Tainted Tears was not like the other dolls. She had purple hair with black streaks and a frown on her face. She wore a black dress with a black lace trim and black shoes. She felt different and lonely, and she wished she had a friend who understood her.
One day, she decided to explore the attic of the house where she lived. She climbed up the stairs and opened the door. The attic was dark and dusty, full of old furniture, boxes, and cobwebs. Tainted Tears felt a shiver run down her spine, but she was also curious.
She walked around the attic, looking for something interesting. She saw a trunk with a lock, a mirror covered with a cloth, and a rocking horse with one eye missing. She wondered what secrets they hid.
She decided to try to open the trunk first. She pulled on the lock, but it was too tight. She looked around for something to break it with. She saw a hammer on a shelf, but it was too high for her to reach. She needed something to stand on.
She spotted a chair in the corner of the attic. She dragged it to the shelf and climbed on it. She reached for the hammer, but as she did, she heard a creaking sound behind her. She turned around and saw the rocking horse moving by itself.
She gasped and jumped off the chair. The rocking horse stopped moving and stared at her with its one eye. Tainted Tears felt scared, but also curious. She wondered if the rocking horse could talk.
She approached it slowly and said, “Hello, I’m Tainted Tears. What’s your name?”
The rocking horse did not answer. It just rocked back and forth, making a squeaking noise.
Tainted Tears tried again. “Do you live here? Do you have any friends?”
The rocking horse still did not answer. It just rocked faster and faster, making a louder noise.
Tainted Tears felt frustrated and sad. She said, “You’re not very friendly, are you? You don’t want to be my friend.”
The rocking horse suddenly stopped rocking and said, “I do want to be your friend. But you have to do something for me first.”
Tainted Tears asked, “What do you want me to do?”
The rocking horse said, “I want you to help me find my eye.”
Tainted Tears asked, “What happened to your eye?”
The rocking horse said, “A rat took it away. He said he needed it for his collection. He lives under the floorboards over there.”
He pointed with his hoof to a corner of the attic where there was a hole in the wood.
Tainted Tears said, “That’s terrible! How can I help you?”
The rocking horse said, “You have to go down there and get it back for me.”
Tainted Tears hesitated. She thought going under the floorboards sounded dangerous and scary, but she also felt sorry for the rocking horse.
She decided to help him.
She said, “Okay, I’ll do it. But you have to promise me something.”
The rocking horse said, “What is it?”
Tainted Tears said, “You have to promise me that you’ll be my friend.”
The rocking horse said, “I promise.”
Tainted Tears smiled and said, “Then let’s go.”
She crawled to the hole in the floorboards and peeked inside.
It was dark and damp, full of dirt and trash.
She saw a pair of glowing eyes staring at her from the shadows.
It was the rat.
He hissed at her and said, “Who are you? What do you want?”
Tainted Tears said, “I’m Tainted Tears. I’m here to get back the eye you stole from the rocking horse.”
The rat laughed and said, “You’re kidding me, right? That eye is mine now. I found it fair and square.”
Tainted Tears said, “No, you didn’t. You took it from him without his permission. That’s not fair at all.”
The rat said, “Too bad for him. Finders keepers, losers weepers.”
He showed his teeth and said, “Now go away before I bite you.”
Tainted Tears felt angry and brave.
She said, “No way. I’m not leaving without that eye.”
She jumped into the hole and ran towards the rat.
The rat was surprised by her courage and tried to run away.
But Tainted Tears was faster.
She caught him by his tail and pulled him back.
She said, “Give me that eye right now or I’ll make you regret it.”
The rat squealed and struggled.
He said, “No! Let me go! It’s mine!”
He bit her hand hard.
Tainted Tears cried out in pain but did not let go.
She bit him back on his ear.
The rat screamed and dropped the eye.
Tainted Tears grabbed it and ran back to the hole.
She climbed out and saw the rocking horse waiting for her.
She said, “I got it! I got your eye!”
She handed him the eye and he put it back in his socket.
He blinked and said, “Thank you so much. You are amazing.”
Tainted Tears said, “You’re welcome. Are you okay?”
The rocking horse said, “I’m fine. Thanks to you, I can see again.”
He smiled and said, “You are my best friend.”
Tainted Tears smiled back and said, “You are my best friend too.”
They decided to explore the rest of the attic together.