Dolls: A Horror Short Story Collection (3 Tales to Chill Your Bones Book 9)

by Mav Skye

“For starters, you’ll need to clean your room, including under your bed.”

  Sabel’s heart fell at the including under your bed part, but she tried not to show it. There must have been a month’s worth of laundry beneath her bed. But that was okay, she would pretend she was a miner and dig it all out. Plus, then she’d have clothes again. “Sure, I will.”

  “And I will take care of the rest.” She gave another spoonful of stew to Jeffrey who spit it out immediately.

  Sabel asked, “Will you make his favorite pie?”

  Mother laughed. “Of course, I will!”

  Sabel smiled back at her. “I’ll get started on my room.”

  “Oh no, you won’t. Not tonight, it’s your bedtime.”

  “But, mom—”

  “I’d like you to go brush your teeth now, Sabel.”

  Sabel knew it was no good arguing with her mother. She turned out of the kitchen and passed through the living room to get to the hall. The China doll no longer smiled. Sabel scrunched up her face in thought and continued on down the hall to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and slipped on her nightdress and went into her room. She pulled down her favorite book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and read until she heard mother close Jeffrey’s bedroom door, then walk into Sabel’s room. She smiled at Sabel and asked what she was reading.

  Sabel set the book aside. “It’s called The Juniper Tree.”

  “Oh?” Mother sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up the large book. “I don’t recall that one. What is it about?”

  Sabel rubbed her eyes and said, “It’s about this little kid. His mom dies, and he gets a new-step mother who doesn’t like him. One day, she tells the little boy to get an apple out of a wooden trunk with a sharp iron latch. When he bends inside the trunk to get it, the step-mother slams the lid on his neck and his head pops off…”

  Mother frowned. “Good heavens, that story is in here?” She flipped through the pages.

  Sabel said, “Then she cuts him up to pieces and boils him in a stew, then feeds him to his father for dinner.”

  Mother shut the book quickly. “Oh my, Sabel, let’s not read this one anymore unless I’m with you. I think that’s a little too scary before bedtime.”

  Sabel nodded in agreement. The story did frighten her. She wondered if her mother died, and her dad got remarried, if the step-mother would cut her into pieces for a stew. She thought of the stew she ate earlier and shivered.

  Mother said, “Let’s think about happy thoughts now.”

  “Like daddy coming home?”

  “Yeah, like daddy coming home.” Mother smiled, tucked the blankets around Sabel, and kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, Sabel.”

  “Night night, mommy.”

  Her mother picked up the dirty clothes Sabel had left on the floor and turned off the light. At the doorway, she asked, “Would you like the door open or closed tonight?”

  Usually, Sabel liked the door open, but tonight with the China doll out on the bookshelf, She preferred the door closed. “Shut, please.”

  “Alright, the nightlight should come on as soon as I close the door.”

  Sabel nodded, and buried her face into the pillow as the door shut, and the nightlight came on, just like her mother had said. She briefly remembered that there were freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the counter, and she hadn’t gotten to eat one. Her tummy rumbled, but it was no use. Her mother wasn’t going to let her get out of bed to eat cookies. She sighed, then decided to clear her mind of all thoughts and focus on only one. Her dad was coming home, and she could imagine the big bear hug he’d give her. And then they would go to the beach, he would fish while she would collect the prettiest seashells in the world. She smiled and let sleep cover her warmly like a blanket.

  * * *

  Sabel awoke to noise at her door.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  Was her mom trying to get in?

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  Perhaps little Jeffrey had woken and somehow found a way out of his crib?

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  Perhaps Daddy had come home?

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  But as her sleepy mind awoke, she realized that the noise wasn’t coming from her mother or Jeffrey. She didn’t think her daddy was home yet.

  But it sounded awfully familiar.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  She sat up in bed, grateful for the nightlight, and the scraping noise stopped. She laid back down, and stared at her door. Willing for the noise to happen again. But as her eyes grew tired and she grew warm inside the covers once more, she became convinced that a mouse was nibbling in the walls. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell her mother about it, because she might buy mouse poison. And Sabel did not wish death upon any mouse. And she especially didn’t want him to get flushed down the toilet to the afterlife.

