by A. A. Vacco
“These dolls reflect us," Renni repeated. “Unless there is darkness in our intentions, these dolls remain an imprint of our good energy. And neither was created in darkness.”
“In fact," added Panella, “The dolls can share their own energy with others.”
As Panella said this, the Renni doll turned its dark eyes toward Myra, and then dropped its gaze to Lucy. The lips began moving and the eyelashes fluttered. Slowly, the head of the Panella doll turned and joined in. Myra felt Lucy start to twitch.
Myra’s scream broke the enchantment. In a final attempt to free herself, Myra turned and bit Renni’s hand. The woman spat and swore, releasing her grip on Myra’s shoulders. Myra jumped up, grabbed her purse, and blindly ran past Panella. She knocked the chair with the gypsy dolls over in her haste, and heard both women yelling in a foreign tongue. Myra did not take the time to figure out what the language was. She just wanted to go home.
Frank grew tired of watching the conjoined twins’ juggling act. He went to tell Myra he was set to go, but realized she wasn’t anywhere in sight. He backtracked to the jewelry stand, but didn’t see her. He scanned the area, and saw two Gypsy women brushing themselves off, and muttering to one another. They were adjusting their tent and presumably closing up shop. He saw dozens of homemade dolls, along with hand sewn dresses and other accessories lining the tent walls. He was about to make an inquiry when Myra ran into him, winded and disheveled. Her golden hair that she usually kept pinned back stuck to both sides of her face. Dust clutched the hem of her dress, and her face was bright red and beaded in sweat. She almost fell into his arms when he reached out to embrace her. Frank felt her shaking and noticed she was not able to articulate much.
“Ok, ok, let’s go over here," he said, when she seemed to panic more if they walked toward the tent full of dolls.
Still unable to say much, Frank checked her purse to see if someone tried to rob her. Her money, handkerchief, and Lucy all appeared present and intact. Her clothing was worn the way he last saw her, so if someone had tried to grab her, she must’ve broke away quickly.
Finally, Myra’s breathing slowed enough to where she could speak. “The Gypsy ladies, those two women!” Myra started, pointing back at the doll tent, “They have live dolls! Dolls that move and act like them! But they can’t talk, well they can, but just to whoever owns them. And each other. Oh God it was awful!”
Still unsure what to make of it, Frank nodded along, beginning to smile at the thought of small dolls chasing his frantic wife around a carnival.
“Sweetheart, don’t you think it was part of an act? We are at a carnival. The point is to scare, amuse, even confuse in this case.”
“Don’t make fun of me," she whispered, “I know what I saw.”
“Well, Darling, of course you saw it! All magic shows let you see exactly what they intend for you to see!”
Myra paused. She did remember the women talking about magic. Was it all an act? Of course it was all an act, how else could any of it be explained? Myra let a small smirk creep onto her face. Frank answered it with a bigger one. “You see, Love?”
“Yes, yes of course you’re right. What else could it have been? Voodoo?”
“Well, no, Gypsies don’t practice Voodoo...but, but that’s neither here nor there," Frank answered.
Wiping her eyes and face with her handkerchief embroidered M.J.S, Myra steadied herself, gave Frank a warm kiss, and said she’d had enough fun for the day. Frank tucked back the loose strands of hair behind her ears. Then, joining hands, the pair turned and left for home.
12
Millerton, IL, 1984
Elle arrived at the mansion a few minutes early. It was yet another crisp autumn Saturday afternoon and the doors opened in about thirty minutes. She figured it best to do a run-through to ensure it was as well-kept as possible. She and Kat had closed up around eight o’clock the night prior, but things always found their way out of place when left unattended. It had been almost a month since they took the job. So far, nothing beyond the expected dolls’ heads turning, eye movements, and random sounds had deterred their presence in the building. Elle noted that Kat wasn't as jumpy as when they first started. She still acted uneasy, but nothing compared to her first few visits. Elle managed to freak her out now and again, but the house's tricks were becoming as routine to Kat as they were to the rest of the town. Still, thought Elle, even if we are used to it, we aren't in control of it.
Her mother was right about that, and she kept it in mind. Elle hoped that whatever they did, they wouldn’t alter or influence the mansion’s dynamics.
