Egress

“…898, 899, 900.” Millie finished her counting, feeling a weight float away from her as she crept towards the window - the window of a doll's house that had become her prison. Carefully, she craned her neck to survey the landscape beyond. The sun was shining, based on the shadows she guessed it was still early in the morning. The impossibly tall walls met in right angles at a distance, she collapsed slightly, feeling her knees bump against the sill. 

The mountainous door, seemingly far off in the distance, was open, and for the first time in a month, she felt rescue was near at hand. She stomped towards the front door of her gilded prison, before pausing and tugging at the collar of her dress. The thick, dense, almost tarp like material gave slightly, then she felt a jolt as the heavy square clasp popped open. The humiliation of wearing clothing meant for toys still stung. Removing the minidress, she tried in vain to tear it before lobbing it aside. It was so stiff it crashed against the two-dimensional coatrack before settling on the floor, it’s shape barely changing. 

The blonde babysitter threw the door open and stepped out onto the plateau. Nicole’s desk was probably only three feet from the floor, but as she inched towards the edge, she felt her heart drop through her feet. The seat appeared a good forty feet away, too far to jump even to one of the white armrests. The only other option she noted immediately was an enormous rubber ball far below. 

She padded back towards the house, then stepped back up to the edge of the desk, throwing her arms up. In her mind, she practiced leaning back, widening her tiny body as much as possible to bounce off of it. 

In her imagination, she could see her body crash into the surface of the ball. ‘Would it even have any give for me?” She wondered, letting her imagination dash her avatar into a broken heap on the floor. ‘Only this time Nicole’s mother won’t be able to glue the toy back together.’ She mused.

Patrolling the edge of the desk, she prayed Nicole’s mum would come round the doorway. Or her father, really anyone that might be able to rescue her from the brat's control. The shadows shortened as she examined her options, and soon the sun was nearing the height of the day. ‘Quit stalling, the little snot’s going to be home soon. This may be your ONLY chance, shut up and GO!'

Shaking her head, she ran along the edge back towards the backboard of the desk. ‘I wish I still had my sneakers…’ She whispered, thinking mournfully back to when Nicole had plucked them from the doll house when Millie had been bathing in a teacup. 

With a sigh, she crept along the edge towards the back corner wall of Nicole’s bedroom. Carefully, she wedged herself against the wall and began a dangerous descent. The thin dowel legs were nearly too broad for the doll sized woman to wrap her limbs around. Her hands squealed as she dug her fingers into the pale wood of the desk legs. 

Part way down, nearly at the middle of the pale tower, Millie’s hands slipped, and she fell backwards bumping her head against the thick wallpaper. Whimpering, the tiny blonde struggled to right herself before continuing. After a tense ten-minute descent, she crumpled to her knees with an excited shout as her body settled into the cool hardwood floor. 

She sat for a moment, catching her breath before rising to her feet, scampering across the floor towards the plush purple carpet beneath the garish bed. She crawled under the polka dotted duvet, into the inky darkness beneath. Above her, between the slats of the bedframe, she could see the plastic mattress cover and the elastic bands holding the fitted sheet in place. She heard floorboards creak and felt the floor shake under the carpet. With an excited yell, she darted out from under the bed, tripping as she moved. Landing on her hands and knees she found herself covered in a broad, dark shadow...