Lizzie

Part One of a short horror story...

Lizzie

A row of dolls, dressed in ruffled Victorian smocks and lace, solemnly stared back at Margot. She examined each one in the dim light. One doll had a chipped cheek, another’s hand was missing. Another doll’s painted on hair swirled up her scalp, and her glassy eyes blankly stared back. Not one was suitable as a birthday gift for her precious Alison. Then, one doll caught her eye. This one’s honey brown curls cascaded loosely around her shoulders, and her yellow dress was outfitted with a cream lace overlay. Her porcelain face glowed, and her blue eyes, framed in long dark lashes, innocently gazed back at her.

Margot felt herself entranced. She’s timeless. And beautiful. What secrets is she hiding?

“That’s Lizzie. She’s lovely, isn’t she?” The old shopkeeper’s deep voice cut through the silence.

“Yes, she is.” Margot couldn’t take her eyes off the doll.

“I’ll tell ya, this doll has a fascinating history. By the way, the name’s Gus. Welcome to my stall.” He smiled with crazy blue eyes that stared at her over a pair of smudged reading glasses. His round face and stubbly beard stood out from the rows of smooth faced dolls. He stuck out his hand to shake hers.

“I’m Margot,” she said, quickly retracting her hand from his sweaty palm. She had searched the antique marketplace all afternoon until her feet ached, shopping for the perfect birthday gift for her only child and was relieved to have finally found his stall, devoted solely to vintage dolls. To say Alison was obsessed with collecting them was an understatement. Alison’s dad had even constructed special shelves dedicated to her doll collection that swallowed up a whole wall in her bedroom.

With the burden of her recent divorce weighing on her, Margot had stretched herself trying to make this birthday extra special for Alison. She had been planning tomorrow’s birthday tea party for months. She’d even promised Alison a homemade Victorian Sponge Cake, served with Rosehip tea from a borrowed Royal Dalton tea set. All the girls from her Grade five class were invited to attend.

Lizzie’s perfect. She beamed. Alison will love it.

“Just so you know, this doll is a bit of a trickster.” Gus stared intently at her and Margot’s face flushed. Drops of sweat clustered over his wrinkled forehead as he stood with his brown warm up jacket zipped up tight against his neck.

“Trickster?”

Gus chuckled and took Lizzie off the shelf. “Lizzie has been accused of playing tricks on her girls over the years. But she bonds well with whomever she chooses, really.” He glanced at Margot over his glasses, looking for her reaction. “She’s a special doll with a strange story.”

Her eyes widened. “Go on.”

“Well, Lizzie first was the doll of a wealthy landowner’s little girl here in old Jacobstown over one hundred and twenty years ago. The story goes that Lizzie was so special that the girl and the doll were inseparable. Then, one day, the little girl was killed in a fire, but Lizzie survived with not so much as a scratch on her. The parents were distraught. The doll was banished from the property and was considered cursed.”

Margot felt the goosebumps rise on her arms.

Gus’ eyes shone and his voice softened as he continued to speak about the doll, which unnerved her. “I’ve been her caretaker for a very long time. Do you want the doll for yourself? Are you a collector?”

“No.” Margot shook her head. “It’s for my daughter, it’s her birthday.”

“Oh,” said Gus, smoothing the doll’s dress. “Since it’s her birthday, I’ll give her to you at a discount.”

Margot’s eyes lit up. Money had been tight, any kind of break would be welcome.

Gus chuckled. “Here, let me wrap her up for you. You’ll just have to sign this first.”

Margot stared at him with eyebrows raised. “Just what am I signing?”

He took out a yellowed paper from a worn book with Lizzie’s name written out in Gothic calligraphy strokes. Margot gasped. “Is this her adoption certificate? How adorable!”

Gus placed an old fashioned fountain pen in Margot’s hand. His voice dropped. “Please sign for her.”

Margot felt a tingle down her spine. She brushed it off as exhaustion from shopping all day, and signed the certificate.