  She fell asleep propped up on her pillows, facing her door.

  * * *

  Sabel awoke to her mother’s screams in the hallway. Sabel leapt out of bed and tossed open her door to find mother clutching Jeffrey, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Sabel said, “Did you see it? Did you see the mouse?”

  Mother soothed the baby in her arms while frantically looking around. “What are you talking about? Did you see—?” Then, “Oh, oh, my!”

  “No, I just heard it.” Sabel followed her mother’s gaze back down to Jeffrey’s door, but then she wished she hadn’t. Three long marks were clawed into the wood of the door. “Oh!”

  She reached for her mother, and hugged her robe. “Can mice do that?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Mother shook her head, and Jeffrey leaned his head against her shoulder and yawned. “But, maybe… maybe a rat could.”

  Sabel unraveled herself from her mother and walked over to the door and sat on her knees, she ran her fingers along the deep indentation.

  Her mother joined her. “Grannie used to tell me stories about the rats in New York, they can do all sorts of things that I’d never guessed they could. So, I suppose it could be.”

  Sabel nodded, but inside she felt scared. Anything big enough to make these kinds of marks on the door wasn’t something she felt good about having in a house. A mouse was cute and liked to eat popcorn. But rats! She’d heard Grannie tell her tales before. Sometimes, they even ate human children.

  Mother said, “I’ll buy rat poison at the store today, and that will be the end of that.” Mother rushed out of the hall, and Sabel followed her. She carried Jeffrey into the kitchen, and Sabel paused by the China doll. She was in a different position than the one her mother had put her in last night. The doll was no longer grasping the pole, but standing in front of it. She wrapped one arm about her waist, her hip tilted to the side. She lifted her other arm across her chest, her fingers resting under her chin as if she were considering a very important decision. Her eyes locked onto Sabel’s.

  Sabel whispered, “Dolls aren’t supposed to move.”

  The China doll didn’t move or whisper back, but her eyes glistened as if she were amused.

  Mother entered the room with Jeffrey on her hip. “Cream of wheat is on the stove and I’ll make you a slice of toast if you like.” Mother bent to look at the China doll. “Oh, did you move her?”

  Sabel shook her head. “Uh huh.”

  “You must have and forgotten, dolls don’t move by themselves, honey.” She laughed, but Sabel didn’t laugh with her. She glanced at her mom, who was looking at the hallway. A dark look on her face. She turned back to Sabel, met her eyes and said, “I sure wish your father was home already.”

  Sabel said, “I wish daddy was home, too.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she gasped and put her fingers over her lips.

  “What is it?” asked Mother.

  “I made a wish.”

  “So did I. Why the look?”

  “Because daddy’s letter said not to make wishes around…” she eyeballed the China doll
, and her mother followed her gaze.

  “Honey, that’s called superstition. Back in the old days, people believed that objects held power. We know better now.”

  Sabel folded her arms. “If daddy wrote it, then I believe it.”

  Mother sighed. “Then un-wish it.”

  Sabel scrunched her face and thought about this. She closed her eyes and tried to un-wish her wish, but as hard as she tried, she simply could not. She wanted her daddy home now with all her heart.

  “Anyway, come and eat breakfast before it gets cold.” Sabel followed her mother out of the living room, glancing only once back at the China doll, frowning.

  There was more than just one instruction on her daddy’s letter and that night she’d be sure to follow it.

  Just in case.

  * * *

  After dinner, they went for a walk in the crisp, autumn air. Night fell heavy with fog, and they walked along the empty street. Sabel collected pinecones and pretty leaves in a basket and mother pushed Jeffrey in the stroller.

