There was a company that manufactured creepy porcelain dolls with their hands at the two ends of a note, reading, 'I love you.' I came across an odd one with a crevice on its face and glittering dark eyes once in the orphanage, a little girl was playing with it and the weirdest thing happened. It was time for dinner, all the little children scrambled off leaving me alone in the slightly illuminated room. I sluggishly walked towards the door, my gaze fell upon the doll laying on the gravelled floor, so I picked it up and positioned it beside the little girls' table. As I was about to leave, the head of the doll tilted as it stared at me with its glistening dark eyes. Huhn? I refused to believe what I had seen so I concluded it was the effect of hunger.
Days later, I began noticing, that everywhere I went, I always came across that same doll either in the hands of a little girl or dumped on the sidewalk.
"Could I have been monitored all this while?" Months later, the company producing the doll evaporated into thin air, never to be seen or heard of again.
Mom probably knew about this! Could it have something to do with the organisation that conducted the experiment?
•
Sebastian left earlier on, he claimed he had somewhere to be, I tried probing further but he gave out nothing more, leaving me strolling back to the hostel.
Jerk! I didn't even get to hear the update from Adira.
I ambled into the hotel room and found it oddly empty. A quirky feeling crawled beneath my skin.
"Ruby?" I called out but got no response. An alarm in my head immediately went off, I took a step to the bed and was about to lay on it until I saw that!... the creepy doll with a cracked face, I noticed some weird patterns etched on its body.
"Ahh!" I shrieked as my eyes darted around the room for any sign of an intruder that must have sneaked in to slip the doll on my bed. "How the hell did this get here? If this is all a sick prank of yours Ruby, you're so dead!" The hair on my skin rose as I caught sight of something.
Wait a minute... there's something not quite right with this doll. I cringed internally. The note on its hand always read-'I love you.' But it was different this time around, the letters were smeared in red with the words boldly written, 'I kill you.'
It's just a doll Aurora, it's just a doll. I berated myself as I drew closer to it.
A soft knock echoed from the door startling me, "ahh!" I yelped.
It's just the door, dummy. All this is starting to spook me out.
I heaved a sigh as I strode towards the door. "Ruby? Is that you?" I was still frightened out of my wits. I silently hoped it was her.
No response from the other end.
"Sebastian?" Beads of sweat formed on my face.
Another knock.
Is that room service? It wouldn't kill them to respond! Maybe I'm just overreacting about this whole thing. A strange doll shows up on my bed followed by knocks on my door... it might all be a coincidence... right?
"Right," I answered myself.
I shoved my fear aside and opened the door.
In the next second, I was thrown back with full force, crashing my back against the tempered glass table causing a slight fissure in it.
"Urgh... who-"
Before I could process my thoughts, a dagger flew to my direction aiming for my abdomen. I hastily rolled off the table in time to evade it but not the incoming fist directed at my face.
I spat blood as I caught a glimpse of my attacker's face.
"Mo-"
The dagger slid into my stomach causing me to groan in pain, "Ahhh!"
Blood splatters from my abdomen as the masked lady pulls out the dagger, compelling me to groan louder in agonising pain, my vision blurs as all I could see became fuzzy and fuzzier as the pain intensifies. I try to reach for my phone with my trembling hand, but my body refused to move. Instead of words for help, my mouth involuntary vomits blood.
"Ahhhh! P-please..." My voice trailed off as I felt darkness slowly sipping into my being.
•
"A little birdy told me you went out on a date with Aurora."
"It wasn't a date... and who's Aurora?"
"Oh cut it out! I ain't stupid to realize you two love birds had been lying under my nose this whole time. I'm not in any bit interested as to how she came about having that name... but I'll stick to it anyway." Ruby shrugged as she stepped into the room.
"Don't you think it's about time you tell your girlfriend about us?"
"Not ye-" his eyes dilated in horror the moment he saw my lifeless body laying on the tiled floor.
Ruby followed his line of sight and surged towards me. She crouched beside me and shook me slightly. "W-what are you doing?"
My eyes quivered a little as I tried to keep it open. "Ugh... lying on the floor, what does it look like I'm doing." I rolled my eyes at her absurd question.
I guess I wasn't bleeding enough for either of them to notice.
"It looks like you're trying to mimic a dying whale."
"That's exactly what I am," I responded, playing along.
"Care to explain what's wrong?"
"My stomach feels like it got stabbed," I murmured, on the verge of passing out.
"Ah, on your period?" Don't know if she was stupid or just acting stupid.
"No, I got stabbed," I uttered before the darkness consumed me once more.
"Aurora!!"
•
"W-where I'm I?" My lashes fluttered as a blurry figure came into view. I blinked twice as the figure became more visible.
"I-I'm so sorry, Aurora. I didn't know you were injured. You've lost a lot of blood, you passed out for three days. We've got you patched up, so you should be able to move so-"
"W-where is it?!" I jolted up and stumbled off the bed. Sebastian and Ruby swiftly came to my support and lifted me.
"What's wrong?" His voice tingled into my ear as I felt his steady breathing on my nape.
T-the doll was no longer there! It wasn't on the freaking bed!
