Everything faded away; I wasn't in the ballroom anymore. I was laying on my bed again. After realizing I was awake, I bolted up with heavy pants.

Mr. Sheep was on top of me, holding onto my neck. "Oh, were you worried about me? I was just having a bad dream. It's okay."

I tried to pull him off, but he kept clinging to me. Something's wrong. I could feel his claws digging in my skin. "M-Mr. Sheep?"

He didn't say anything, only looking at me with glistening brown eyes. Well of course he wouldn't, he's just a toy! Just then, Mr. Wolf and Ms. Crab fell over from the end of my bed.

They were sewn together, hand in hand as cotton spilled out of the stitches that connected their guts. They struggled to stand up, leaning against the bed frame with trembling legs.

I ripped Mr. Sheep from me and scrambled to my door, only to find it locked. My hands wrapped around the doorknob, twisting it nervously. "Wha-wha-what's going on? How're they moving? Mama, Ma―!"

Mr. Sheep hopped on my back, stuffing his arms down my throat. His claws were scraping my mouth when he shushed me. I could do nothing but stare at him with teary eyes.

Before his claws could dig any deeper, I chomped on his arms. I grimaced as the taste of cotton hung over my tongue. Gross.

His small mouth curved into a frown. "That wasn't very nice."

I took a step back, but slipped over a plushie on the floor, landing on my bum.

"Watch where you're stepping!" A voice yelled from in front of my feet. Ms. Squid stood up and brushed off some dirt.

Mr. Sheep shook his head at her. "Never mind that, Ms. Squid. Let us focus on the task at hand." I lifted my hands up to try and grab him while he was distracted, but he turned back to me with a smile, pushing his arms further. "Ms. Crow, grab the pins. Ms. Bear, hold her down. Mrs. Wolf Crab, get the present."

"Understood," four voices said, then I heard a thump.

I looked at him with pleading eyes. His only response was another cold, scary smile. "Dear Elizabeth, we have a gift for you. Now I'm going to take my arms out. But if you scream or try that with me again, I won't hesitate to slash your throat, got it?"

I nodded, even though I didn't want to. He didn't seem like he would.

"Good girl." Mr. Sheep removed his arms as promised.

"Why are you doing this?" I laid my head back to be met with the glaring eyes of my stuffed animals. Something heavy was placed on my hands and legs. Ms. Bear's fat relatives were there. I tried to move, but they wouldn't budge.

"It's simple, dear," Ms. Bear muttered, "Because you hurt us. All of us. Look at what you did to me!" As if on que, the yellow square of fabric I'd sewn on the back of her head fell off, allowing her insides to slip out. Tears fell down her furry face. "I can't even see thanks to you. You took my eyes!"

"I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to, I just wanted―"

"―to make me pretty? Well, aren't you the sweetest," Ms. Bear spat, "It wasn't even just me. You broke our souls the moment you decided to redesign us. Why couldn't you have just accepted us for how we were?"

I glared at her with wide eyes. "Because I didn't like it. You all are just dolls; what right do you have to disobey me?"

Mr. Sheep pressed his claw against my chin. "Careful, miss. You might want to watch your tongue."

I flinched, bending my head back to avoid getting cut. "Alright already, y―" The glowering red eyes of my puppets and plushies peeking over the bed were what made me stop.

Mr. Sheep looked to the corner of my room. "Ah, Ms. Crow. Bring it here," he ordered before glancing at me. "Aren't you excited? I sure am. We worked really hard on this. Look," he pushed my head towards Ms. Crow, a tall, velvet doll with a gaping hole in her neck. Her head rested on her shoulder, yet she could still move.

She was dragging a regular, human looking doll. She had long brown curls made of twisted yarn, beady blue eyes stitched onto creamy 'skin', a blue cotton dress stretching to her knee caps and white socks paired with black shoes. In the center of her stomach was a large hole.

It... It looks just like the dream but, with a creepy hole! Despite my predicament, I gazed at it in awe. "It's so pretty."

Ms. Crow smirked. "Really? Glad ya like it. You're going to be in it for a long time."

"What do you mean? What're you going to do?" I yelled while struggling to move away.

Mr. Sheep chuckled and licked the needle in his hand. "We're going to make you pretty."