CW: implication of animal cruelty.

The Bride of Frankenstein was my favourite movie as a kid. I used to collect the posters, action figures, t-shirts, VHS tapes, cd’s, DVDs, stuffed toys, and wigs. But it wasn’t enough.

I used to scout the playground for lost toys. I’d have to go at night when my mum was asleep. That way no-one would see me. I would make a whole event of it, and some would be more fruitful than others. Some night I would find a stuffed bear, or tiger and a Cabbage Patch Doll. Others I wouldn’t find anything at all, and I’d go home frustrated. After a few weeks I had enough to start building. I’d have to reuse some parts, but it was more exciting that way. I’d take the arm, leg, and head from the teddy bear, I’d use the fur from the tiger, the ears from a stuffed rabbit, the arm from a Raggedy Ann, the tail from a snake, and the face from the cabbage patch doll. She was beautiful. But she wasn’t enough.

My sister used to collect barbies, and bit by bit I’d harvest their limbs. I’d steal an arm from Tropical Barbie, a leg from Astronaut Barbie, the head from Happy Holidays Barbie. Sometimes, if I could get away with it, I would steal a whole doll, but I was hardly ever lucky enough. When I was done, I’d use the left arm of Tropical, the right arm of Crystal, the left leg of Western, the right leg of Astronaut, the torso from Great Shape, and the head from Happy Holidays. She was my bride, months in the making. But she wasn’t enough.

But she still wasn’t enough. I needed something more. And then the neighbours got rabbits.