Quote:
You receive a mysterious package in the mail. It has your name on it, but no return address. Inside is an extremely creepy doll. Realistically it seems well made and well maintained, but there’s something off about it. If you choose to keep it, it seems to always have its eyes on you. Sometimes it seems to have moved from where you left it—and, since you received it, sometimes you hear a strange, echoing laughter. What do you do?
As the week went on, Aloysius's mail slowly piled up. He had been too busy with patrolling and tutoring to get a chance to sift through all the cards and packages he had by the door in a mound. It was only when Desiree began to hiss repeatedly at the newest package did he sort through and begin to open things. Most of the letters were cards from long forgotten friends or the few living family members who were used to just sending out cards en mass. He discarded each card after looking through them for money until he reached one from Melody, that would remain by his bedside as he hoped to hear from her again. The last thing was a simple package that had no return address, it was wrapped in brown paper with twine keeping everything in place. Desiree fluffed up and hissed at the box as he held it in his hands.
"What's wrong? It's just a present, nothing to fear my dear." With a soft touch, he ran his hand down her back and then slightly pushed her away from the package opening area. Removing the twine was easy but the paper left a mess as he pulled layer after layer off of the box that was hidden inside. What was inside that, was far more unsettling than the mess. The doll that lay inside was eerily realistic, it almost looked like it was sleeping as it lay quietly in the box. The creepiness of it increased as he stood it up, causing it's eyes to slowly open. It was unsettling but reminded him of the old dolls that used to line his mother's room when she was younger. After searching the box for a card, he stood up and set the doll on top of the piano before returning to clean up the papery mess.
The doll's eyes followed him as he moved, even if he didn't realized it at first. Desiree watched it carefully from her perch on the bookshelf, still half fluffed up in anger at it. But it was getting late so he wandered off to bed, flicking the light switch off as he went. It took him as long as usual to get comfortable on his ancient mattress. While drifting off to sleep he could have sworn that he had heard footsteps followed by the echoing laughter of a little girl. Nothing could keep him from sleep though.
While her owner was asleep, Desiree hopped down from the bookshelf and followed the doll to where it now stood, in front of the closed door to Aloysius's bedroom. With a hiss and a pounce, she grabbed the doll by the dress with her mouth and began to drag it outside. She wasn't going to let anything harm the one who fed her. Once she deposited it into the dumpster, she returned to the house through the small open window in the kitchen. The deed was done, and hopefully it wasn't as agile as a cat. It took her a few tries to open the door but, she made it into his bedroom and nestled in the crook of his arm as he slept fitfully. With a soft boop of her nose to his face she fell asleep purring, hoping it would help with his nightmares before he woke up.
