The Dollhouse

When the Lights are Out

It was the next morning and still my room was a mess. Dad hadn't woken up from the noise, because he was such a heavy sleeper. I had put my dolls back in the dollhouse and swept up the glass, but had left everything else and crawled back into bed. I dreaded having to clean up the mess today.

I knew that all of this was a prank, but I couldn't figure out who the prankster was. Dad and I were the only ones living here, and he hated coming into my room. We didn't have any animals. My friends would never break and enter, or even just enter without permission. I just couldn't figure out for the life of me how this was happening.

I got straight to work on cleaning. First I had wiped all the makeup off the walls, then put my clothes in their proper places. I got my dresser drawers back in the dresser and finished everything else. It took me a good hour to complete unplanned task. An hour I could have used to do something more fun.

The day progressed and soon it was noon. Dad woke up and went t make himself some coffee.

"My room was trashed last night," I stated. I peered over at him, taking a bite of my sandwich. "Any idea how it could of happened?"

Dad just stared at me with his tired eyes. "Were you sleep walking?" he finally asked.

"I don't sleep walk."

He walked over and sat at his usual chair at the end. "Well, you know I wouldn't go in your room, unless it was an emergency."

Yes, I knew. But I needed answers as to what happened. "So, any other theories?"

He took a sip of his black coffee. "The dolls came to life?" he shrugged.

"Dolls can't come to life dad."

He shrugged again. "You never know what happens when the lights are out, Lacey."

I rolled my eyes and stood up. I took my empty plate and cup to the sink and rinsed them. "Maybe I should set up a video camera," I said to myself. It would show what was going on.

"Maybe you should," said dad.

That night I took out mom's old video camera, the kind that used video cassettes, and set it on my night stand, making sure I had a good view of the whole room. When I was satisfied, I climbed into bed, brought the covers closer, and flipped off the light. My eyes became heavy and I soon found myself asleep.

The next morning I woke up refreshed. I hadn't been woken up at all during the night with noise. I looked around, not a doll in sight. Then I turned to the video camera. I grabbed it and started to rewind the tape. When it stopped, I brought it up to my eye and peered into the eye piece. Pressed pay and watched.

Video

The room was still for a few minutes. Then, a shadow started to move in the corner of the room where the dollhouse was. The door to the dollhouse was opening by itself. A few seconds passed with nothing happening. Then, more shadows moved. On the floor was a shadow moving past the foot of the bed. The hem of a ruffled skirt appeared. Out stepped a doll with a lace umbrella hung on her arm and a big hat placed on her head. I recognized her as Elizabeth, a victorian doll I had gotten a few years back. Elizabeth's head sudden snapped towards the camera, as if she knew it was recording her.

More shadows appeared, and soon, it wasn't just Elizabeth standing at the foot of the bed. All the dolls, including Anise, that were in the dollhouse was there. They all turned their heads to the camera and stared at it. Then, as if a horn went off, they all rushed to the door, all except Anise, who had rushed to the camera and stuck her porcelain face into the camera, glaring into the lens. It happened so fast, it startled me back a bit.

Anise then joined her fellow dolls, dragging a forgotten shoe box with her. She sat it at the door, and helped Elizabeth climb up it. Elizabeth then turned the door handle and opened the door. They all fled out.

That was the end of the tape. I dropped the camera onto my lap, forgotten. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Dolls walking by themselves, getting out of locked cases, opening doors - who ever heard of such a thing? I slowly looked over at the dollhouse. Had they all went back inside there after leaving the room. I was almost to scared to look.

I pushed the covers down and took tentive steps to the mini house. Kneeling, I opened the, now closed, door and peered inside. The cases were empty.