the
nightmare that was rapidly running from his memory like water from a cupped
hand. He recalled something about blood. He remembered that he was dreaming
something incredibly violent but nothing more than hazy vagueness returned to
him. Riley ran his hands over his goose bump covered arms as he looked down at
his still sleeping spouse, who like Riley, slept in her underwear with her
clothes as a cover instead of the filthy, cigarette stained blanket that was
provided to them.
He slowly inched his way out of bed so not to wake his
wife, figuring it would be a while before he could clear his mind and calm his
nerves enough to get some proper shut eye. It was miraculous that either of
them was able to sleep at all. But after the day that they had, death would
have come had they not gotten some rest sooner rather than later. Riley
examined through one of his bags on the floor by the doorway and looked at his
stowaway watch; it read 3:44 in the morning.
With the quietest grunt he could manage he lifted
himself up to his feet and out of the room and into the hallway. Without the light
radiating from the living room lamps on the ground floor, the second floor
hallway was nothing more than a wall of darkness. The faint light that was seeping in from the window was just enough to cast a beam
into the hallway, resting in front of the rocking chair before the stairs. The
button eyes on the doll seemed to glow in the dark even though they still
basked in the shadows. Riley couldn’t quite put a finger on why but the toy
made him even more uncomfortable than he was before. Perhaps before he woke he
was dreaming about being mauled by killer dolls.
Riley walked to the end of the hall and picked up the
toy with a tight grip.
“You are a creepy little thing, aren’t you?”
He contemplated putting it back into its seat almost
apologetically for having disturbed its slumber, but after a moment he thought
better of it. He wanted it out of his sight and out of mind so he didn’t have
to keep thinking about it all week every time he got up to use the toilet.
Riley turned around and walked over to the room that was arguably even creepier
with the paintings on the walls with the intent of hiding the thing from the
rest of the world and most importantly himself.
When the door was opened he was surprised to find that
the light was still on. He could have sworn that they had turned off the lamp
before they went to bed.
“Did you put this on?” he asked the doll with a raised
eyebrow.
It didn’t respond.
“Fine, keep your secrets,” he said as he tossed the
toy against the wall.
As if in response a loud hiss of wind came down from
above.
Slightly taken aback Riley looked up at the entryway
to the attic and the gaps that seeped air. He had the sinking feeling in the
pit of his stomach that he wasn’t alone in that cramped room. He didn’t
consider himself a paranoid man, but for some reason he felt that he wasn’t
safe. It took a few seconds of staid deliberation before Riley decided to take
a look in the attic. As uncomfortable as he might have currently felt, he
didn’t suddenly believe in the monsters of the dark.
He reached upwards and gently tugged the cord that
hung from the ceiling downward, which opened the attic door with a whimper and
a falling cloud of dust. There didn’t seem to be any way to climb up such as a
hanging ladder. Nor was there any sort of light source to break into the dark,
as the floor lamp wasn’t nearly strong enough to reach the attic. Riley cursed
himself for not bringing along his cell phone, which could have provided enough
brightness to let him explore without fear of slamming his skull into a support
beam. But then just as he was having second thoughts he remembered the
collection of junk that rested underneath the bed. He bent down and grabbed one
of the candles and box of matches. With a few failed strikes he had himself a
colonial era flashlight.
With his free hand Riley grabbed onto
nightmare that was rapidly running from his memory like water from a cupped
hand. He recalled something about blood. He remembered that he was dreaming
something incredibly violent but nothing more than hazy vagueness returned to
him. Riley ran his hands over his goose bump covered arms as he looked down at
his still sleeping spouse, who like Riley, slept in her underwear with her
clothes as a cover instead of the filthy, cigarette stained blanket that was
provided to them.
He slowly inched his way out of bed so not to wake his
wife, figuring it would be a while before he could clear his mind and calm his
nerves enough to get some proper shut eye. It was miraculous that either of
them was able to sleep at all. But after the day that they had, death would
have come had they not gotten some rest sooner rather than later. Riley
examined through one of his bags on the floor by the doorway and looked at his
stowaway watch; it read 3:44 in the morning.
With the quietest grunt he could manage he lifted
himself up to his feet and out of the room and into the hallway. Without the light
radiating from the living room lamps on the ground floor, the second floor
hallway was nothing more than a wall of darkness. The faint light that was seeping in from the window was just enough to cast a beam
into the hallway, resting in front of the rocking chair before the stairs. The
button eyes on the doll seemed to glow in the dark even though they still
basked in the shadows. Riley couldn’t quite put a finger on why but the toy
made him even more uncomfortable than he was before. Perhaps before he woke he
was dreaming about being mauled by killer dolls.
Riley walked to the end of the hall and picked up the
toy with a tight grip.
“You are a creepy little thing, aren’t you?”
He contemplated putting it back into its seat almost
apologetically for having disturbed its slumber, but after a moment he thought
better of it. He wanted it out of his sight and out of mind so he didn’t have
to keep thinking about it all week every time he got up to use the toilet.
Riley turned around and walked over to the room that was arguably even creepier
with the paintings on the walls with the intent of hiding the thing from the
rest of the world and most importantly himself.
When the door was opened he was surprised to find that
the light was still on. He could have sworn that they had turned off the lamp
before they went to bed.
“Did you put this on?” he asked the doll with a raised
eyebrow.
It didn’t respond.
“Fine, keep your secrets,” he said as he tossed the
toy against the wall.
As if in response a loud hiss of wind came down from
above.
Slightly taken aback Riley looked up at the entryway
to the attic and the gaps that seeped air. He had the sinking feeling in the
pit of his stomach that he wasn’t alone in that cramped room. He didn’t
consider himself a paranoid man, but for some reason he felt that he wasn’t
safe. It took a few seconds of staid deliberation before Riley decided to take
a look in the attic. As uncomfortable as he might have currently felt, he
didn’t suddenly believe in the monsters of the dark.
He reached upwards and gently tugged the cord that
hung from the ceiling downward, which opened the attic door with a whimper and
a falling cloud of dust. There didn’t seem to be any way to climb up such as a
hanging ladder. Nor was there any sort of light source to break into the dark,
as the floor lamp wasn’t nearly strong enough to reach the attic. Riley cursed
himself for not bringing along his cell phone, which could have provided enough
brightness to let him explore without fear of slamming his skull into a support
beam. But then just as he was having second thoughts he remembered the
collection of junk that rested underneath the bed. He bent down and grabbed one
of the candles and box of matches. With a few failed strikes he had himself a
colonial era flashlight.
With his free hand Riley grabbed onto
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