Disclaimer: I do not one Living Dead Dolls.

This was a contest entry I wrote about a year ago. The concept was simple. Write a short story based any of the doll from the "Living Dead Doll" horror toy line. The doll all have a simple poem and Death certificate. Even if you haven't heard of Living Dead Dolls you can still enjoy this story as a shot. That being said, please enjoy…

Lost In The Dark

"But Mommy, I really did see her!" Little Purdy exclaimed as she tried to tell her Mother what had caused her to scream out in the middle of the night.

"I don't want to hear it young lady!" Her mother exclaimed turning out the light in her daughter's room. "I don't want to hear another peep out of you, now go back to sleep."

"PLEASE DON'T TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!" The frightened child cried but this only angered her tired Mother.

"Purdy you're too old for a night light. There's nothing here."

"But I saw her! There was a little girl in a black dress, with black eyes, and she was standing right there!"

"And where is this girl now?"

"I-I don't know…but she was-"

"Enough! There is no ghost girl! If you wake me or your father up for anything less than an emergency you're not going to summer camp next week! Is that clear!" As frightened as she was she knew her mother didn't make threats lightly. She had been waiting all year to go to camp with her friends and didn't want to miss out. "I said is that clear?"

"Yes Mommy." And with that her mother closed the door to her room leaving her alone…or so she thought. Purdy nervously scanned the room, maybe her mom was right, maybe there wasn't any- ...

Suddenly by the foot of her bed the ghostly little girl appeared again staring blankly at her. Fighting the urge to scream Purdy hid under her blanket. "She's not real, she's not real, she's not real…" she repeated over and over before mustering up the courage to peek out from under her covers. No longer seeing her standing there Purdy sighed in relief and began to relax and turned to go back to sleep. "I guess she wasn't really there after-" But as she laid on her side her eyes widen in terror as she saw the ghost standing less than a foot away from her on the side of her bed.

Purdy covered her mouth to muffle her scream as she ran out of her room.

**********************************

The next morning her mother scolded her for sleeping in the living room with all of the lights on. "The other girls are going to think you're a big baby if you insist on keeping the lights on while you're at camp." Purdy frowned, her mother was never going to believe her. The ghost started to appear the other night just as school had let out for the summer. But she would only appear at night and usually if it was dark. She would also disappear just as quick as she appeared making nearly impossible to prove to her mother that she really existed.

She had asked her best friend Faith to borrow her Dad's video camera so she could try and capture the ghost on film. Faith was going to Camp Crystal Lake as well, she was the best swimmer last year. This year she told Purdy that she was going to swim all the way across the lake, something no other camper her age had been able to do. Sadly her dad had taken the camera with him on a business trip. And while he promised to let Faith take it with her while she was at camp, it wouldn't do Purdy much good trying to prove there was a ghost in her room.

So she came up with a different plan. If she couldn't prove the ghost was there, maybe she could keep it out. At least until she left for camp. She snuck into the garage and borrowed every flashlight, lantern, and anything else she could find that would provide her with enough light to keep out that creepy little girl. But while she had hiding them under her bed she felt something strange. "What's this?" Slowly and carefully she pulled out the strange thing out from underneath her bed. "It looks like a rag doll. But where did it come from?"

She knew it wasn't her best friend Faith's, all of her dolls were clean and kept in good condition. This doll looked really old with her yarn hair and her tattered white dress. Her other good friend Abby had told her she was too old for dolls and had given all of hers away. Maybe her brother Ezekiel had found it somewhere and hid it in her room. He was an odd boy. While he was only about a year younger than her he still acted like a little kid. He had to go to a special school. She didn't know where it was, she was never aloud to visit it or see his classroom. She still wasn't sure why. She decided to hold onto the little doll for a while, again she wasn't sure why…

**************************************

After her mother had tucked her in Purdy pulled out all of the flashlights, lamps and glow sticks and lit up her room like a Christmas tree. "There, now there's no way that creepy ghost can get in." But as soon as she finished her sentence all of the extra lights she brought in started flickering. "Wh-what's going on?" One by one every light faded until she was left with a only a few glow sticks in her trembling hands. "Not again." she whispered to herself as she saw the familiar ghostly figure appear before her. "Go away!" but the ghost just came closer forcing Purdy to take a step back. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!?!"

