, I don’t understand why you can talk.”

“Maybe you can ask Fay, we would love to see her. Right, Jasper?”

He played a card and creaked, he nodded and smiled at him.

Edgar grinned, “Yeah, I am not falling for that mother dearest, I was going to ask you for help in producing more dolls, but it seems you will not be of much help. Can you at least answer me why the lab exploded?”

“If you stop this madness, Then I might tell you.”

Edgar scoffed, “Have fun playing cards while I become the richest and most influential man in New Albion.”

“Sometimes, son, you win, but winning means losing. All that you hate enthralls your soul, all that you love, may not love you back.”

He grumbled and left the office, “Stupid talking dolls.”

Annabel called after him, “That is not how you should talk to your mother.” She played a card, “This reminds me of the scene in the park, I felt less creaky though.”

Jasper had to grin, and his wheels turned faster, I am glad that I have some company, but this is wrong on all levels, I am glad she came here to help us. I wonder what kind of plan she has to take down Edgar and the dolls, is she going to show him mercy since he is her son? Or is it already too late for Edgar?

Annabel tilted her head, “This still drives me crazy, you are acting all mute and distant, oh dear me, what am I going to do?”

Jasper had to laugh despite how miserable he was, Annabel blew life into the office. She laughed with him, they continued on with their card game. One that would keep going on until Edgar had set the rest of his plan in motion to try to get Fay back. Who knows, his decision that randomly popped into his head, might backfire and help New Albion, or it could lead to an even bigger disaster.

Annabel looked at the nearby window, she thought about the lab explosion, that must have been the reason she, as Kate put it, flowered. There was no other option, she thought back to when she opened a portal from Elysium to look at Fay and how she showed Jasper and Jacob. This flowering comes with powers, including the reason she can talk in her mechanical doll form.