A Doll's Playtime

Tara, a girl with unorthodox traits for a female is pushed into a world totally alien to her......

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The drops fell in the basin without haste, unnaturally loud in the deathly quiet of the night. Tara tore her eyes away from the hypnotizing sight and looked instead at the inanimate figure above her staring at her with a sly, anticipatory look.

 

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She remembered her days at the orphanage, reminiscing her various adventures with Amy, Alicia and other friends. However there was no humour in Tara’s eyes as she remembered how, one day, a greying old couple had come to the orphanage and said that they loved the gangly innocent-looking child there who looked so left out among the other hardened girls.

 

Tara had hated them by sight and said so to Amy who had guffawed and made a rude sign at the twosome for Tara’s benefit. However, the pair seemed to be adamant about Tara and the next day, she was taken away to this cloying pink house with its dollhouse features and repugnant smell of detergent powder.

 

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Snapped out of her reverie by the steady noise of the water basin, Tara’s eyes again focused on the evil, rubber object that stared calmly back at her. Here, in this sickly-sweet place they said was her “home”, she had been treated like a tramp at the Ritz. Tara, hold the spoon that way; Tara, don’t take such long strides, act more feminine. I hate you all, she thought suddenly. And as if that wasn’t enough, she was snowed under with those limp ‘toys’ she was supposed to play with. “Come on Tara, don’t you want to play Mrs. Teapot?” the old woman would coo pathetically.

 

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You killed me, you jerks, you made me a living corpse, Tara thought. And now because of you I’ve got to part with this life that had offered so much before you two came and blotted it out. No but I’m not the sort who would just sigh and accept defeat, Tara grinned derisively. If I’m to go, I will take my enemies with me too. The blood glistened off the butcher’s knife, taped between the doll’s fingers as she thought of the two inert bodies upstairs, their throats slit. And now it’s my turn, Tara thought miserably.

 

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Tara looked at the elaborate setting she had arranged for her own death. The doll was hanging by a rope, slung over the ceiling fan and it lolled to and fro slowly, as if taunting her. Tara held the other end of the rope and had attached a heavy weight on the dolls’ back, in case it decided to veer off its intended course.

 

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They and their sickly world killed my soul five months ago, Amy, and today one of their own evil creations will kill my physical self.

 

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If only you knew...perhaps after my death, when you hear about the death circumstances, you’ll understand what they did to know and why I decided to die this way.

 

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The rubber doll seemed to grin widely in anticipation as Tara’s hands trembled on the rope. Tara thought she saw a blood red sparkle in those dead painted eyes of the doll.

 

Swish! A sharp noise as the knife sliced through air and flesh, the thudding of a cold body and all was quiet.

 

Tap...Tap...Tap

 

Tara awoke with a start. She had been having the same dream for weeks, as if it was a dedicated stalker, determined to fulfill a predefined prophecy. Can I do it? Tara thought suddenly. Then, like a sleepwalker, she stood from her bed and tiptoed out of the room, to meet her fate that had been dogging her for thirteen exact days.

 

Somewhere under the bed, light glinted off the glassy eyes of a rubber doll with a horrible smile on its face.

 

Author's Note

I think I should scrape the dream ending, what do you think of it?

Reviews

[Sarah Hawkinson]

I find it funny the review by Twilight Dove says, rather dark and creepy but worth a read, like dark and creepy is a bad thing! lol I really enjoyed this piece! Very clever and interesting. The climax was a tad confusing, and I do like the ending but it almost seems typical.
The only error I found isn't worth mentioning but I will anyway:
"in case it decided to veer of its intended course." I think of is supposed to be off.
But great stuff!

[Sunshine Raines]

I found it was very good and the ending is fine the way it is. Sure you knew what was going to happen but still yet the fact it was a dream leading to reality. Very cool and well worth the read.S.R.

[Anastasia Starlena]

I like this piece. I think perhaps you should consider expanding it in to a bigger short story or perhaps as a novel. The work is quite good. I liked the dream ending. Excellent job!

[Raging Flames]

Crow, you can see what happens next. The prophecy is fulfilled...as simple as that. Read the dream part, Tara kills her surrogate parents and then commits suicide.

The whole beginning has two major reasons to be what it is:

1. to familiarize the readers with Tara, her life and her psychological state.

2. To tell them effectively what happens after she wakes up

I think you are looking for the second reason. However, if you want a visual description of how she kills her surrogate parents, then please comment again. I'll comply with the request, of course. :)

[crow]

i think you should make a cequal i want to know what happens next.

[Lorraine]

I think it's already fine the way it is. Rather dark and creepy but still worth a read.

Good Job, especially since your yet so young. I'm not saying I'm much older than you are, though. I'm not. But you write much better than I do, especially when I was your age. Good Job.

Keep Writing. ^___^