Prologue

Large cerulean eyes slowly opened. The girl sat up, looking around her room in sleepy wonder. The shapes from the lamp danced about the soft pink room, casting its light bit by bit. Something that shouldn't be there was illuminated by the glow, and the girl cocked her head curiously, blonde curls falling to the side.

A man was sitting next to her large teddy bear. Having been seen, he rose to his feet with an amicable smile plastered to his face. He walked closer to her, sitting down next to her bed. "Hello," he said simply, as if being in her room was something that was normal.

The small child stared at him, her eyes never blinking. "Why are you here? Who are you?"

The man held up a porcelain doll. "Do you like it, Hadley? I made it just for you."

Hadley hesitantly took the doll, observing it with greedy eyes. It looked like an exact replica of her, except for the glassy eyes and eery lifelessness the thing possessed. The doll had several cuts on the face, and her eyes and right arm were missing. She looked quizzically at the man. "How did you know my name?"

He chuckled softly, a noise that sent chills down the eight year-old's spine. "I know a lot about you, Hadley. I know that you like cats."

She stared at him. "We were never allowed to have cats. Daddy is allergic."

"Well, Hadley. I have a lot of cats. Do you want to meet them?"

The girl frowned. "I… Mommy says I shouldn't go places with strangers…"

"Your mother is very right. I'm her brother," the stranger lied, the smile widening. "That's why I know your safe word is 'hornswoggle'. She told me to come get you because they're leaving for France tomorrow, and your nanny is very sick."

Hadley stood up. The stranger �" her uncle �" did know the safe word, and he also knew about how her parents were going to France tomorrow. "Will Nanny be okay?" she asked timidly.

"Yes. She just has the flu," he replied, taking the doll from Hadley's hands and putting it in the bed. "She's cold," the man explained.

Once the doll was tucked in, the man turned to face the girl. His smile had morphed into a disturbing grin, and the light from her lamp made his tawny eyes glint. "Are you ready, Hadley?" the man asked gently, reaching out a gloved hand to her.

She bit her lip nervously, and held out her right hand for the man to take. "Yes."

Reviews

[Arsenic Nemesis]

Wow, this is very chilling and really interesting - I simply love it! Really well written, I actually really like your style of writing a lot, it's rather good. I look forward to more of this, it's amazing, keep up the good work!~