Annabelle

"She tried to kill me" chapter IV (UNDER EDITING)

In the midle of the night John woke up with his body drenched in cold sweat. He didn't know why or what had happened but he knew something was wrong. When he turned around, Mia wasn't in the bed. John said her name quietly but no one answered. The only light came from the window where a full moon was lighting the streets, casting sinister shadows across the sidewalks. John was about to look around for Mia when he noticed something on the floor, right below his bedside.

John slowly leaned out, only to see Annabelle laying there with her body and silk dress, flat against the floor. What is she doing here?

Suddenly, right when John was about to carry her back to bed, she started to move. Annabelle climbed up his legs, his stomach and when she finally reached his throat, she started to strangle him. Her hands were harsh and cold. It felt like they were glued against his throat as she pressed harder until he almost blacked out.

John tried to scream for help but he couldn't make a sound. The only noise he managed to make was a slight whimper, coming from the back of his throat as his gullet almost caved in.

No one was coming to rescue him and no one could hear him. It started to get cloudy over his eyes and then everything just got dark. Not even a second passed until John woke up in a flinch and chipped for air. He could still feel where her little wooden hands had closed around his throat. It was just a dream, he told himself.

It was morning and the sun was making his eyes hurt and his head, ache. Mia was still asleep, the stomach sticking up from under the covers. He brushed the hair from her eyes and stood up. John checked the baby-room to see if Annabelle was still there. She was. The ancient little innocent-looking doll was sitting in the rocking chair as usual, but there was something odd about her. Something insidious.

The doll had always been smiling but now it looked evil instead of cute. A shiver shot down like lightning through his body and John closed the door shut. He went to the Bathroom to brush his teeth when he noticed marks on his throat. They were long and red-blue, almost purple. They stretched around like finger prints, which it was. It was strangling marks from the dream.

John bolted backwards until he hit the wall. He hadn't been dreaming, or maybe he had but it didn't matter. What Mia had said was true. Annabelle isn't to play with. Whatever she was, it was dangerous and John needed to do something about it. After not much contemplation, John told Mia everything that had happened and showed her the marks on his throat.

When he was done, John took Annabelle from the rocking chair, walked outside with the doll under his left arm. When he reached the trash-can, he removed the cap and threw Annabelle into it. John hesitated, looking into her stale blue eyes before he closed it.