- A job interview goes horribly wrong.
- A young prospective secretary, Coby Rae Dellum, applies for a job at a doll-manufacturing plant. She doesn't get the job, but the owner, Van Wirt, decides she could be his son's new mother and takes her to his home to determine if she's suitable.—Gislef
- In Natchez, Mississippi in 1961, Coby Dellum is in her car checking her lipstick. She gets out and goes into the nearby Van Wirt doll-manufacturing plant. She interviews with the owner, Van Wirt, who talks about how a doll is God's ideal made manifest. He reviews her resume and notes that she was a member of the Natchez High School Debating Society, and admits that he's never interviewed a candidate more qualified. Van Wirt says that she's just not right for the position, Coby is surprised, and a man grabs her from behind and muffles her screams. Van Wirt looks out over the plant through his office window, a dollhouse on a table behind him.
Coby wakes up in a room filled with mannequins. Van Wirt is standing nearby, and asks Coby if she's feeling better. He tells her that she's on his estate and she's in his estate, in his private dollhouse. He explains that he designed it himself. Coby wonders why she's there, and Van Wirt explains that it's her home for the next seven days. He says that she's too special to spend her days as a secretary, so he's entered her into the pageant. She says that she doesn't want to be part of his pageant, and Van Wirt tells her that her participation isn't open to debate.
Running for the door. Coby fins the man, Eustace, who grabbed her, with one hooked hand, blocking her way. He holds up his hook but says nothing, and Van Wirt walks over and says that the man is missing his tongue. She tries to find an open window without success, and Van Wirt tells her that there's only one way out, and says that she'll soon find out what he wants from her. Van Wirt and the man walk out, closing and locking the door behind them. Coby runs to a window and finds bars on it, and sees the two men walking away across a lawn.
The three "mannequins" look at Coby, and remove their masks. The maid, Aurelia, says that all they need is Coby present, and she didn't even have to take the first thee tests like they did. Aurelia tells Coby that she's been kidnapped by a crazy-rich toymaker, who is obsessed with dolls. Van Wirt is looking for the perfect doll and his mother for his kid, and once they don't pass a test they're "eliminated"
The other two women, Harlene and Bonnie, take Coby to a bedroom where she can lie down. Harlene explains that she was abducted when she stopped at the side of the road to help someone, while Aurelia was a dancer and Fay taught kindergarten. Bonnie says that she was taken out of her house, and Harlene tells Coby that there's no way out. Coby looks out a window and sees a boy in a neighboring house, looking out the window at her.
Harlene says that Coby should eat, and "they" only stock the fridge every couple of days. Harlene says that the boy is Otis, and his mother Ellen died two years ago, supposedly in a boating accident. Rumor has it that she was having an affair on Van Wirt, he caught her, and tossed her and her lover down an abandoned wishing well.
A bell goes off in the house and Harlene tells Coby that she needs to pick a dress, find a spot, and not move. Coby picks out a clown outfit and mask, Van Wirt and Eustace bring Otis in and tells the boy to go make friends. Otis asks Coby her name, and she answers. Otis sarcastically says that it's the happiest day of his life, much to his father's disapproval. The boy shakes hands with Coby, and Van Wirt says that he'll be back after work and Otis should treat his plaything with respect.
Once Van Wirt leaves, Otis says that he hates clowns, and is going to have Eustace throw her away. Coby says that she can do a magic trick. He tells Coby that people hate magicians almost as much as they hate clowns, and a toy fire truck rolls away. Otis tells Coby to do it again, and when she refuses he says that it's his dollhouse and Van Wirt made it for him, and if Coby wants to live, she does what he says. Coby concentrates on the truck and makes it move with her mind,
Later, Coby sits in the bedroom with the four other imprisoned women. Aurelia asks Coby how she moved the toy, and she says that her uncle showed her some magic tricks when she was a kid. The dancer doesn't believe her, pointing out that that toy moved on its own, and she's got tricks up her sleeve to impress Otis. Coby asks her what being Otis' mother means, and asks the others if they know. Aurelia says that whatever it means, she plans to win.
The bell goes off, and Aurelia says that it's another test. Van Wirt and Eustace come in, and Van Wirt says that they're going to focus on "le lunch". He lays out the silverware and tells the prisoners the menu, and tells them that they will be graded on precision, and the one who deviates the most will be discarded. Van Wirt gives them one minute to set the table for lunch, and begins timing them as Eustace plays music. The women go to work, Coby watching Aurelia and mimicking her. Van Wirt gives Aurelia a perfect score and rates Coby. However, Faye is worse and Eustace shocks her with a cattle prod then takes her out to the well. Aurelia tells Coby that nothing is going to save her and walks away.