Elle fanned out the information pamphlets across the counter in the main entry, securing them with the iron cross paperweight. She took out the lock box for money collections and laid out waivers that everyone had to sign, along with some pens. Kat walked in just as Elle was about the head back to check on the doll displays.
"We were just here. Do you really think the Big Guy threw a rave party last night?” asked Kat.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Elle answered.
Kat nodded. "True, but that was on Halloween. You can't expect anyone to behave then, dead or alive."
With a thin smile, Elle murmured to Kat that she didn't believe the dolls or forces behind the house's disturbances fit into either category. Kat whispered back that if Elle tried making this any scarier than it already was, she would take one of the dolls and hide it under Elle's bed. Elle shook her head, "Don't you fucking dare.”
Kat stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really?"
Elle looked back at her. "Yea, Dude, it could throw the whole thing off. No one's allowed to take anything out of this place because they don't want whatever controls it to, I don't know, spread. Or react."
Kat laughed. Until now, nothing about this place even got Elle to flinch. “Are you serious?”
Elle crossed her arms. "Fine, if this is something that doesn't freak you out, you take a doll. Put it in your room. I dare you."
"Wait, do you know what will happen? If you're hiding something from me--,"
"No, I just think you're being ridiculous. The only reason this place isn't freaky to anyone is because they know what to expect. You go and pull a stunt trying to get something unexpected and it could be detrimental!"
Kat sighed. "You're really being dramatic, Ellbea. Go eat something.”
Now more annoyed, Elle snapped back, "Whatever, Kathy. Make sure everything else is in place. I'm going to make sure the front is set to go."
Elle pushed past Kat and returned to the counter in the entrance. The doors were already unlocked from when the two of them showed up. Elle continued arranging the items on the counter. She heard some footsteps opposite of where she left Kat, and didn't bother looking toward the noise. She did, however, hurry after the clashing sound that followed. Even if the house notoriously came to life, Elle prided herself on attempting to keep it maintained the best she could. The crash came from a small sitting room with pink carpet and formal, floral patterned chairs. The room was more of a break from the larger, cluttered rooms of dolls and other antiques. It served as an antique itself, as Mrs. Valor claimed it was part of the original construct, including the furniture. To display it well, the Valors kept a minimal number of other items on display. Behind the two chairs stood a wood hutch where a single, porcelain doll sat. The doll had dark, short hair and green eyes, with the appearance of a toddler, and the doll's attire suggested it came from the 1920’s.
Well, the doll usually sat on top of the hutch. When Elle entered the sitting nook, she found its sole occupant smashed in pieces on the ground. Puzzled, Elle looked around to see what had caused the fall. It was uncommon for the dolls to actually break. Sure, they moved and sometimes fell, but always remained intact. The green-eyed cherub laid at her feet amid a tangle of limbs with its cracked face and punched in nose staring up at her. Elle continued staring back until Kat walked up behind her, startling her back to reality.
"What di
d you do?” Kat asked.
"No-nothing. The thing just fell. But it shattered. They usually don't shatter."
Kat shook her head. "Well, in my experience, when porcelain hits the floor, it breaks."
"True," agreed Elle, "But there's carpeting in this room. Plush carpeting at that. So it shouldn't have shattered like this."
Kat glanced around the room, looking for a source of the fall. Nothing else appeared to be shifted or even remotely close to where the dolls previously sat. Unable to come up with a sound reason for it, Kat just shrugged and said, "Well, in any event, people are heading up the drive. Go greet them. I'll get the vacuum and we can figure it out later."
Elle headed toward the counter and plastered on a bright, cheery grin to welcome the people trickling in. Kat ducked into the supply closet. When she returned to the little room, she saw the doll was back intact, for the most part. The right arm remained unattached, and the nose still appeared slightly dented. But otherwise, the green-eyed baby doll showed no signs of the prior impact. Slightly shaken, Kat reached down and picked up the doll in one hand and its arm in the other. It was a clean break and would need some glue to reattach it. She sat the doll back on its hutch and angled it so that the missing arm wasn't as obvious. She placed the detached arm in the top drawer of the hutch and left to return the vacuum cleaner.
