Watch Your Step

Nina's Tea Party #6

The quaint little house looked more disheveled in the dark. Nate tried to open the gate slowly and silently but it creaked in the dead of the night, it was almost deafening. So much so for being quick and stealthy, he thought.

A passage on the right of the house was leading to the garden. At the end of it was the mango tree and the compost pit they saw this morning. But Nate already knew the doll wouldn't be in the garden. As Andy certainly took her inside his home and probably sleeps with her on the same bed.

Nate used the front door and luckily enough it was open. Over the sink sprawled unwashed plates and utensils. Beyond that, a door he didn't notice before settles at the end of the hallway. He knew this house was bigger on the outside than on the inside so he figured that there had to be a secret room. Nate crept slowly as he passed Andy's bedroom. He then grabbed the knob and after turning it he found —of course—that it's locked.

He procured his camping knife (that was supposed to be for protection) + from his pocket and poked it in the lock of the door. He wriggled it inside, up and down, right and left.

"Come on," he puffed, then a click sounded and eventually the door opened. Nate instinctively looked for the light switch on the side of the wall. But to no avail, he couldn't find it. Good thing, a sliver of moonlight passes through a window. He touched his way around until his eyes adjusted.

A shelf full of more yellow liquid, test tubes, cylinders and other apparatus became visible on the right wall. A board with chains on the left stayed by the window and the center wall was enclosed by a huge double-door cabinet. The latter was the first thing he approached to feed his curiosity.

This time the door of the cabinet wasn't locked. He put his hands on both of the handles and when he opened it, a mix of utter perplexity and fine amusement brimmed his thirst for the truth. Parts of dolls, namely arms, legs, and wigs were neatly organized on the wall of the cabinet. On the back of the two doors he opened were syringes and vials of medicine. While the floor of the compartment kept more cylinders of yellow liquid. What's the deal with all these pee-looking liquid? he thought.

Then he heard a rhythmic stomping that could only mean Andy was approaching. Oh shit, shit, shit, he whispered. Nate quickly hid his easy-to-notice body in the shadows. But he knew something was wrong. Something would let Andy find out he's there. Because when Nate looked to his right, he saw the door he forcefully opened before. Fuck! he gasped and tiptoed towards it.

But the sound of footsteps became louder and panic overcame him, so he snuck back into the dark corner and hoped Andy would just close the door for him. Nate had his hands clasp as if praying and shivering down to his knees. Until he found another door.

It was a sliding door along the wall and it doesn't have a door knob. He opened it just in time, then entered it and closed it without making a sound. He held his breath and slowly stepped backwards while putting his hands in front of him as if to keep the sliding door steady.

Then he turned around and saw a bed and on that bed sat the beautiful doll named Nina. This must be Andy's bedroom, Nate thought.

He beheld the beauty in front of him. With the shine of the moonlight behind her, she looked almost like a goddess. She was wearing a nightgown instead of her hefty dress. Her auburn hair fell softly on her shoulders. Nate couldn't help himself to touch her. So he grazed the back of his fingers on Nina's cheeks and traced the parting of the doll's lips. Then it slightly opened and uttered, "Help me."

"Holy shit!" Nate backed away, his tendons tickled making him feel like peeing. "You really are alive."

"I am not a doll," Nina muttered as tears formed in her eyes. "I can't move."

"Why?" Nate whispered.

"He paralyzed me."

Nate connected the dots, recalling everything he has seen so far, it's not impossible.

"I'm going to get you out of here."

"Please," Nina begged.

Nate stood up and just when he was about to open the door, a loud clip snapped. Followed by a severe burning sensation on his foot.

He backpedals, swearing left and right. It must have broken five or six of his bones in his feet. If not for his layer of fat, the snap would've broken a lot more than bones. But he doesn't know this, all he knows now is pain.

To him it seemed endless, tears sprouting in the corners of his eyes while the trap was still biting deep in his foot. He could have an award for not screaming — must be the adrenaline.

He crouched down and tended to his foot. It was throbbing like a thousand bees kept stinging it. Radiating into his knees and thighs, the pain got worse. But he could still stand up and unfortunately feel that someone was behind him.

Nate turned around too late before a bat swerved and hit the side of his head. His glasses flew and were thrown away to the ground, imminently breaking it into pieces.

AH! He managed to say as he stumbled on the ground. He tried to raise his face and find his eyeglasses that had fallen off —now broken and useless — just like his eyes.

He began crawling and touching his way on the floor. He managed to get on his hands and knees, fell forward and painfully back up again. Until another smack of the bat landed on his back from out of nowhere.

He crumpled to the ground, groaning and flinching with blood trickling all over his head.

"Help me," Nate heard a voice. But another voice said, "Shut yer trap Nina, what you need is another dose of your medicine."

Nate reached his hand to the floor and never moved again.