Alice and Her Doll

Chapter 13

*****

Carrie's eyes filled with tears and she fell to her knees. Why did this happen to me? She thought. Carrie closed her door because she didn't want her mom to see all that mess.

Carrie shuffled over to her bed and picked up her destroyed painting. She examined its condition and decided it couldn't be saved.

Carrie was about to let her tears flow when she said to herself, No, I will not let whoever did this have their victory and win. I won't allow them to make me weak. I will not be broken.

Carrie tossed her trashed artwork on to her bed and stood up defiantly. She was determined to figure out who did this and why. Carrie took out her iPhone from her jean's pocket and checked the time. It was 11:02.

She snuck into her mother's room to check and see if she was awake. She was sleeping soundly.

Carrie's mind raced as she started cleaning up the mess on her walls with wet paper towels: I have a little time to clean this up! Maybe I could call Fiona and Ben and we could figure out who did this. Oh, I also have to get mom a present.....

A while later......

Whew! Done. Carrie sighed with relief and looked at her room. The walls were blood-free, they were also a faded green than the once vibrant green, but they were blood-free. She threw away the painting and put her sheets and comforter in the washing machine. The carpet was a little damp from where Carrie had cleaned them with special remover, but they, too were spotless.

Carrie smiled to herself as she inwardly praised herself on a job well done.

As she looked at her room, her phone caught her eye. She had left it on her dresser. The bright screen said that it was 12:57.

Carrie sighed. She switched off her light. Then, Carrie grabbed a blanket from her closet and laid down on her bare bed.

As soon as Carrie closed her eyes, she fell asleep. Except it wasn't a sweet sleep-- it was a terrible sleep accompanied by dark nightmares.

*****

The boy snuck into the Cooks' living room. It was decorated with colorful lights and a green, bushy Christmas tree. There were several presents under the tree, and stockings hung from the wooden mantle.

The doll was waiting for him next to the tree.

He set down the can of gasoline he carried in his hand. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a matchbox filled with matches. He handed it to Sally. She grimaced at him.

The Christmas tree was being soaked with the fowl-smelling gasoline, and the presents were, too.

When the boy was done, he made a gesture with his hands toward the wet Christmas tree. Sally scowled at him, lit a match and tossed it in the tree.

The doll ran up to Alice's room, and the boy dashed out of the house into the ice-cold night.

*****

"This has to end-- now." Carrie said to her best friends.

They were at the Cook house. So were the firefighters, police, and other neighbors and pedestrians.

"Yeah, we know," Fiona said, as she sat with her friends on the stairs in the Cooks' house. "But how?"

"Investigation," Ben stated. "Let's just try to put all the puzzle pieces together. We have all of the pieces, we just need to connect them."

The trio sat in silence for a few minutes while thinking and watching the firemen take out the now burnt twig out of the house.

Carrie rubbed her eyes from exhaustion. She still had to get her mother a present. When Carrie left the house, her mother was still asleep. She pulled out her iPhone from her back pocket and checked the time: 7:14.

"Okay guys," Carrie said, standing up. "I am tired between what happened last night and today and my mom's birthday and-"

Ben cut her off. "It's okay. You can go,"

His eyes held care and sympathy. Carrie nodded and hugged Fiona and Ben.

"I love you guys, thanks," She said with a whisper.

As Carrie made her way out of the house, she turned to look at the scene before going. She waved to her friends and attempted to smile.

Then she saw Alice upstairs, looking down at her ruined living room. Alice's eyes started to scan the room, frantically, and her breathing got faster. Carrie could see the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks as she ran to her room and closed to door.

Carrie walked home, thinking about Alice and her broken heart. Then she got to thinking about who caused all this pain. She already knew that it was a ghost. But, could it also be the doll? Or just the doll and no ghost? But then who possessed Alice that day?

Carrie got a headache as she plopped on her bed, thinking of everything. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Sweetie," Carrie heard her mother's smooth voice and soft knocking.

"Come in!"

"Carrie, do you know where my-"

Carrie cut her off. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,"

She sang the whole song, and when it was over, her mother smiled a sincere smile and they hugged tightly.

Her mother then pulled away, her nose scrunching and sniffing and her eyes looking around Carrie's room.

Carrie bit her lip and hoped she wouldn't get busted for what happened last night.

"It smells funny in here," Carrie's mom said with a goofy smile.

"Thanks," Carrie said in sarcasm.

They both laughed and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

*****