As Vicki picked herself up off the floor she stared at the doll intently.
“What’s wrong Mama,” asked Carrie.
Vicki stood there mouth agape. “What trickery is this?” she whispered.
“Mama, it’s me. Carrie. You don’t know me?” asked Carrie.
“I know your voice. But you are a doll.” whispered Vicki.
“Mama,” began Carrie.
“Bert!” yelled Carrie at the top of her lungs. “Bert!”
Bert came thundering down the hall in his underwear, grabbing the door frame and sliding into the room. “What’s the emergency?” he asked.
Vicki pointed to the bed where the doll sat. “The doll,” she sputtered. “The doll is talking.”
“Really? What do you mean” Bert asked before he stopped talking and listened carefully.
“How did your voice get inside the doll Carrie?” asked Vicki. The doll sat quietly on the bed. Vicki walked over and picked it up and squeezed the doll. No words were heard.
“When I fell asleep I was hugging the doll. It told me I was hugging it too tight.” She sat the doll down and turned to her husband. “I know what I heard.”
Bert walked over to Vicki and put his arm around her. “I’m sure you thought you did. It is natural that your daughter is missing and all we find is a doll that she once played with. You miss her. I do too.” As they walked through the doorway he turned the light out and closed the door. “Once you get some sleep everything will be ok.”
The next morning Vicki popped her head into the bedroom. She picked up the doll and set it on the bed up against the pillows.
“I sure miss you,” she said quietly.
“But I am here mama,” replied Carrie.
Vicki stared intently as she backed out the room. She walked down the stairs and went outside. Bert was in the barn and would be for a while so she headed down the path to the river.
Bert came into the house for lunch. He noticed that Vicki was not in the kitchen and that lunch was not ready. “That’s unusual," he thought. Bert checked the rest of the house but Vicki was not there. He stepped outside the door and surveyed their vegetable garden.
“I wonder,” he said quietly. He started walking across the field towards the path to the river. He walked carefully along the path until he came to the clearing. He looked towards the stump where Carrie’s doll had sat. His head lowered and he shook it as he walked over to the stump.
“Vicki,” he said as he picked up the Vicki doll. He carefully carried the doll back to the house and climbed the stairs.
“Bert. What’s happened to me,” asked Vicki as Bert reached the top step. He walked towards Carrie’s room, opened the door and walked in.
“Mama!” exclaimed Carrie’s voice. “Now we can be together forever!”
Bert walked over and set Vicki beside Carrie on the bed. “Bert Mesher. What have you done to me?”
There was some thumping from the closet. Bert eyed it carefully before walking over and opening the door. He reached in and picked up the doll that sat on the shelf. Carefully he carried it over to the bed and sat it beside the other dolls.
“Hiya Colin,” said Carrie to her brother. “We are now one big happy family again!”
Vicki’s voice rose to a shriek. “Bert Mesher…..” but Bert was closing the door behind him, shutting out the noise from the sound proof room.
“Alone at last.” he thought to himself looking forward to the quiet days that awaited him. “I think I will get some lunch.”
As a parent, I got chills. Well done. Terse. Rhythmic. A very fun read. Glad to be sharing the spotlight with you!
Thank you for your generous comment. I got chills writing it.
Whoa! This is a ghost story suitable to be told around a campfire late at night! Chilling!
You have left me hanging. I hope there is more.
Here it is!
As Vicki picked herself up off the floor she stared at the doll intently.
“What’s wrong Mama,” asked Carrie.
Vicki stood there mouth agape. “What trickery is this?” she whispered.
“Mama, it’s me. Carrie. You don’t know me?” asked Carrie.
“I know your voice. But you are a doll.” whispered Vicki.
“Mama,” began Carrie.
“Bert!” yelled Carrie at the top of her lungs. “Bert!”
Bert came thundering down the hall in his underwear, grabbing the door frame and sliding into the room. “What’s the emergency?” he asked.
Vicki pointed to the bed where the doll sat. “The doll,” she sputtered. “The doll is talking.”
“Really? What do you mean” Bert asked before he stopped talking and listened carefully.
“How did your voice get inside the doll Carrie?” asked Vicki. The doll sat quietly on the bed. Vicki walked over and picked it up and squeezed the doll. No words were heard.
“When I fell asleep I was hugging the doll. It told me I was hugging it too tight.” She sat the doll down and turned to her husband. “I know what I heard.”
Bert walked over to Vicki and put his arm around her. “I’m sure you thought you did. It is natural that your daughter is missing and all we find is a doll that she once played with. You miss her. I do too.” As they walked through the doorway he turned the light out and closed the door. “Once you get some sleep everything will be ok.”
The next morning Vicki popped her head into the bedroom. She picked up the doll and set it on the bed up against the pillows.
“I sure miss you,” she said quietly.
“But I am here mama,” replied Carrie.
Vicki stared intently as she backed out the room. She walked down the stairs and went outside. Bert was in the barn and would be for a while so she headed down the path to the river.
Bert came into the house for lunch. He noticed that Vicki was not in the kitchen and that lunch was not ready. “That’s unusual," he thought. Bert checked the rest of the house but Vicki was not there. He stepped outside the door and surveyed their vegetable garden.
“I wonder,” he said quietly. He started walking across the field towards the path to the river. He walked carefully along the path until he came to the clearing. He looked towards the stump where Carrie’s doll had sat. His head lowered and he shook it as he walked over to the stump.
“Vicki,” he said as he picked up the Vicki doll. He carefully carried the doll back to the house and climbed the stairs.
“Bert. What’s happened to me,” asked Vicki as Bert reached the top step. He walked towards Carrie’s room, opened the door and walked in.
“Mama!” exclaimed Carrie’s voice. “Now we can be together forever!”
Bert walked over and set Vicki beside Carrie on the bed. “Bert Mesher. What have you done to me?”
There was some thumping from the closet. Bert eyed it carefully before walking over and opening the door. He reached in and picked up the doll that sat on the shelf. Carefully he carried it over to the bed and sat it beside the other dolls.
“Hiya Colin,” said Carrie to her brother. “We are now one big happy family again!”
Vicki’s voice rose to a shriek. “Bert Mesher…..” but Bert was closing the door behind him, shutting out the noise from the sound proof room.
“Alone at last.” he thought to himself looking forward to the quiet days that awaited him. “I think I will get some lunch.”
That one has another turn, a twist! Now I’ll have to read them both again. ;)