In the sky stars are bright.
"Oh Danny! I can't wait to see it." My sister's ecstatic voice sounded through the phone. I held the land line in my hand since my cell service did not work out here. "It is amazing Jen! How soon can you be out tomorrow?" I asked checking the time.
I had moved in to this house three days ago and I had asked for some help moving in from my family. Everyone decided to make a big event of it. My whole family had scheduled to fly out here to spend three nights in my new house while they helped me. We were also planning to hold a yard sale to get rid of some old furniture from the Heelshires, and make the house more me.
I could hear Jen breathing heavily on the other side of the phone. She must have been last minute packing, running back and forth from room to car. "I should be out of my flat by 6:00 and I will head straight to the house. I should get there around 7:30ish." Jen answered.
Jen wanted to get here before the whole family, so she decided that waking up at 5:30 in the morning was a good Idea. And I couldn't complain. I could use the extra help pricing the furniture before the craziness of my family arrived. "Okay Danny, just to let you know, I am packing up everything that you have in the flat and bringing it down with me." My heart melted. "Thank you so much! You are the best." I heard my sister's cute giggle on the line. "Okay well I have an early morning tomorrow. I better go. Love you." Jen said. "Love you too. Bye."
I hung up the phone and picked up a notebook. I headed out to town earlier today to look at prices for some of the Heelshire's furniture and had jotted down the numbers in my notebook.
I sat myself in a large chair and began to copy the numbers in the notebook to the price tags I had bought in town. The setting sun began to cast shadows on the walls. When my hand began to cramp I decided to go place some tags on the furniture. I started on the bottom floor and worked my way up to the top. I got creeped out walking through the house with all the severed animal heads staring at me. They had to go.
I finally made it to the last room, which I had decided would be the room that I slept in. I decided to check the closet just in case I missed anything.
I opened the door and nearly screamed.
It was the doll.
It sat on the floor, looking up at me. Its empty eyes gleamed. I sighed in relief. This must have been where the realtor set it when we walked in here last week.
I reached down and lifted it from the floor. It was much lighter than I had expected it to be. I held it in my arms like I was holding a child.
I looked at the dolls face, so carefully put back together. My thumb grazed the doll's pocket and I heard something crumple. I looked down to find a paper in the pocket. With my spare hand, I reached down and pulled it out. I gingerly unfolded the little wrinkled ball, careful not to rip it. I smoothed the paper back to a rectangle. Black ink had been stamped onto the paper's surface.
Two words sat in the top center of the page that sent chills down my spine. They read 'Brahms's Rules'. My eyes shot to the doll. "Wait." I whispered to myself, piecing the puzzle together. Then it hit me. The painting of the Heelshires flashed into my mind. The little boy Brahms. I felt stupid for not noticing the resemblance. The doll that I was holding was
a sculpture of the Heelshires lost son Brahms. I looked at the dolls face recognizing the features of the sweet painted boy. "You must be Brahms." I said out loud, as if the doll was listening to me.
I looked back to the paper of rules. My eyes skipped across the list of words. There were things listed like, 'Never cover Brahms's face' and 'never leave Brahms alone'. Were these for the doll? "Sheesh" I blew out through my cheeks. This must have been one expensive doll if they had to have rules for it. I continued to look down the list and became very confused. There were rules that said 'Save meals in freezer' and 'Only Malcom brings delivery'.
"Save meals for the doll?" I muttered under my breath. And who is Malcom? With furrowed brows I folded the paper into a tiny square, and placed it back in the dolls pocket.
My heart stopped when suddenly the phone began to ring down stairs. I was confused as to who would be calling me but I quickly rushed out of the room knowing that I would miss the call if I didn't reach the phone in time.
My feet beat down the stairs like thunder in a rainstorm. I didn't notice, till I almost tripped and fell to my death, that I was still holding the Brahms doll. I reached the phone just in time. I lifted it to my ear, my chest heaving in and out. "Hello?" I managed to say between gasps of air.