“Thank you,” Gus said, rolling up the paper. “I’m sure Lizzie will be well taken care of by your daughter. And, here’s my card.” He dropped it into a pink gift bag.

“Thank you so much.” Margot opened her purse, smiling. She couldn’t believe her good luck.

****

“Hi baby, hi,” Margot cooed to her dog, Ruby as she unlocked the front door of her century home. The fluffy white Bichon wagged her tail and jumped up. Margot placed the doll, wrapped in tissue paper and nestled inside the pink gift bag, over by the corner in the living room. Ruby growled, backing away. “Oh, what is it girl?”

Margot glanced at the clock and hurried to the kitchen. She had promised to bake Alison’s birthday cake for the party tomorrow and the day was getting away from her.

She grabbed a baking pan from the cupboard and pulled the stand mixer from the counter, plugging it in.

A girl’s muffled voice reached her ears. “Alison, is that you?” She glanced at the wall clock again. Her brows narrowed. Isn’t it too early to be home from school? She listened for the voice again.

Silence.

She shook it off and opened the fridge to grab some eggs for the cake.

A crash startled her. Margot dropped an egg and hurried into the living room to find Ruby standing over the pink bag, her ears down. “Ruby, what are you doing?” Ruby whined and backed away. Margot picked up the bag, flopped on its side, and unwrapped the tissue paper. Lizzie’s blue eyes stared back at her. “Bad dog! This is for Alison.” Margot patted the doll all over to see if it was broken.

Ruby growled. “What’s wrong, girl?” She carried the bag up the creaky wood staircase into her room. She carefully placed it on the red velvet chair beside the bed and came back down to continue baking in the kitchen.

“Ruby?” she called, noticing the dog was gone. Margot pulled the curtains away to find Ruby cowering in the corner under the big bay window. She stooped down and put her hand out. “Here, girl.” The dog lunged at her hand and bit down hard. Margot gasped, pulling away. Blood trickled down her arm and onto her white pants. Ruby wagged her tail and took off into the hallway.

Margot held her hand as the blood oozed and caught a shadow in the window. Was someone there? She looked again and froze, the blood draining from her cheeks. No, it couldn’t be. Was Gus from the antique stall staring at her from across the street? She recognized his round face and stubbly gray beard, and his brown warm up jacket zipped up to his neck. He had his hands in his pockets and looked at her as if he was there to ask her an important question.

Margot blinked and looked again and he disappeared. She stumbled into the kitchen, heart pounding, and ripped off some paper towels to stop the bleeding.

She pulled out her cell phone from her purse. “Hey Mom, listen, I was wondering if you could come over and help with Alison’s cake. Yeah, everything’s fine, I’ve just had a little accident. Well, my hand’s bleeding…No, I’m okay.” Shaking, Margot pressed down hard on her hand with the paper towel, and waited for her mother to arrive.

****

Carol shook her head. “I think you need to go to the ER and get stitches.” She examined the wound, her reading glasses slipping off her nose. “That’s nasty.” Carol had been a nurse at the local hospital, and realized the dog bite was worse than expected.

“I’m fine, mom, really,” Margot said, taking her hand back. “We just need to start baking this cake for Alison.”

Carol flashed her a look of concern. “Is everything alright? Is the divorce getting to you, dear?”

Margot bristled. “I’m fine, just really busy trying to make everything perfect for Alison’s birthday.”

“You just seem so stressed.” Carol tipped her head and gazed lovingly at her daughter. “You’re doing your very best. Alison will love everything, don’t worry so much.” She wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “You are a wonderful mother. Dan is making a big mistake.”

Margot was quiet. Her husband had left her months ago for his younger secretary. Talking about him was taboo and she preferred to forget about him entirely.

“Can you please just help me bake this cake? I want to put it in the oven before Alison comes home from school.” Margot frowned at her mother, and whipped open a Martha Stewart cookbook. “Can you get four eggs from the fridge for me? And a cup of butter?”

****

Margot’s hand was throbbing. She sighed and glanced at the alarm clock.

Three thirteen a.m.

