A Tea Party

A very short story, written as a contest entry.

"Allana..."

 

The ten year-old girl's eyes opened slowly, taking in the darkness around her. Was she hearing the voices again? Or was it just a dream? She closed her eyes again and curled up into a ball on her bed, trying to make herself believe she was asleep. None of it's real, she thought to herself. Mommy said so!

"Allana... Open your eyes..." Tighter she squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hand over her ears, trying to block out the echoing voices. It's just a dream... It's just a dream... A sound like nails on a chalk board broke through her chanting, followed by eerie laughter that seemed to carry on the wind. She let out a soft, helpless whimper. She could hear the storm outside raging, the wind howling and the rain beating mercilessly against her window. Maybe it was just the storm. The sound echoed again, the sound of nails on glass.

 

Mommy, help me...

 

A cackle echoed through her room. It reminded her of the laugh that belonged to the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz. "Come play with us, Allana... You know how we love to play with you..." The voice held a threatening tone, which had Allana curled up tighter and trying to force it away. She started to sing, a lullaby her mother always sang to her.

 

"Sweet dreams tonight, sweet dreams tonight..."

 

The cackle sounded again, echoing louder this time. She could hear movement, the rustling of material and the impact of footsteps on the ground. She wanted to open her eyes, and prove that it was all a dream. But she was too afraid that it would be real.

 

"Love will guard and protect you, all through the n-night..."

 

Something touched her hair, and the voices spoke. "Allana... We love you Allana... Come play with us..." She began to quiver and shook her head slowly,  squeezing her eyes shut tighter and singing louder, despite the hand she could feel stroking her hair.

 

"Angels that glow, dance as the flow..."

 

"Open your eyes, Allana. Just open them. Please..." The voices cooed as another hand began to stroke her back. The desire to do so was almost overwhelming and Allana let out a sob. "No, not again. Not again! Mommy said!" But she was fighting a losing battle. For she felt lips press against her cheek the way her mother's did when she kissed her good night, and her eyelids seperated. "Can we play tea party...?"

 

The next morning, Allana's mother walked to the nursery to check on her two year old son. The sight before her was enough to stop her heart. Allana sat in the center of the room at a small table,  dressed in her best white dress that was stained red, a tea cup in her hand. Her brother was in the chair across from her, his body slumped forward over the table, a puddle of blood surrounding his head. The young girl looked up at her mother and smiled brightly, taking a sip from her cup before setting it down, her lips stained red. "Good morning, mommy. Want to play tea party?"