By closing time, most of the dolls in the mansion had rearranged themselves in some fashion. Elle gave up returning them to their original spots, and Kat took the liberty of sweeping and dusting once the final visitor exited. Kat was near the back of the house, Elle just a few rooms over, when they both heard a low rumble that shook the floor.
"Oh come on," muttered Elle.
The hair on her arms stood at full attention and the back of her neck prickled. The moonlight suddenly became her only light source when the power cut out. Elle heard Kat fumbling and swearing as she shook the hallway light switch up and down. Elle started to make her way toward the echo of profanities. She admitted to herself it was a bit unnerving dealing with the house in full swing without light. Catching Kat by the arm that was still furiously jarring the light switch, she shushed her and said, "We need to make our way to the entrance."
"Ya think?"
"I do--but you seem more focused on restoring the power," Elle said.
Kat glanced around them. The house fell silent. They paused, and then Elle noticed a click-clack sound coming from the room two doors down from them. "We may want to check on that," said Elle.
Kat answered with a hesitant nod and Elle released her grip. She then hooked her arm around Kat’s. They shuffled toward the noise. The room had a bit more moonlight than the hall. Elle scanned the shapes and shadows of the room. She didn't see anything to be the source of the sound. "Hey, I think that window is open," said Kat, nodding toward a slightly ajar pane of glass on the back wall.
Elle watched as the window blew open, then closed, then open again. Elle didn't recall opening any windows, especially since it was ungodly cold for November. She pulled Kat with her as she walked forward to close it. The moon afforded her enough light to inspect around the windowsill and frame. Nothing appeared broken. The surrounding dolls on the shelves sat motionless with vacant stares. Kat shrugged and headed back to the door, pulling Elle with her.
Click-click-clack-click
Both girls spun, breaking the link between their arms, and faced the window, again swinging open and shut. This time, it was with more force.
"Ah crap," muttered Elle.
"Yea, seriously, I'm so over this shit," said Kat.
"Leave it for tomorrow?" asked Elle.
"But what if it rains tonight? Or snows? Or...I don't know, someone breaks in?"
"I feel that whatever keeps opening the window can close it if someone tries to break in," Elle said with some panic to her tone.
This didn't go unnoticed by Kat, who sighed, shook her head, and marched back into the room to reclose the window. Elle watched her small silhouette start to head back toward the doorway, then stop.
"Kat? What's up?"
Silence. But she was standing in front of Elle. Elle took a few steps in Kat's direction. Before she could reach out to touch Kat's outline, she felt an icy sensation brush against the back of her neck, as if someone's hand grazed her skin. Now Elle stood, frozen and silent, waiting. The cold touch continued to press against Elle's cheek, then over both of her forearms, and finally left bursts of icy spikes into her hands. She had felt this from time to time before, but not to this degree. It was not a pleasant feeling. Elle’s chest felt like a pinball table as her heart banked around her rib cage. She held her breath, hoping to hear something beyond the deafening silence, especially from Kat. It was like one of those nightmares where her whole body felt stuck, even if she tried to run.
Kat experienced the same stuck feeling as Elle. Once she shut the window, Kat had heard the sound of something dragging across the wooden floorboards. It was a faint sound, but she definitely heard it. She paused to try and figure out what it was. She thought she could move if she wanted, but she found herself in a full-blown fright fit. It felt like the first night, only without a flashlight. Her legs ached and wobbled. She couldn't catch her breath because she kept holding it, hoping to identify the sound. Nothing, now, but Elle wasn't moving anymore either. Maybe she heard it too?
Kat didn't bother asking. Without warning, a suffocating sense of terror gripped Kat when she felt a hand take hold of her ankle. The smooth, cool hand felt small, but strong enough to dig its nails into her skin and latch on. Like stone, thought Kat, wait, no...porcelain.
The touch broke her stationary stance and she launched forward, colliding into Elle. They crashed to the floor. Elle's mystery chills ceased, and Kat managed to kick whatever held onto her ankle across the room during the scuffle. The two scrambled to their feet and rejoined arms. Panting, Elle took the lead.
