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THE KILLER DOLL
by Genny
Just as the sun rose, Lilli set off for the forest of the living doll. She had
heard all of the stories of the doll that was abandoned there many years ago
but she didn’t care; she had never believed them. Soundlessly, she crept down
the stairs, careful not to disturb Rocket, the jet-black cat.
After what felt like a lifetime of sneaking down narrow, empty roads
with Rocket in her arms, she reached the forest. The soft ground was crisscrossed
with thin strips of light. The pond sparkled like millions of shards of
glass. Exhausted, Lilli settled down with her back against a tree and she closed
her eyes as she fell asleep.
Hours later, she woke with a jolt to find herself in the same forest, yet
it was filled with long, ghostly shadows. Rocket sat beside her, whimpering
with fear. Leaves rustled at the foot of a tree. There was something there. A
mouse darted out from beneath the leaves. It was just a mouse it couldn’t hurt
her. But she knew there was something there. She just knew it.
Something was missing. The pond was gone. But how can a whole
pond just disappear? Then she looked closer. It was still there, just blanketed in
shadow.
Cautiously, she stood up. A twig cracked. Red eyes blinked at her from
somewhere deeper into the tangle of trees. They belonged to a strangely small
figure. It advanced towards her. It was a doll. The living doll. It held a
bloodstained axe. Terrified, she grabbed Rocket and ran for her life. She risked
a glance over her shoulder and saw that the doll had gained on her.
Immediately, she set off again, even faster than before. The axe thudded into a
tree, barely missing her arm as she dashed on, desperate to leave the forest.
All of a sudden, she caught a glimpse of buildings on the horizon. The
closer she got, the further away it seemed. Finally, she stumbled through the
gate, down the narrow alleys and into her home. She ran up the stairs, into her
room and threw herself onto her bed. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be
safe at home. She definitely wasn’t doing that again!