Slowly the dark haired girl raised a pale white hand and pointed to Purdy. "Dolly…" she said in an quiet eerie voice.

Purdy's eye widened. "I-I'm not a doll." But the ghost pointed again. Suddenly Purdy remembered the rag doll she found under her bed. She turned and saw it lying on her bed where the ghost was pointing. Picking up the little doll she presented it to the creepy little girl. "Is…is this yo…yours?" she stuttered as she offered what she hoped was a peace offering.

To her surprise the ghost smile and reached out for the doll. With a sigh of relief Purdy gave the little girl back her most treasured possession. "That's all you wanted wasn't it? You just wanted your dolly back." She watched as the girl hugged her little lost doll and realized she wasn't that scary after all. "So what's your name?"

The girl looked up uncertain. "I'm…lost."

"What do you mean? You can't find your way…home?" Now she felt sorry for the strange spirit.

"I'm…lost." she repeated. 'Poor thing.' Purdy thought. 'She's just a lost little girl who couldn't find her way home.' Suddenly there was a knock on her door.

"Purdy! Go to sleep this instant young lady!"

"Sorry Mom! I'll go back to bed." She turned back to the…lost. "Sorry I have to get to-" but she was gone, as if she never existed. "Whoever you are I hope you find your way home." And for the first time since school let out she got a good nights sleep.

*********************************************

The next day Purdy was feeling much better. She slept well and was no longer scared of the lost ghost in her room. Today she was going over Faith's house to plan on what to take with them to camp when suddenly she stepped on a toy car and almost tripped. "Ezekiel!" She shouted as she kicked the car out of the way. Her brother was in the living room laughing. "It's not funny, I almost tripped!"

"He he he, Purdy fall." he laughed his eyes twitching rapidly while spinning the top on his beanie.

"What's going on in here?" Called their mother as she came into the hallway spotting the toy cars that littered the floor. Purdy pointed to her little brother.

"Mommy, Ezekiel left his toys out again and I almost tripped." Her mother narrowed her eye and she took her son by the arm.

"We talked about this young man, you are not to leave your toys out where people can trip on them." The boy pouted but didn't offer any apologies. "Fine have it your way. You don't get any dessert this week."

"But Mommy…"

"No butts, now tell your sister you're sorry." The little boy glared at his sister.

"I sorry Purdy." She could tell he didn't really mean in but since he was already in trouble she just smirked.

"That's better now pick up your toys." Ezekiel kept scowling at his sister but did as he was told. For some reason, it really creeped her out, more so than the ghost.

****************************************************

She had fun at Faith's house. Faith showed off her new bathing suit but to Purdy it looked like an old fashioned one. Faith told her it was retro. She wanted Purdy to sleep over but her Aunt was coming over to say goodbye before she left for camp in two days. So the girls parted for the evening. Purdy was really excited that night. So excited she didn't notice the Lost was standing right behind her.

"Ahh! Lost don't scare me like that!" The little ghost girl tilted her head as if confused. "It's OK, but what's your real name. I can't keep calling you lost."

"I'm…" But it seemed she was trying to reach for a memory that was no longer there. "I'm…lost."

"Well, Lost it is then." Purdy said sadly. "My name's Purdy by the way."

"Purdy…" said Lost slowly pointing at the other little girl.

"That's right." Lost smiled and held up another rag doll and offered it to her new friend.

"For…Purdy." Purdy was surprised but accepted the doll. It was just like the one Lost had but with a black dress that complimented her white nightgown.