  It’d been a strained day as mother scrubbed, vacuumed, and swept cobwebs from the ceiling. She searched for tiny holes in the walls of Jeffrey’s bedroom that a rat could get through, but didn’t find any. Afterwards, they had gone to the grocery store and bought groceries along with a box of rat poison. Her mother put it behind Jeffrey’s crib as soon as they returned and warned Sabel sternly about it. She set to work making dinner while Sabel entertained Jeffrey on the kitchen floor. And then they both had baths, and it was finally time for bed.

  Sabel had avoided looking at the China doll for the whole day, and closed her eyes every time she walked past it. Once she almost tripped over a baby toy, but she was able to catch herself, and she crawled the rest of the way. She knew that she would have to see it tonight if she followed her dad’s instructions, and she would do it no matter what.

  She brushed her teeth while mother walked into Jeffrey’s room and began rocking him to sleep. After Sabel finished, she crept out to the living room and looked at the doll. It wasn’t on the stand anymore. It sat on the edge of the bookcase. One finger with its crimson nail lifted in the air as if saying No-no! to what Sabel was about to do.

  She took the box it had come in from the lower bookcase shelf and set it beside the China doll. She drew off the lid, and when she looked down at the doll, both hands clutched the edge of the bookshelf, and the doll’s head turned up to hers. She could see a red hot anger burning in the dark, dark irises.

  Sabel gulped, then quickly picked up the doll (its nails catching on the wood of the bookcase) and put her in the box. She straightened out the dolls body a little, and then slammed the lid on top.

  Afterwards, Sabel realized she was sweating and she went to the bathroom for a drink of water. She felt much better after the water. She could hear Jeffrey fussing in his bedroom, the soothing voice of her mother as she comforted him, and Sabel knew her mother would be awhile putting him down tonight.

  She slipped on her nightgown, closed her bedroom door, and climbed into bed. She felt better knowing the China doll was in the box. She hadn’t been able to un-wish her wish, but as long as the doll was inside the box, she figured it didn’t matter anyway.

  Sabel felt safe. And her daddy would be home soon.

  * * *

  Sabel awoke to frantic scratching down the hall and her mother’s screaming. When she rushed out of the room, the first thing she saw was blood. Her mother was on her knees in a nightdress in the hallway, crying as she rocked a silent, bloody baby—Jeffrey— in her arms. There were police sirens in the driveway and then loud knocks on the door.

  Sabel walked toward her mother, it felt like slow motion. She willed her feet to move faster, but they moved slowly, carrying her into the hallway. She reached for her mother, but then the police where there in scary black clothes and flashlights. They swept about her mother, barking orders. And then they were picking Sabel up, wrapping her in a blanket, carrying her down the hallway to the living room where they set her down by the bookcase.

  She was too shocked to cry, but could feel the tears slide down cheeks, the tremble of her lips as the men in black clothes asked her questions. Sabel avoided eye contact with the scary men, but glanced up at the China doll. The box was gone and the doll stood against her pole, her face tilted down at Sabel. She held a finger to her lips. Shhhhh…..

  Sabel’s stomach fluttered when she noticed a smear of blood on the china doll’s cheek. She suddenly stood. The police officer went to grab her, but she dodged his hands, dove between his legs and ran straight to her mother in the kitchen. Her mother opened her arms and held her, and they both cried as the siren blared outside and the scary men kept asking questions.

  * * *

  Night time again.

  Sabel nestled against her mother on the couch, mother’s arm protectively drawn over her. She stared into the soft, licking flames of the fire, wishing the same thing as her mother. They wished daddy was here. Sabel glanced at the China doll on the bookcase. She hadn’t moved all day, but stayed in the same position with her finger pressed against her lips. Sabel said, “I put her in the box.”

  Her mother’s voice was faint and far away. “Last night, I took her out in case your dad came home.” Her voice drew tearful again. “I didn’t want him to see it put away and think you didn’t like it.” She began to cry again, only to quiet into exhaustion.

  Sabel felt butterflies flutter about in her tummy. And suddenly, she knew that it wasn’t a rat who had done that to Jeffrey, it was the China doll. She had the urge to look at the doll again, but resisted, squeezing her eyes shut. They were safe, as long as she and mother were in the living room together with the police officers around them, they were safe.