As they shuffled down the hall, Kat heard the dragging noise resume. She heard a scrrrrrrritch, then a pause, then another scrrrrrrrrritch, and a pause. Elle picked up the pace, blocking her face with her free hand, hoping not to slam them into a door or a wall. The noise behind them also picked up the pace. The pauses grew shorter between each scrrrrrritch. Kat started screaming while Elle did her best to keep calm, but feared the mansion for the first time in years. "Did we really piss it off somehow?” mumbled Elle.
Kat almost took Elle down with her when her knees buckled. She violently clawed at her legs, kicking and cursing. Whatever was following them caught up to Kat and grabbed her ankle again. This time, it didn't stay latched to one spot. It used her pant leg to climb up the side of her leg, causing her knees to give out. Even with Kat’s attempts to free herself, the hand continued up, passing the hip, her stomach and then to her shoulder. Finally, it closed around her throat. The rest of Kat’s body hit the ground with a thud. She tried to rip away the clenched hand. Elle heard her start to gasp for air, and saw she was pulling at something around her throat. When Kat rolled near a beam of moonlight shining through a nearby window, Elle saw a white, plump hand holding onto the front of her neck. The hand looked like it belonged to a child. Part of the arm was there too, Elle noted, which is what they heard dragging as the hand moved over the wood floors. Kat rolled onto her back again. Elle dropped to her knees and grabbed the chubby, porcelain arm as Kat worked to loosen the grip of the fingers. She was losing strength. Elle worried she'd pass out. "Get off of her!" shouted Elle.
Elle noticed Kat's eyes starting to close as her breathing became more labored. Both girls continued to fight the dismembered limb, but it was surprisingly strong. Kat's arms dropped and she now took short, shallow breaths. Elle continued to scream and fight the offender, but it felt like a lost cause. She kept screaming and crying for Kat to wake up. As Kat gasped for one, final breath, a deafening rumble shook the room. Elle covered her ears at the roar, and watched as the lights flickered back on. The once powerful hand dropped to the ground, immobile and no longer clench
ed. The rumbling ceased, and a stillness washed over the house.
Elle turned her attention back to Kat. Gasping between sobs, she shook Kat's shoulders and screamed her name. It took a few moments, but Kat's eyes fluttered open and she coughed between gulps of air. Elle didn't wait. She pulled Kat to her feet and put her arm around Kat's small waist. Kat wrapped her arm around Elle's neck and Elle dragged her down the remainder of the hallway, through the saloon doors and adjoining rooms, then into the entrance area. Shouldering the front door open, Elle lumbered off the porch, only to feel her own legs give out. The two collapsed on the front lawn. Elle could hear Kat’s raspy breathing next to her. She turned her head and watched Kat’s body shudder, drenched in sweat. Elle propped herself on an elbow and saw the doorway of the house. In it, a dark shadow hovered near the counter. It moved back and forth several times, lingered a moment more, then dissolved. Elle fell back flat on her back until her breathing slowed. Next to her, she could hear Kat's wheezes quieting. Elle would've stayed on the ground a little longer if the sound of footsteps behind her didn't launch her back onto her feet in a single motion. Elle braced herself for another fight, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mr. Valor.
13
Mr. Valor stood facing the two girls, grave faced and pale. He had on a dark trench coat and work boots. His leather gloved hands gripped something shiny across his chest. Elle realized it was the rifle from the shed out back. Several feet behind him was Mrs. Valor in pink slippers, still zipping up her coat and running to join the commotion.
"You two ok? We heard screaming." Mr. Valor's voice was steady and low.
"I--I am, but I don't know about Kat."
Kat rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself into a seated position. She rocked back and forth, still shivering, and tried to say that she was ok, but the words weren't forming. Elle rushed to her side and rubbed Kat’s arms to try and stop the shivering. The harsh air began to chill Elle too, with her adrenaline waning. Mr. Valor continued eyeing the girls, then glanced at the house. He didn't flinch when the front door swung shut and they all heard the unmistakable click of the lock. His eyes shifted back to the girls. He handed the rifle to Mrs. Valor, took off his coat and wrapped it around Kat. Without much effort, he lifted Kat's small body and made his way back to his home. Mrs. Valor put an arm around Elle and they followed.