Her legs twitched and she kicked the sheets off the bed and rolled out, her bare feet hitting the cold floor. Moonlight from the window beamed down at the pink bag as it sat on the red velvet chair. Margot felt an overwhelming urge to check on Lizzie.

She walked over to the bag. Pulling out the crumpled tissue paper, her heart dropped. It was empty. She shoved her hand in and felt the bottom of the cold bag. “What?” she whispered. Where the hell is it?

Margot twirled around, and turned the main light switch on. The harsh light flooded the room with an eerie quiet, and she quickly bent down to check if Lizzie had somehow fallen under the bed. She lifted up the heavy quilt and peered into the dark space. Margot could make out the silhouette of a doll, her long curly hair spilling around her head, laying near the back corner underneath the king size bed. How the hell did it get all the way under there?

Margot let out a deep sigh. It must have rolled under there somehow. I’ll get the broom.

She descended the stairs to grab the broom out of the linen closet. As she turned around, Ruby pranced up to her. Leery of the dog, Margot backed away. Ruby sat down and stared up at her, whining. “Go back to sleep, girl,” she cooed. Margot climbed back up the stairs clutching the broom and entered her bedroom. She took a deep breath, and walked over to her bed. She bent down on her hands and knees and peered into the darkness, ready to slide the doll out of the corner with the handle. Margot stared at the spot where the doll was lying. Lizzie was gone. Her heart vibrated in her ears. She straightened up and looked at the pink bag on the red velvet chair. Is it in there?

She exhaled and slowly walked over to the bag. Do it, look inside. Her heart pounded in her throat. She lifted the tissue paper out. The top of Lizzie’s light brown head peeked out. Margot knocked over the bag and clutched her chest. She gasped for breath as she braced herself against the bed. This doll is a bit of a trickster. She remembered Gus and his warning. Did he have something to do with this? She’d have to contact him about his creepy doll and get a refund. Margot grabbed the handle of the bag and tossed it into her closet. She blocked the door with the red velvet chair.

The next morning, Margot called her mom to the century house. She poured hot Nescafe into her mother’s mug, dribbling a little on the table.

“So, you’re telling me that the doll you got for Alison actually disappeared under the bed last night?” Carol frowned.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Margot said, stirring her coffee. “But I saw it under the bed, and then…”

Carol stared at her, frozen, with the mug in her hand.

“Look, Mom, I…” Margot stopped talking. She knew at once her mother was not open to a paranormal explanation.

Carol put her coffee down and placed her arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “ I am so worried about you, seriously. You’ve got bags under your eyes and…”

“And?” Margot said, bringing the mug up to her lips. Her eyes burned from exhaustion. “You think I’m crazy?”

Carol gave her a worried look. “Margot, you’ve taken on a lot. The divorce, looking for a new job, taking care of Alison. Maybe I should just move in here with you.”

“I know what I saw, that doll is a trickster, just like Gus said.”

“Who’s Gus?”

“The weird old man who sold me the doll.” Margot looked down at her coffee.

Carol paused, studying her daughter. “I think what happened last night was your eyes playing tricks on you. You couldn’t see the doll in the bag, but it was there all along. And, you’re tired.”

“How come I saw it under the bed?”

Carol gripped Margot’s wrist. “Listen, I’m moving in here with you for a little while, just until you get your bearings. I insist. I’ll even help with the bills.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I insist,” Carol sipped her Nescafe. “I brought some of my things over already, you can’t get rid of me.”

“Mom! Mom!”

Margot pushed her chair to get up. “Alison?”

A young girl with dark hair and warm brown eyes burst into the kitchen. “Grandma says you got me a beautiful present! I can’t wait to see what it is!”

Margot looked at Carol, who looked down at her coffee.

“I bet it’s a beautiful vintage doll, isn’t it? A really beautiful one. A doll I’ve never seen before!”

Margot sighed, putting her coffee mug down. “Come here,” she said softly. Alison bounded into her arms and Margot kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Kitty Cat, I love you so much. Happy tenth birthday.”