The other end of the line was silent, save for the sound of heavy breathing. I quickly recalled my talk Jen not an hour earlier and remember that she had been breathing hard. "Jen is that you?" I asked hopeful to hear my sister's voice. The line grew silent. "Hello?" I asked again. Nothing. Confused, I looked at the doll to see if it had any answers for me. It stared blankly back at me.
I waited a few more seconds before hanging up just in case. I set the phone down with a small clink and looked around the wide living room adorned with chairs here and there, a wide bookshelves, some tables. I looked over to my small suitcase leaning against the doorframe. It looked out of place with the rest of the house.
I set the doll on one of the chairs and wandered over to the suitcase. I was sick of wearing nice clothes. I was alone, so what was the point? I zipped the small case and flipped it open to reveal my mess of a packing job.
As soon as I bought the house I wanted to move in ASAP. So I quickly packed a bag that would last me two days before the big move in yard sale party that my family so graciously decided to host.
I rummaged through the bag, spilling clothes out onto the deep wood floor, until I found my huge Oxford T-shirt and my short sweatpants. I bundled the clothes in my arm, not caring to clean the mess on the floor. This was my house. I could clean it whenever.
A smile spread across my face. "This is my house." I said out loud, loving the way it sounded. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drinking in the oh so needed silence that I finally had. With a quick sigh, I lifted my shirt off and flung it on to the couch because no one could tell me that I couldn't. I could get dressed anywhere I wanted, because I was completely alone in blissful solitude.
I pulled my phone from my pocked and slid my finger across the lock bar. 'No service' sat at the top left-hand corner of my screen, but I didn't care. This way no one could bug me, I smiled to myself. I tapped the music logo app and put my phone on shuffle.
'Rehab' by Amy Winehouse began to blast, and I began to feel the beat. I kicked off my pants and shook my hips in nothing but my underwear. I danced around for a second before picking up my baggy T shirt and diving into it. I lifted my shorts and stepped into them, still dancing stupidly to the music.
I spun around to find the doll in the chair. I rushed to it and lifted it up. I began to dance with it like it was my dance partner. I did one last spin with it and gently set it down on a chair.
All control of my body left. I followed my feet as I began to dance around the house. I wandered into doorways, jamming out to the song. I must have looked so stupid, but it didn't matter. My limbs flew all over the place as I soared through the kitchen, to the foyer, past the painting of the Heelshires and back to the living room.
I glided until pain suddenly grabbed my left foot. I didn't have time to scream as I flew through the air and landed hard. My phone slipped out of my pocket and skidded along the floor. I sat up confused by my mysterious perpetrator.
It was my suitcase.
It lay in the middle of the floor.
Empty.
I quickly got to my feet and stared at my case in wonder. I didn't empty it did I? Chills ran down my spine as I slowly began to scan the room. My clothes were everywhere. Hanging on the chairs, splattered on the floor. Even my makeup and lotion stuff were thrown all about.
I looked to find the doll sitting in the same chair where I left it. One of my shirts lie in its lap. Confusion spun around in my head like a ceiling fan.
The doll stared at me almost demonically. I looked again at all my mess of clothes. Maybe when I tripped all the clothes spilled out. I cringed at myself for thinking something so stupid. The only way that could happen would be if I lived in a cartoon.
My heart thumped forebodingly, and I crossed my arms to comfort myself. I quickly began to pick up everything and put it away. I piled everything in my arms and tossed it into my open suitcase. I quickly zipped it up and pushed it away as if my stuff was a demon.
Fear trickled down my spine reminding me how exposed my back was, unconsciously I began to hum. Singing always comforted me. I guess it was a nervous twitch I had.
I backed up right onto the couch and sat. Paranoia still crept in my brain, taking candle light flickers and twisting them into creatures of the dark. I sat still, trying to control my racing heart. "Oh stop it Danielle!" I scolded myself out loud.
"There is nothing to be afraid of."
I began humming the lullaby song to myself, and I drifted off.