The Dollhouse Murders (Dollhouse series // Book #1)

Chapter 8

That undeniable stench of decay was definitely still there as I slowly, carefully spun on my heels. I bit my lip and let out a slow, shaky breath. A doll. A hairless, butt-naked doll, but still, only a doll. At least it wasn't another of our friends dead. I turned to Logan and Jayden and forced a small uncertain smile, but they didn't seem to return that smile...

"What?" I whispered, spinning back round to get a better look at the doll. Nothing too unusual, compared to what I've seen tonight...

"It' so creepy..." Jayden whispered. It's not like him to get spooked, nothing so far has even rattled him...

"It's just a doll" I muttered. MY eyes fixed on him intently, watching his every move. Something had spooked him. What it was, I couldn't work out. Perhaps the gravity of the situation was dawning on him.

"Come on" Logan's voice snapped me out of my observational state. His voice always had that effect. He grabbed Jayden by his arm and pulled him down the corridor towards the doll. they pulled to the left and I pulled to the right. We shifted our way around the doll, leaving it undisturbed, facing down the corridor the other way. All eyes were glued to it as we slipped past, almost like we were hoping not to be seen, not that it would have made much difference. We wandered down the cool corridor, searching. What for, I'd forgotten by this time. We'd been trudging this old museum's rotting planks for far too long now. I groaned.

"What?" Asked Jayden, a small smile on his lips. Why was he smiling?

"What are we doing still in here? We can get away! We can save ourselves and get the others help" I sighed.

"What are we still doing in here?" He raised a brow. "We're looking for the rest of us" He said simply.

"Wouldn't it have been better to go get help?" I grumbled.

"From who?" Smirked Jay.

"The police, our parents, anyone!" I growled, having to give the most obvious answer in history.

"You really think they'd take kindly to this? We're in an old abandoned building - it's strictly off limits. We managed to get Maria and Ava killed, and you expect them to believe us when we say the doll did it?" Smirked Logan, nudging me gently. The carpet worn and stained beneath out weary feet.

"Her name is Absinthe" I hissed.

"Yeah, how do you know this?" Jayden mocked me.

"She told me" My hiss was louder this time.

"Yeah, because you talk to dolls all the time! The doll whisperer!" He rolled his eyes. "C'mon Lily, get real"

"You know nothing about me" I growled lowly.

"I know enough to know you're a psycho." He laughed heartily. "A complete nut case, hey Logan?" He smirked. I let out a high screech. Maybe I was crazy, so what if I was!? I just wanted away from them, the voiced in my head growled at me to hit Jayden. The voice in my head...? It can growl...? I didn't though, but what I did do was run. I sped away, whirling past them, and around corners. I heard their footsteps following mine, but in this state of mind, not even Usain Bolt could've caught me.

The empty corridor seemed so full and thriving, moving at this pace. The anger, fear and sadness welled away to overwhelming joy, from nowhere! For the first time since seeing Maria's dead body, the dull numbness gave way to a new feeling of life and energy. Shadows that once haunted me seemed to running along side me, dancing, leaping from wall to wall. I'd been in the darkness for so long I felt at home. The darkness was where I dwelled during the precious moments I could get alone. 

In my mind, I came up with a ludicrous theory. Whenever I was with either of them I was afraid. When I was alone I felt safe and free. The darkness became my sanctuary. They were planting the fears inside me, manipulating me, twisting and distorting the lies fed to me. I vowed to never let them near me again, I would never go back with them. I felt so free... I slowed and let out a  high pitched laugh, spinning and flailing my arms as if I was on a roller coaster. My laughing soon became hysterical. The maniacal sound coming from my own mouth sending shivers down my spine and jolting through my bones, filling the empty space. I came to a halt and my laughing ceased. I looked down the corridor, stood with a confident pose. Darkness... my friend...