A/N: Merry Christmas, world. And yeah, I just started another story.

Once a Doll

Originally "Little Doll"

A Danny Phantom Fanfic by MidnightResWri

Adopted from Jeanette9a

We all end up as dolls in the end.

Prologue

"Go on, I dare you," the young girl's voice pushed the idea further into the even younger boy's mind. The child's logic told him that dares must always be fulfilled. If you didn't then you'd always be known as a coward. The little boy never backed down from a dare.

He cast one last glance over his shoulder at his sister before moving between the legs of the taller adults. His parents didn't even turn to see what their children were up to. They kept looking at their strange devices that blinked and made noises. The boy took a deep breath and gathered his courage. He just needed to go behind the curtain and come right back.

None but his sister saw him approach the black curtain, lift it, and disappear once it settled back into place. The boy stood cut off from the sound of the gathering crowd for a moment before he decided it had been enough time. He wanted to get back to his mom.

He touched the cloth again, the smooth velvet making him smile, and made to leave when he felt someone tall stand behind him.

He looked first at the legs in red and followed them up to a black vest and further up to a very pale face and angry, oh so angry, red eyes. The child held his breath, not daring to breathe. He'd been caught. "What the hell are you doing behind the curtain?" The man demanded, tapping on the tip of his cane.

The little boy stumbled over an answer, but, could not form proper words. The man leaned down and gripped the boy's shoulder so tightly bruises formed immediately. The boy winced and avoided the man's eyes. The boy tried pulling away and fell onto his bottom, rustling the curtain with his suddenly free arm. He didn't know how he had gotten loose. He thought maybe it had something to do with his weird superpowers.

Fearfully, he looked up at the man, now staring at the child with surprise. The boy wanted to bolt back to the safety of his sister and mother and forget the dare had happened.

He unconsciously shrank into himself when a smile crept onto the man's lips. "How would you like to join the circus?"