  Occasionally, Sabel felt her mother’s chest tighten and she quietly sobbed into Sabel’s hair. Two police officers sat in the kitchen, talking about YouTube videos of a screaming goat. They both laughed.

  The radio said something, and Sabel heard one of them get up and walk into the living room. “Ma’am?”

  Mother and Sable both looked up from the fire. Mother sat up, bringing Sabel up with her, making sure to keep one arm around her. “Yes?” she asked.

  The police officer told her the news and she hugged Sabel, crying. Sabel hugged her back. Daddy would be here in the morning, a whole two days early, because of the… “tragedy.”

  * * *

  Scratch, scratch, scratch…

  Sabel opened her eyes. Her mouth trembled. It trembled because she had heard this noise before and she knew what it meant.

  Scratch, scratch, scratch.

  Sabel laid in her own bed now. The door was open just a smidgen. She slid out of the blankets and tiptoed softly on the carpet. Sabel had just placed her eye to the opening when she saw a tiny shadow run from the hall and into her mother’s room. Its tiny ivory hand catching at the edge of the door, crimson nails clawing the surface as she disappeared into the darkness of her mother’s room.

  Sabel felt the tremble expand from her core outwards. Every limb shook and shivered uncontrollably. She opened her mouth to scream, to call out… but her mother’s screams cut her off.

  The two officers were in the hall with their guns drawn. One shoved Sabel into her room and shut the door. Sabel heard them kick in mother’s door and begin to fire their guns…

  * * *

  Daddy came home early.

  But, it was too late.

  * * *

  After the memorial, they went back home. Daddy yanked down the yellow tape off the front door, never minding the fancy suit he was in, and they walked inside. It smelled bad, like rotten fish. Sabel put her coat sleeve over her nose as he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her into the living room.

  Daddy glanced around. Sabel knew what he was looking for, so she pointed at it.

  The China doll posed on the bookcase just off to the left of her stand. One delicate hand was drawn above her head, the other held be
hind her back. She stood on tiptoe as if in dance, her red dress floated about her, lighter than air. Her face beamed, dark eyes gloating, as if she had accomplished something she was very proud of.

  Sabel could hear the tremble in daddy’s voice when he asked in his quiet, gentle manner, “Where is the box?”

  Sabel pointed, and daddy set her down. She reached for the box on the bottom shelf. He took it, removed the lid, and when he did, the note he had written to Sabel fell to the carpet. He picked up the China doll and roughly slammed her into the box. I tossed in daddy’s note before he slapped the lid on top. He grasped the edge of the bookshelf and shook. Sabel sensed he was about to cry, so she patted his back just as mother used to do for her when Sabel would cry. And when daddy’s fancy hat fell to the floor, Sabel picked it up.

  He whispered, “It’s just a doll.”

  Sabel whispered so the doll wouldn’t hear her. “It’s alive, daddy. I saw it go into mommy’s room.”

  Daddy turned and looked at Sabel, his eyes wide and dark. He nodded. “I believe you.” He picked up the ancient box with both of his hands as if the simple box were a ferocious beast, and still holding his fancy hat, Sabel followed him out the front door. They walked under gray clouds and over wet grass to the old shed. Sabel hadn’t seen her mother after the… incident. She hoped they had not flushed her body to the afterlife. She was afraid if there was an afterlife, her mother would come back with torn, meaty flesh and hollowed out eyes and want to chop her up for stew.

  Daddy nailed the box shut. Four nails on the short sides of the box, eight nails on the long sides. He turned to Sabel, a question in his eyes. Is this enough to keep her in? Sabel glanced around the shed, scrunching her face, thinking, a large empty toolbox beneath some shelves caught her eye. She pointed.

  Daddy immediately knew what Sabel was thinking. He knelt, placing the wooden box inside the larger steel toolbox. Then, he closed the lid, and put a heavy lock on the latch.