Fay sighed as she looked at the trio run away, she had notified the guard, one she knew who had problems with his father. It all worked out like she had hoped. It did not please her to tattle on them, but this will be important for later. She made her way to the lower class garden where Silof had been living for twenty years, he had even turned to philosophy. She knocked on his hut, “Hello, is my secret husband, home?”

Silof opened the door and smiled at her, “Hello my dear, it is good to see you, did Edgar arrive after I left?”

“Yeah, he had seen a part of the ritual, he was spinning in rage and throwing around lab equipment. He is scared that Byron will win this election and if he does, he is going to bring even more of these dollies, as they call them, to the land of the living. I tattled on them, the guard, will be a catalyst later on.”

Silof nodded and helped Fay into his hut, she grunted, “This plan has been in the making for twenty years, we cannot afford to fail Silof. Even if I will probably lose the love of my son when he learns what we are about to do.”

Silof took her hand, “I know, I helped Jasper in secrecy to make the song, it will push Amelia over the edge, are you sure we have no other option? If we do this, she is going to, you know.”

Fay leaned back and grabbed a few berries, “You know, I know why you are so skinny, you barely eat meat, except for when I bring you some stolen food.”

“Fay, I love you, please, answer me.”

“Yes, I know it will push her over the edge, Annabel explained to me that it will help the people see that the dollies might be evil and destroy them. She also tells me that Amelia probably flowered.”

Silof frowned his eyebrow, “She did? How?”

Fay shook her head, “I am not sure, even if she did flower, she is not doing the same as Kate or others, it might be that she doesn’t even know. All people who flower are different, Annabel somehow has the ability to travel between Elysium and the land of the living. From what I understand, other’s can’t? I am not sure, Kate is not very talkative.”

Silof laughed, “She loves to talk, just not to us. Look, whatever the case, I don’t like this either, but we have been working for many years on this plan. Jasper is going to spring the song he made during the next ritual, it will take everyone by surprise.”

Fay looked around, “I cannot believe you have been living in this place for so long, you went gray in here.”

Silof moaned, “Oh, god, don’t tell me I have gray hairs. You know, the whole garden is full of abandoned dollies, the whole lower class is.”

Fay nodded, “I know, the Voodoopunks take the stray dollies and heal them with their singing. Edgar opened up another factory, if we let Byron win, no matter how much I want him to win, he is going to try to bring more dollies into the world.”

Silof yawned, “I am getting, so tired of all of this, the government is doing nothing about it, the military is all swarmed by the dollies and enchanted by Edgar’s words.”

Fay fiddled with her wedding ring, the one that Edgar had given her, “Do you remember my fake wedding?”

“Yes, why do you ask all of a sudden? It was not a very fun time in my life.”

“For me, neither nor was that night. I am sorry, you don’t want to hear about those things. My morals have been thrown into the grinder, what I was trying to say, is that when we are free from New Albion, we should marry, with the whole shebang.”

Stolen story; please report.

Silof looked shocked, “Are you seriously proposing to me? Where is the ring, where are the roses?”

Fay looked away, “Sorry, it was silly for me to mention.”

Silof took her hands, “Hey, I was just kidding, I would love nothing more than to be married to you. Technically, once we are done with our plan, you will be free as the man you are married to will be dead.”

Fay smiled at him, “Are you sure? I mean, I did not make your life easy, did I? You have been my secret lover for twenty years, yet, with every problem I faced, you were there for me. And now we face our greatest challenge, executing our plan, and here you are.”

Silof gave her a kiss, “Hey, you did not choose this, you were forced into that marriage and now, it is finally going to pay off as we will get rid of the dollies. Edgar, the corrupt government, all of it, we will return New Albion to how it is supposed to be.”

Fay sighed deeply, “I know, but to think of the people we might have to hurt, there will be numerous people.”

Silof climbed out of the tent like a young man, despite being in his forties, “Come with me, I want to show you something I encountered while wandering around.”

Fay took his hand, “You don’t even have to ask me, I love to walk with you.”

Silof guided them to a street in New Albion, inside the homes they saw people sitting with the dollies.

In the heart of the lower class district of New Albion lies a desolate street that has become an eerie graveyard for abandoned mechanical dolls. The cobblestone path, worn and uneven, tells tales of neglect and abandonment. Tall, dilapidated buildings loom on either side, casting long shadows that seem to engulf the forsaken dolls.

The mechanical dolls, once cherished companions, lovers or even entertainers, now stand frozen and lifeless. Even if there are still living souls inside them. Some lean against the crumbling facades, while others sit miserably on window ledges, their eyes gazing into the emptiness of the street. The layers of dust and grime on their once-shiny exteriors speak of the passage of time and the disregard they’ve faced.

Despite their lifelessness, the street is not entirely silent. Faint strains of music echo through the desolation, emanating from the dolls that still carry the remnants of their former glory. These dolls play tunes from a bygone era. The music, distorted and haunting, weaves through the stillness of the street, creating an eerie symphony that enhances the melancholic atmosphere.

It’s as if the street itself mourns the lost vibrancy of these once beloved companions, now left to decay in the shadows of New Albion’s lower class district. Fay looked around in horror, “This is bad.”

Silof nodded, “And this is one of the better streets, these dollies are being bought, used to bring back the dead, and dumped. Countless streets in New Albion look like this while people lock themselves up in their homes. When people go to work, the dollies follow them, this is what we are going to stop.”

Fay looked at the alleyways, in some, the dollies were piled up on top of each other, “There is no greater disrespect to the dead. This is all Edgar’s doing, but if we let Byron win, there will be even more. Thank you for showing this to me, Silof, I love you.”

“I love you too, Fay, I know it is hard, but it is the only way. Once people realize how dangerous these dolls are, they will destroy them. There will be chaos.”

Fay sighed, “Once the riots are over, New Albion will be back to normal, finally. When I first saw my mom, Annabel, and she handed me Jasper, about forty years ago now. I never expected that New Albion would end up like this. I think the parade for the Monk and the Gambler has not even been held for years.”

Silof nodded, “They scrapped it, New Albion is no longer what it was, or what it stood for. If this goes on, the dead will outnumber the living.”

Fay looked around her as they wandered through the street, “I fear that we are already past that point, we are at a crossroads, if we screw this up, then New Albion is doomed.”

Silof stopped walking and looked into an alleyway, “Are those women, destroying a doll?”

Fay looked at the two women, they were indeed destroying dolls, they had a mouse with them. “Yeah, aren’t they the new mob bosses?”

Silof shrugged, “I have not been keeping up with news lately, I have been feeling down a bit. Tomorrow morning Byron is going to give another speech, right?”

“Yes, that is correct, in the garden in the upper class, where,” Fay shed a tear. “Where, give me a moment.”

Silof nodded and handed her a handkerchief, “Take all the time you need.”

Fay used the handkerchief, “Thank you, it reminds me of the Edgar I once loved, the one that I have not seen for a very long time. I am glad to be with you, even if it is in secret. With you by my side, I can do this. Amelia will not be long for this world.”

Silof let a melancholic smile form, “She will be the sacrifice to cleanse New Albion.”