"D-did you see any strange doll on the bed?" I looked between the both of them as they nodded their heads in unison.
"What doll? You sure you're okay, Aurora."
I didn't know what was more frightening-the fact that the doll I clearly saw strangely disappeared or Ruby calling me Aurora.
"Don't give me that look. I knew who you were the moment we stepped foot into this hotel. You're a really bad liar."
"I'm sorry, part of this is my fault for leaving you behind." He lowered his head and smiled faintly. If I didn't know better, I would've fallen for his scheme.
I pushed his words aside and pulled myself up. "W-we need to return, now!"
The sooner this issue is resolved, the better. I can only gather more leads back home.
A week came to an end quite early-our queue to return. We awoke the next morning and began loading our things into our luggage. Couldn't get a shut eye all through the night, the glimpse of my attacker I was able to grasp couldn't let me.
It was definitely her! But why? The only thought I kept asking myself. Was I wrong thinking she was a victim... what if... she is behind all this?
Ugh! For heaven's sake, she's your freaking mother! What'd she have benefited from all this anyways? It could have been someone's silly attempt to frame her... I do hope that's the case.
Doubt slowly started creeping into me, I didn't know who to trust anymore, who to rely on... that's right! I still got someone-Aspen, the beautiful angel that managed to bring the world out in a new light. I rummaged through my purse and held out my phone, before I could dial her number, a call came through.
An unknown number?
"Who-"
"W-where are you! T-this is Abby, Abby Leslie, the girl you met at the coffee shop with Aspen." Fear dripped from her tone, I shrugged it off hoping it was nothing.
"Funny enough I was about calling Aspen. How's she by the way." I chimed as a smile adorned my lips which was quickly replaced by a frown.
"S-she's dead!" Her voice cracked into a sob laced with a hint of fear.
"T-the cops said she committed suicide, b-but I know that's not true! My Aspen would never do that. S-she would never!"
Just like the day, I got the news of Michelle's death only that this was different... she was different... s-she was a friend... my friend!
Tears pricked my eyes, I couldn't hold it in. I let it flow down freely just like it did a few days ago upon hearing of Michelle's passing. It hasn't even been a week!
I drooped to the floor and sobbed... sobbed harder than I have ever done before.
Her last words echoed in my ear, "My offer is still on, dial my number if you ever need to talk about anything... till we meet again, Aurora."
"That's the bitter part... we won't ever meet again! Why'd you say that if you're gonna leave me... you filled me with hope... hope I've never felt... I knew how it felt to have a friend... to have you and now... y-you're gone!!" I yelled out as my heart squeezed in pain... pain I couldn't describe. I clenched my chest as I wept along with Abby who was still on the line also shattered. I couldn't imagine how much hurt she must be in... Aspen must have been her world.
"I-I went to her place the day after we met in the coffee shop and found her door open. I felt slightly uneasy as I couldn't find her anywhere in the living room or dining, so I went up to her room and found a trail of bloody footprints along the staircase. I sprinted up to her room, she wasn't there also, called out her name but got no response, I followed the trail of blood which led to her bathroom. I pushed the door open-" Her voice wavered as she recalled the scene.
"I-I saw her body in the bathtub drowning in her own pool of blood. It was all my fault, if only I had listened to her, she would have lived. She told me she had felt someone stalking her ever since that day, I told her she was just being delusional. I-If only I had taken action, maybe called the cops, stayed with her... this wouldn't have ha-"
"Don't!" I cut her off. If anyone was to blame, it was me! I caused her death, indirectly. If she hadn't met me, she would still be alive, spreading her light with everyone who needed it. If she hadn't walked up to me that day at the coffee shop, if she hadn't... my mind was a sea of 'If'.
"I-If she was bathed in her blood, how the hell does that look like a suicidal case! Why can't the cops do their freaking jobs properly!" I lashed out as my blood boiled, rage coursed through my vein, and the feeling came. I turned around and found Ruby and Sebastian staring at me with worry painted on their faces. I looked away and reached for the glass of water situated on the bedside table. I clamped my hands around it tightly and slammed it against the wall with brute force. I surveyed around for anything else I could smash to extinguish this rage... anger... fear.
"T-they found a suicidal note in her bedroom... written in her blood."
I paused, the rage residing. Another note?
She forwarded the note to me.
'She took away everything from me. I couldn't bear seeing her happy. I couldn't live knowing that she would be out there smiling. Her smile disgusts me. Everything about her disgusts me! I tried to get rid of her, but she ran away. I found her daughter and decided to get rid of everything and everyone she ever loved... but that didn't work out, so I gave up and decided to end my own life. I love you.'
That same words! It confirmed my suspicion. The killer is the owner of the company that manufactured the doll, the company that my mother worked in, the company that murdered my dad, and most likely behind the murder of Michelle and Aspen! But then... who exactly? Which psychopath is behind all this?
~~~
Nooo! Aspen was such an angel, I bet you guys loved her also.
The next update might take a while, so sorry about that.
Please vote if you enjoyed it and share your comment so I would know what you liked and disliked, I would gladly make changes.
Love,
Beauty♡