Forlot: Welcome to the Dummy House - Book Forty-One

Chapter Three

I have never heard of the Dummy House. I have never heard of Forlot until my family and I moved there. Bet that you can guess which house we moved into. No, no. Not the Dummy House. We were residing in the house next to it. My sister, Alexis, would use this opportunity to explore the Dummy House.

Do not let that fool you. My older sister is uninterested in hauntings and not an explorer. She visited the home only to stir up trouble. I do not know why she is such a troublemaker. She has always been like that ever since that I was born. Thank gosh that I am nothing like her.

I think that Alexis is jealous. I take it back. I know that she is jealous of me. Dad explained to me what she did to me when I was a cute infant. I became frightened of her and hugged Dad. I started thinking that maybe she was a psychopath or something. Who would ever want to harm their baby sister?

It took place a couple months after my birth. I was the tiniest and cutest baby. This was according to Dad and Mom. Nobody wanted me to grow up. They wanted me to stay an infant forever. That way, they could continue to admire my cuteness and hold me. Everybody adored me, even the strangers who strolled past us. Everybody except Alexis.

"It was clear to me and your mother that Alexis did not like you," Dad said as he rubbed my back. "She refused to play with you. She claimed that she was busy."

"Busy with what?" I asked.

"That was an excuse, Janice. Alexis was not busy at all. She said it just because she did not want to spend time with you. She did not want to play with you. Your mom and I were not going to force her."

I kicked my legs. "Why did you not make her play with me? You are the parents. You are the bosses."

"We were catching on that she did not like you. Both of us were afraid that she would hurt you. It was best that we kept you two separated until she grew to like you."

"Could you not have watched her play with me?"

"I wish, but I was busy with my work. Your mother was sick at the time. We could not hire a babysitter because there were not a lot of them around here."

"That stinks. Really stinks."

I was in my crib and ready to be cradled. Mom had her back to me and told me that she did not forget me and that she would cradle me in a few minutes. I must have enjoyed being held because when I was put down - not like a dog - I would either throw a fit or give the puppy eyes. While most babies hated being touched, I was the opposite. I loved the soft, warm touches and still do. If only a boy would welcome me with open arms.

Anyway, I was playing with a toy and minding my own business, when Alexis snuck up to my crib. With a nice smile, she looked at me and stroked my cheek. I kicked with my legs and giggled. Then her smile grew sinister. She put her thumb and finger on my nose and pinched it. Pinched it hard.

Thankfully, she did not get away with it. Mom saw her as soon as she heard me cry and punished her. She had to clean the house for the next three days. I wish that I saw the expression on her face. At least that Alexis was taught a lesson.

But do you think that she learned? Of course not.

My sister does not pick on me as much as when I was a baby, but when she does, it breaks me. Makes my heart ache. I should not listen to her. I know. However, some of it is true. Even though that she broke up with all her boyfriends, I have never had one. I desperately wanted one. A boyfriend of my own. Maybe an attractive guy. I could not imagine a handsome boy being with me. It is only a fairytale.

I have another sister who is as innocent as all the trees behind our house. Her name is Olive, and I love her as if she were my sister. Oh, yeah. She is my sister. She is my baby sister. She is the cutest. I enjoy spending time with her. She is cuter than when I was an infant. Cuter than other infants. There is not one thing that I do not love about her. I have to keep her away from Alexis, for I do not want another Alexis in the house.

When we moved into our new home, Olive pouted and threw a fit. It was not because of new surroundings. A new house in a new neighborhood in a new town. Olive was upset because nobody wanted to play with her. We were so busy with the packing and unpacking and tired afterwards that we had no time to do anything else.

Olive crawled towards me and cooed. I looked over my shoulder and smiled. I love to hear the pattering of her little hands and feet. I desire to hug my baby sister and never let her go. I want to play with her all day long.

I spun around and bent down. "Has anybody ever told you how much they love you?"

She giggled and shook her head.

"Well, I love you so much that I...honestly do not know what to do with myself!"

She gasped and tried standing. "L..lo...lo..."

"Are you trying to say the word 'love'?"

She nodded and fell back. Luckily, I caught her. Then I scooped her up and patted her bottom.

"You almost fell on your bottom."

Suddenly, we heard a loud sound. A gunshot.