“I can’t wait for the party!” Alison’s face fell and her eyes were serious and dark. “Do you think Dad will come?”

Margot looked down. “I’m not sure, Kitty Cat.” She thought her daughter looked older than her ten years and blamed it on Dan walking out on them. Alison hadn’t seen her dad since he moved in with his secretary and had only spoken to him once.

“Why don’t you go and blow up some balloons and I’ll finish your cake. Grandma will help.” Margot looked at Carol and signaled for her to lead Allison into the living room.

****

“Happy birthday!” a chorus of girl’s voices rang out in the oak trimmed dining room. Alison’s face shone as all twenty of her school girl friends sang to her around the table, beautifully set with a pink lace tablecloth and old fashioned china place settings. The Victoria Sponge Cake sat on a pink cake pedestal in the middle of the table, and the Royal Dalton set served Rose Hip tea from a chipped teapot.

The girls cheered as Alison puffed her cheeks and blew out all ten candles on the cake. Applause and laughter filled the room and Alison took a bow, her pointy party hat slipping from her dark hair. Margot smiled, a little uneasy. She fixed her gaze on Lizzie who sat glued to Alison’s lap. Her daughter had squealed in delight at the vintage doll right when she first saw it and refused to let it out of her sight. Maybe Mom was right. Margot relaxed her shoulders a little. The doll’s fine and Alison adores it. It’s just me being tired and anxious.

“Oops. Wait, we forgot to take a picture!” Margot pulled out her cell phone. Alison beamed and held Lizzie up, surrounded by the crowd of girls. Suddenly, the smell of smoke drifted around the room. The harsh trill of the smoke alarm rang out. Carol flashed a look of terror at Margot, and started to cough. Margot gasped. “Fire!” Flames licked up the gift bags and wrapped presents in the corner.

Alison screamed and the other girls followed. “Everyone out!” Margot burst into the kitchen and grabbed the fire extinguisher. Foam shot out onto the pile of presents as she put out the flames.

“Mommy!” Alison shrieked. She flung her arms around her mother, shaking, and still clutching Lizzie.

***

Margot felt the bed tremble. She looked at the clock.

Three thirteen a.m.

Alison’s chest heaved in the dim light as she lay with her back to her mother, quietly whimpering. “Are you okay, Kitty Cat?” Margot ran her fingertips through Alison’s long dark hair.

“I want my doll back,” she whispered.

“Baby, I can’t give it back.”

“Why?” Alison turned around to face her mother in bed. Shadows from the night light reflected off her face. She looked like an eerie creature with dark circles under her eyes and trembling thin lips. Tears dripped onto her pillow. “Why? I love Lizzie, she’s perfect.”

Margot brushed her tears away. “It’s what’s best for now until I figure this all out, okay? I love you so much,” Margot kissed the top of her head.

“Where is she?”

Margot hesitated. She couldn’t admit to her precious daughter that she had stuffed Lizzie in the cold trunk of her Jeep. “I can’t tell you that. She’s in a safe spot for now.” She caressed her daughter’s wet cheek. “It will all be okay, please try and sleep.” Alison nodded and gasped through her tears. “I want to go home.”

A knot formed in Margot’s throat. “We will, baby, we will. We’re just staying at Grandma’s for a few days until the house airs out. That was a lot of smoke yesterday.” Margot stroked Alison’s hair and stared up at the ceiling, her body aching to sleep. She closed her eyes and drifted off to see Lizzie’s porcelain face grinning at her by the foot of the bed. Gus stood in the corner, smiling with his brown warm up jacket zipped tight up to his neck.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow. Thanks for reading and Happy Halloween!

If you’re in the mood for a collection of sci-fi stories, please check out An Orb Over the Strawberry Moon and Other Sci-Fi Tales, out on Amazon. Click the link here: An Orb Over The Strawberry Moon and Other Sci-Fi Tales

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber — I feature some bonus stories to paid subscribers and new stories are coming soon! Thank you so much for your support.