| Wishful Thinking Alternate Ending |
| Author's Note: I had planned this to be the original ending, but I also liked the other idea I came up with. I couldn't decide which one to use, so I stuck the one you just read in as the 'official' ending and then I wrote up this 'alternate' ending so that it could be seen as well. For those of you who prefer happier endings, this one is for you. |
| �Mommy, mommy, come on,� the little girl whined. �We hafta get to the store, the new line from Melody Designs are out.�
�Honestly, I don�t know why,� the mother sighed as she relented and got her jacket and car keys. �Your Barbie already has enough clothes to last her seven lifetimes and another ten careers.� The little girl pointed to the television screen as her justification. �Hello, and this is once again Fashion Television,� a sweetly voice rang out. �Today, we�re taking a look at the new releases from Melody Designs....� � �Melody Designs is the latest and greatest in designer doll clothing,� � Aunt Tina read aloud from the paper with a growing pride. � �Where other, and better known, names have explored, Melody Designs has gone ahead and forged brand new paths. The company�s grip on a seemingly limited market has stunned many in the fashion industry. Previous efforts by such designers as Bob Mackie to make clothing for Barbie met some initial success before being relegated to an eventual mention on VH-1. However, Melody Designs has flourished in far less time than it took the powerhouse designer�s line to wane. Many fashion critics foresaw an impending collapse in the company�s meteoric achievements. That was two years ago and the fledgling business has grown into a multi-billion dollar, multi-national company that designs for all doll lines. They even makes custom clothes for now defunct toy lines if people send in the measurements the Melody Designs fashionistas request in their famous advertisement. If this is coming off as another commercial, this writer apologizes, but...� � Tina trailed off for a minute. � � The company was founded by reclusive former model, Melody Brookes. Many remember her from her myriad of jobs for such well-known names as Ferrari, Chanel, Fendi, and Stolichnaya, just to name a few. Then, about five years ago, she appeared to drop off the face of the earth. All of her photo shoots stopped and she even dropped out of her prestigious design school to earn a degree from an internet course. Only her few family members keep in direct contact with her and they help to maintain her privacy. She appears now only in photos, see inset, of her latest designs. The overall success has been attributed by many in the doll collecting community to be the realism in her designs. The clothing is of a quality one would expect a human being to wear. Traditional doll clothing, to any touch, is coarse and scratchy. Melody�s lines use normal fabrics that would be comfortable to dolls, if they could actually feel it. Why does this matter?� � She broke off reading. �Oh, if only any of them knew.� �Come on, do you think they�d believe it?� Melody called up to her. Tina looked down at her lap to see her tiny niece curled up comfortably. �Of course they wouldn�t. You�d be in a cage right now with scientists poking you and I hate to think what they would�ve done to poor Vanessa.� �Now she�s earning a hell of a nest-egg for schooling and even retirement with her ideas and assistance,� Vernon added from across the room. �I need to get back up,� Melody said and she was lifted up onto the table. �I need to finish this swimwear.� She looked at the paper in front of her. �I�ll also need Vanessa to shrink a couple more pencils for me. She can take pages three and four now.� Aunt Tina held out her hand while Melody gently placed two slips of paper into the massive outstretched palm. To anyone else, they were tiny bits of rubbish, not valuable clothing designs. Once Vanessa wished the paper back to its proper size, the design house in L.A. could actually make the clothes without ever seeing the unusual artist. Then she could put on another fashion show for her cousins while they took the well published pictures. They would shrink down to her size with a camera and take the shots that everyone knew so well. Sometimes they even got in on the act of modeling with her. In the end, they all got to play dolls as much as they could ever want. |
| Five Years Later: |
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