The next day, Coby moves the toy for Otis again and tells him that she was born with the "gift" of moving things with her mind. Aurelia watches as Coby tells Otis that she hasn't done anything else because she was afraid of what would happen if her family knew, and the place she came from had a lot of rules about good and bad, so that's why she decided to leave home. She says that she and Coby both know what it feels like to be different. When Otis says that he's not different, Coby points out that he doesn't go to school and likes to play with dolls. The boy says that he used to go to school, and other kids beat him up, and the teachers blames him, so he doesn't go anymore. Coby says that she misses her mom singing her to sleep, and Otis whispers to Coby that he hopes she wins and becomes his mom. She says that she wouldn't be a good mom if she was sad, and she's be sad because of all the dolls they'd have to throw down the well. She promises that if Otis tells Van Wirt to let everyone go, she promises to be his mother. It is pinkie-swears with her.
Laster, Otis goes to his father's office where Van Wirt is trying to convince someone to buy his dolls, insisting that the public will come around. Once Van Wirt hangs up, Otis asks him if he's in trouble. Van Wirt says that he's facing challenges but will face them like a good Christian, head-on. He explains that he decided he needed someone perfect to replace Ellen, and he's going to find Otis the best mommy in the world, who will always be there for the boy. Van Wirt asks Otis if he trusts him, and Otis says that he does. When Van Wirt asks his son what he wanted to ask him, Otis dismisses it as nothing and leaves.
Back in the dollhouse, the bell rings and everyone assumes their positions. Van Wirt comes in with Eustace and tells the prisoners that they're going to impress him with a household chore. He has them properly iron and fold a shirt, Van Wirt gives them three minutes to iron and fold their shirts, and the women go to work. When the three minutes are up, He burns Coby left hand with her iron when she fails, and tells her to remember the lesson. Van Wirt proclaims Bonnie the loser and Eustace kills her on the spot, and Van Wirt says that tomorrow is the final test and the winner will become Otis' mother, and tells them to get a good night's sleep.
Once they're alone, Harlene wonders what they're going to do. Aurelia tells Coby that her magic and sweet talk didn't do shit, and walks off.
Later in the bedroom, Harlene talks to Coby and suggests they jump their captors. Coby says that she feels sorry for Otis and looks out the window at him in his room, and Harlene suggests that Van Wirt knows that Otis likes her. Aurelia overhears them talking and goes downstairs, unscrews a head on a pole, and takes it upstairs and stabs who she believes is Coby, but only a dummy wearing Coby's clown costume. When Harlene and Coby comes in, Aurelia says that she knows Otis wants Coby to win, and she's not going to die. Coby says that none of them have to die, and they're going to walk out the front door. Aurelia points out that the state is too large, and they'll run them down before they get clear. Coby says that they're going to give Van Wirt some dolls to distract him so they can get a head start.
The next day the bell rings, waking up Otis. He goes to the window and sees Van Wirt and Eustace going to the dollhouse. The three women have replaced themselves with dolls wearing their costumes, and put the dolls in their positions. Van Wirt assumes the dolls are the real women, while the three women watch from hiding. They sneak out the unlocked front door and try to find the road away, and Coby says that they can't leave Otis with Van Wirt. Aurelia and Harlene go anyway, while Van Wirt does an Old Testament test and discovers that the women have escaped.
Coby goes into the main house.
Harlene and Aurelia run through the swamp to the road, and Harlene trips momentarily.
Coby finds Otis and says that she wants him to leave with her. She says the other "dolls" ran away, but she couldn't leave without Otis. Otis apologizes, then takes out a hidden electric prod and knocks Coby unconscious.
Harlene trips again and loses Aurelia in the darkness, and Aurelia says that Harlene is too slow and too loud, and prepares to beat Harlene to death with a rock. Eustace arrives and shoots Aurelia dead, and then shoots Harlene.
Coby wakes up, and Van Wirt congratulates her that she's going to make a wonderful mother for Otis. She is strapped to a table in the workshop, with Otis looking on. Van Wirt says that all the dolls are bugged and he heard her plan. He decided to make it the final test, and only Coby passed, and only she cared enough about Otis to come back for the boy. Van Wirt says that he's going to make Coby perfect, and Eustace puts a mold on her and inserts porcelain.
Later, the "dollified" Coby serves tea and cookies to Van Wirt and Otis. Van Wirt tells Coby that he's very proud of her for getting the hang of being Otis' mother, and he has to come up with a more refined name for her. Two witches come in and telekinetically freeze Eustace and Van Wirt, and the blonde witch tells Otis that he doesn't have to be afraid of them. She cracks the porcelain around Coby, and the other witch says that they should have been there sooner, but could barely detect Coby's spells. Otis asks Coby not to leave him, and Coby says that she'll always be his mommy but he can never come back there. Otis agrees and Coby takes him with the two witches. Before they go, the second witch sets the immobilized Van Wirt and Eustace on fire.
Coby and Otis goes to the witches' school, Mrs. Robichaux's Academy, and Coby figures that Otis should use his middle name--Spaulding--as a cover. A student, Myrtle, greets them and introduces herself, and Otis introduces himself using his middle name. Together they go inside.
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