No one ever leaves Copper Hollow.

No one really questions why. We don’t have much, but everything we need is right here. Nothing is great, but nothing is terrible either. Nothing bad ever happens here. It’s Copper Hollow. It’s always been the same.

Some people might get bored, but not me. Not with my imagination. I can transform any situation into an adventure. I can make even a sleepy old town like Copper Hollow seem exciting. At least, that’s what I tell myself. When the summer days are super long, or when I realize that this day feels exactly the same as the one before, I try to use my imagination to make everything new again. Most of the time, it works. There are times, though, when it feels like even my imagination isn’t enough.

It’s like a part of me is waiting for something. A real adventure. A real thrill.

But Copper Hollow never changes. There are no real adventures. No true thrills.

At least, not until the doll appears. Then everything changes.

*  *  *

Maybe I should have tried leaving Copper Hollow earlier … while I had a chance.