Becky's Doll

Chapter 11

Her eyelids fluttered delicately just like the fragile wings of a butterfly. She stared blankly at me, the recognition not quite reaching her eyes. I switched on the lights so as not to freak her out.

"Allie," She said but her voice was inaudible. Beads of perspiration lined her forehead. It was quite a warm night but cool winds didn't hesitate to visit the room through the open windows. I sat on the bed beside her.

"Are you hungry?" I asked as I pulled her onto my lap. She nodded her head vigorously as she rubbed at her drowsy eyes.

"Don't do that!" I reprimanded her. She puffed out her cheeks in agitation but withdrew her hands from her eyes.

"Come downstairs and I will give you something to eat," I told her. She yawned tiredly.

"I don't want to go down," She replied. Her green eyes were reddened at the corners. She looked exhausted and she kept on scratching at the reddened slashes on her arms. Maybe I should apply an ice bag over them. I breathed out a sigh.

"Fine. I will bring it up. Until then try not to fall asleep," I told her as I handed over her beloved rag doll. It's beady blue eyes popped out as if it was being chortled. I didn't understand why she always carried a handmade doll that had bright yellow wool for hair and an embroidered red smile when she had more prettier dolls to play with. Becky hugged it to her chest as if she was deriving comfort from it.

I hurried downstairs to the kitchen to get food before she fell asleep again. Her eyelids were drooping. She would fall asleep any minute. I was engrossed in loading her plate with food that I was completely unaware of the presence of another person in the room. I almost dropped the plate when I felt someone breathing down my neck. I turned around hesitantly half expecting to meet the charred face of the ghost. But it was just as horrifying to see Jack Fenton standing close to me, fanning my paled face with his bad breath.

"What do you want?" I asked, pushing up my heels so that I could stand as tall as him. He didn't reply but came closer. I pushed forcefully at his black shirt,stretched across his muscled torso. The old Allison who would suffer all the pain silently had vanished. The new me would stand courageously and protect herself. I kept on repeating it over and over in my mind.

He circled his fingers over my wrist, tightening his grip over me as I resisted more. I scowled angrily at him.

"Let me go, you bastard," I snapped at him. He raised his eyebrows at my newfound courage. He probably couldn't believe that I was resisting.

"I like you this way. When did you turn this sassy?" He asked as he twisted a lock of my hair in his fingers.

"You can't hurt me. I am not the old Allison anymore," I screeched. He let the piece of my hair slip out of his fingers and it settled smoothly on the side of my face. He laughed loudly as if I had made a funny joke. Something snapped within me. I kicked as hard as I could in his shin. That's right Allison, he can't belittle you. Adrenaline pumped within me and I smiled at my accomplishment.

But Jack didn't look very pleased. The smile dropped from his face. His dark eyes turned black. Something might have snapped within him too. He slammed my body on the wall and pinned my wrists against it. I felt as if the air had left my lungs. He came so close that his chest touched mine. I gasped suddenly realising that a sober Jack was a taunting one and a furious Jack was a violent one. Pain shot through my spine.