The Dream Doll
Summary
Deep within the clockwork heart of an industrial toy empire, the eccentric chemist A. Knutt—a man whose cognitive faculties have been fractured by the pursuit of the impossible—stumbles upon a transmutive elixir capable of bestowing life upon the inanimate. The narrative takes a surrealistic turn when Ruby, the ethereal scion of the 'Toy King,' succumbs to the intoxicating vapors of this volatile fluid. In a moment of chimerical intervention, a newly animated doll seizes the remaining essence, drenching Ruby in the alchemical brew and effectively ossifying her into a porcelain plaything. The newly minted duo absconds into the labyrinthine corridors of the factory, leaving behind a frantic father, a bewildered fiancé, and a cadre of baffled law enforcement. This descent into the uncanny culminates in a miniature wedding presided over by a doll Justice of the Peace, followed by a domestic odyssey in the kennel of Sherlock, the factory’s loyal watchdog. However, the whimsicality of their honeymoon is shattered by the encroaching reality of industrial strife; a group of striking laborers plants an explosive device intended to dismantle the capitalist monolith. As the fuse ignites, the resulting blast serves as a violent catalyst, snapping Ruby back into the realm of the living, only to realize her metamorphosis was merely a fever dream birthed from the chemist's deluded ravings.
Synopsis
A cracked-brain chemist, appropriately named A. Knutt, in a big toy factory, claims the discovery of an elixir which will bring dolls to life. Ruby, the beautiful daughter of the toy king, overcome by the fumes of the fluid while the chemist is out summoning others to witness the work of his discovery. A doll the chemist has given life to seizes the elixir and pours it on Ruby. She is changed into a doll. Together the two leave the shop. The chemist, the toy king and Ruby's fiancé rush into the place and are horrified to find Ruby missing. They summon the police and a search is instituted. Meanwhile, the dolls journey to the display room of the factory, and with more elixir, bring a doll justice of the peace to life. He marries them and they speed off in a miniature automobile. After the honeymoon trip they select the kennel of Sherlock, the watchdog, as their home. The dog likes the dolls and keeps them supplied with food. Then, one evening, while strolling through the plant, they discover a bomb set by striking workingmen to destroy the building. The dolls realize their peril but it is too late to escape. The bomb explodes and Ruby comes to life. She is puzzled, then realizes that all was simply a dream, inspired by the ravings of the cracked-brain chemist.
