Isabella - A Short Story

         

Little Cindy wanted a doll. But she didn't want just any ordinary doll, she wanted a special one.

So her mother took her to the toy store. They searched and searched but Cindy couldn't find her perfect doll. Just as they were about to give up, Cindy noticed something at the corner of the doll rack hidden under a number of dolls she rejected.

It was her perfect doll.

She was beautiful, like all the dolls in the toy store. Her skin was perfect, her eyes were an amazing deep blue and her hair was so fine, almost like real hair. But that's not why Cindy wanted her. She wanted her because she was different. All the dolls they found had these beguiling smiles, this doll had this forlorn look, full of sadness, darkness and mystery. Cindy knew this was the doll she wanted.

She named the doll Isabella.

Cindy played with her all night until it was time for bed. She left Isabella sitting at her tea table, downstairs in her play room. She said goodnight to her mother and went to bed.

In the middle of the night she woke up hearing a voice, it was a sweet but eerie singing,

"I'm Isabella...I'm going to get you...

I'm on the first step.

Second step.

Third step."

Wondering what it was she went to check downstairs and saw her doll lying on the floor, a few steps away from where Cindy left her. Thinking it was just a gust of wind, she returned Isabella to the tea table and went back to bed.

Sometime later Cindy heard it again. The same sweet, eerie voice singing,

"I'm Isabella...I'm going to get you...

I'm on the fourth step.

Fifth step.

Sixth step."

Checking downstairs again she saw Isabella, away from the tea table and now a little bit closer to the stairs. She returned the doll back yet again and went back to her room. She wasn't even asleep yet when she heard it again,

"I'm Isabella...I'm going to get you...

I'm on the seventh step.

Eight step.

Ninth step."

Cindy found Isabella now by the top staircase. This time, really scared, she placed her inside a small cabinet, locking Isabella inside. Cindy went back to bed and under the covers, wishing for the eerie singing to go away. It was quiet for a long time after that and she finally fell asleep again.

Until she head the same eerie voice, but this time it seems closer to her singing,

"I'm Isabella...I'm going to get you...

I'm on the tenth step.

Eleventh step..."

Cindy, paralyzed with fear, felt someone whispering to her ear, "And the twelfth step."

A horrified scream is heard the next day. Inside Cindy's room, her mother is crying hysterically by her bed.

There lies Cindy... with her throat slit. Beside her, Isabella, the doll, lies.

Smiling.