Little Apple Dolls

""When the above and the below meet, Chaos is born. From that Chaos, a safe Haven will be born; the Inbetween." Excerpt from Antisita, Sine's Story"

Created by British Doll Maker Ufuoma Urie, this series follows the stories of a group of little girls (and one boy) whose lives are ended by a mysterious force, usually via supernatural means; Suicide, Murder, etc... Anyone Can Die, even cute little kids.

In the beginning, Sine, a little girl, dies unexpectedly by a disease, which is caused by the series' Big Bad. She ends up in an afterlife where little boys and girls who share a similar fate are, only to realise that not everything is truly as it seems. An apple in her pocket that has come to life thanks to the powers of the afterlife helps her get free, and they go in search of other lost souls.

There were four series of dolls released until 2008 when Ufuoma Urie parted ways with her distributor, Underground Toys, citing 'lack of opportunity in the market.' The series is now 100% artist run from Urie's own site, Screaming Matriarch. New dolls were announced in April 2011. There are about twenty three dolls in all, each with their own story.

Series One:


 * 1) Sine/Sine of Souls: The hero of the series, borderline Messiah. She originally spoke to the apples in her garden for company before her death, and blessed (or cursed, whichever you prefer) the apples so that they could guide lost souls to the Inbetween.
 * 2) Umbrae: One of the lost souls of the story, who used clever tricks to talk a Shadow Demon into eating her, and then ate him back from the inside out. Her death came when she starved to death from the lack of shadows.
 * 3) Circe: A child born from a Sun God and a Water Nymph. When the Below (Circe's Mother) and the Above (Circe's Father) touched, Chaos was born - Circe. She was killed when the people of her village set her on fire and threw her into the water, exactly as prophesied: 'Fire and water created the child; fire and water shall be her end as well.'

Series Two


 * 1) Erro: A girl who startee her life from the same point every single day, with no remembrance of the day before. She wandered around aimlessly, searching for something until finding a demon woman, who revealed that
 * 2) Animula: A girl who was betrothed to a warlord before her birth, so that he would spare her parents lives. He came for her on her seventh birthday, and her parents handed her over. Animula was kept in the warlord's palace in a cage. A white fox sneaked in and warned her not to drink milk offered to her by the warlord, for it would turn her into a demon and steal away her soul. The fox gave her eggs to eat to protect her from the curse. At the ceremony, it was revealed that There, Little Apple Red met her.
 * 3) Irae: A girl whose parents prayed to the Gods for a child; her spirit was bound to a tree god. She was raised in seclusion by her parents, kept in a garden where she reigned and controlled plants and flowers. When introduced to the outside world, Irae discovered she could heal the sick and revive the dead, though their sicknesses began to effect her. All hell broke loose. Her death is met after she is returns to her old garden and black flames burn her alive. She' brought back, though.
 * 4) Mentis: Probably the most modern of the stories, Mentis is a normal school girl...until, one night when her thoughts decide to come to life. Her own thoughts take over her, and she dies by being struck by lightning (while swimming, no less).

Series 3:


 * 1) Sanem
 * 2) Vates
 * 3) Triginta Tres
 * 4) Oneris

Series 4:


 * 1) Elysia
 * 2) Timor Balatro
 * 3) Lethe

Series 5:
 * 1) Nix
 * 2) Oscen

Exclusive Dolls:


 * 1) Creo and Pestis: These two are introduced as the Creator (Creo) and Destroyer (Pestis) of the universe. A demon woman gives them both gifts, which drive them both to kill one another. The first time Sine is seen making a salt circle around the two, both binding, and protecting them.
 * 2) Ianua: A born Goddess of Beginnings, Ianua's task is to both see over the beginnings of...well, everything. The second time that Sine uses the Salt Circle as punishment for the lives Ianua took.
 * 3) Mirari: A girl born as  thanks to her mother. She has the ability to apparently create something from nothing; a trait she utilities when her father abandons her. She meets her end when the Tower of Cards she makes for her father comes crashing down, taking her with it.
 * 4) : The apparent Big Bad of the series, and described as a Complete Monster. Apparently, while Sine wishes to free the souls of the lost, wishes to keep them to herself.

Little Apple Dolls provides examples of:

 * Beware the Nice Ones: If you think about it, Sine fits the bill quite nicely. Her powers revolve around the damned supposedly. Let your head do the rest.
 * Break the Cutie: Almost every one of these stories has an example of it, both self-caused and from other sources.
 * Creepy Dolls: Very obvious, hence the name.
 * From Nobody to Nightmare: Irae's mental breakdown could count for this, as well as Ianua.
 * Hannibal Lecture: The few pages before Animula's death lead to the Demon King and the Fox/ to do this to convince Animula whether or nor to not kill herself.
 * Tear Jerker: Some of the deaths can be flat out saddening to say the least.
 * What do you mean It's not Symbolic?: Many references to Paganism, and perhaps Satanism, are present in the Series. (Though, it's somewhat debatable I suppose.)
 * Yandere: Arguably Mirari for her father. Creo for Pestis as well.