Elsie wanted the doll. I wanted the doll. So we came to an agreement. We shared her. I had her half of the day, and Elsie played with her for the other half. She forced me to sign a "contract" that she created. She refused to share until I did. I slowly read it before signing. I made sure that I was not getting into anything shady. I watch judge shows in my spare time.

I gazed at the pretty doll on Elsie's table. Her head was up, her glassy eyes gazing back. So were her arms. Her little arms were outstretched. She reminded me of kids wanting to be held. But I did not pick her up. I had this bizarre feeling in my stomach. Something was wrong. I was unsure why. Not like that the doll is alive. Dolls do not have souls.

I pointed at the doll. "Elsie. Did you touch her?"

She glanced at her, and then back at me. She rolled the contract up. "I have not laid a finger on her since that I set her on the table."

I scratched my head. "Well, I cannot recall her holding out her arms or lifting her head to look up - at me."

She raised her hands as if surrendering. She gave me a serious expression. When it comes to lying, she cannot keep a straight face. So she was not lying this time. She swore that she never lifted the doll's head or arms. And I believed her.

So how did the doll move?

I played with a hair strand. "Who gets her first?"

My sister stuffed the contract in her drawer. "Easy. We let the doll decide. And she can tell us her name."

"You are kidding - right?"

She returned to the table and smiled. "I spend so much time with my loving dolls that I can communicate with them. I can speak with every existing doll because they trust me. I am...the Doll Whisperer."

I uttered a heavy sigh. I was entering her FantasyLand. I picked up the doll and smoothed out her pink dress. I moved her head and arms to their original positions. "I think that she wants me to go first."

Elsie squinted. "What makes ya so sure, Eliza? You are not a Doll Whisperer."

I giggled and snatched up a comb. I began combing the doll's shiny hair. "Sounds like that you are saying, "dog whisperer."

"What are you doing?"

"I made a joke. Jeez. It is not the end of the world."

"No. With the doll."

"What does it look like? I am combing her hair."

She grasped my wrist tightly and took said comb. "This is not a doll's comb. It will ruin her hair. Never use any human combs or brushes on dolls. No human anything because they hate them."

I wanted to say how ridiculous she was being. Does not matter the type of brush or comb as long as they do the job. "Why do dolls hate human things? If they do...why do they let us humans buy them and bring them to our homes?"

"Dolls do not hate humans. And they love having some place to come home to. They just prefer the accessories that they came with. Their size. And less heavy. Now to hear what the doll has to say." She tossed said comb on the table and took her. She brought her to her ear. "Hi. I am Elsie. The girl who is jealous of me is Eliza."

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. I was so sick of her shenanigans that I felt like puking. I told her that I would never play along. I refused to treat dolls like real folks. They cannot walk or talk or see. Dolls cannot see what we see. The blonde-haired doll cannot see or hear us.

Elsie cradled the doll. "This doll does not have a name. So we can name her. I propose Elsie Jr."

"You cannot call her Elsie Jr."

She hugged her to her chest. "Jealous much?"

"Trust me. Nobody in the world can be jealous of a girl who believes that dolls have feelings. They would mock you and laugh at your stupidity."

Her glare would have killed me if it could. "So ya think that I am stupid."

"I never said that you were. I implied that dolls are not alive. Never have. Never will. They do not have souls. I wish that you would get that through your thick skull."

She pouted. "Wish that you would believe me. I figured that of all the strangers in Forlot...my own sister would defend me. Being laughed at and mocked and called all the names in the book do not compare to my pain. The pain of my sister not listening to my side. I do not want to force you to believe. I only want you to have an open mind."

Now I feel like a jerk.

I brushed back my hair and put on a small smile. "Sis." I pried the doll from her hands and put it back on said table. "I know that you are not stupid or crazy. You just have a creative imagination. You will grow out of it one day...I hope."

Elsie balled her hands into tight fists. "My imagination has nothing to do with it. I hardly use it when the dolls and I play."

"Says the girl who goes on adventures with them."

"I am talking about the dolls being alive. I never speak for them because it annoys them. But mainly because I do not need to. Like I stated, I do not want to force you to believe that living dolls exist. Just understand where I am coming from. Please."

I was not up to arguing with her further. I did not want to make her cry. I let her have the doll first and left.

"Eliza...we...are...alive..."