"For me?" Lost smiled again. She wasn't so scary when she smiled.

"For…friend."

"Why thank you…Friend." Lost seemed pleased but what was going to happen to her when Purdy left for camp? She looked at the doll and knew she had to tell Lost so she wouldn't think she was being abandon.

"Look lost, soon I'm…" but she was gone again. "I'm gonna have to stop blinking around her."

***********************************************

Twas the night before camp and Purdy was doing a last minute check with her mother to make sure she had everything. She was already in her favorite white P.J.'s going over her checklist. She always forgot something. True her mother could always send her a care package but that took forever. So far it looked like she had everything she needed all packed and ready.

"I know I'm forgetting something." She said to herself as she paced back and forth. Picking up the rag doll that Lost had given her she wondered if she would get a chance to say goodbye. But since she never knew when she would appear she would settle for saying good night to her mother instead.

She caught Ezekiel peeking out of his door as she made her way down the hall. He was still mad at her for telling on him so she figured she'd just say good-bye to him tomorrow before she left. She stopped suddenly seeing another one of his toy cars. She was glad she stopped, she was right next to the stairs. She would have to tell her mother again that was real dangerous. But as she turned she was startled to see Lost standing right behind her.

"Ah, oh Lost it's you. Didn't I tell you to stop-" but at Lost's sudden and unexpected appearance, Purdy took a step backwards, stepping on another one of Ezekiel's toys. Loosing her balance she started to fall backwards down the stairs. She tried grabbing onto the railing but there was something slippery on the wood and she couldn't hold on. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as she fell head first. She cried out as her shoulder slammed against the stairs. She tumbled over and over until, with a sickening crack, her head struck the edge of a large potted plant. The pain had stopped and she seemed to be floating as the voices from her family could be heard from upstairs.

"Purdy Sweetie are you-OH MY GOD!" "Ha ha ha, made Purdy fall down. Made Purdy break. Ha ha ha…" "Honey, what's wrong?!" "Call 911! NOW!" "What happened, what's-OH MY GOD NO!" "CALL 911 RIGHT NOW! HURRY!" "HA HA HA!"

There was the sound of someone being slapped. "Ezekiel! OH God, what did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Even though they were shouting their voices were growing fainter. What was going on she wondered? Was she…dying? Then there was nothing but darkness. Through all the commotion no one noticed poor little Lost as she looked down at her new friend. She was waiting for Purdy to get up so they could talk or play together but deep down she knew. "All gone." she said sadly as the Lost disappeared back into the night from whence she came. Lost and alone, just like before.

**************************************

She didn't know where she was at first. Sometimes it was brightly lit with all white walls and corridors. Other times it was dark as night. She couldn't remember how she got here but after what seems an eternity of wandering around this strange place she finally realized it was a hospital. But what was she doing here and where was her Mom and Dad? What was worse when she finally spotted some people, they just ignored her. She tried again and again but it was like no one could see her.

"Hello! Can anyone here me?"

"Hey pipe down out there I'm trying to get some sleep!" Purdy was so relived finally she found someone that could help her.

"You can hear me? Great, maybe you could help-"

"I'm a little tied up at the moment incase you haven't noticed." Purdy finally got a good look at the only person who could hear her. It was a young girl a few years older than herself. Her dark hair was wild and disheveled. Her eyes seemed hazy and unfocused. It was then she noticed that she was also in a straight jacket.

"Who are you and how come you're the only one who can see me?" The other girl just snickered.

"Name's Sybil, but I really shouldn't be talking to you."

"How come?"

"Because they don't like it when I start talking to things that aren't really there." she said snickering again.

At this Purdy grew alarmed. "I-I am so really here!"

"That's what they all say." Purdy was having second thoughts about talking to this weird girl but right now she was the only one that could hear her.

"Where am I?"

"In a hospital."

"I know that but why am I here."

"I don't know, maybe you hit your head." She started snickering again. Purdy was annoyed but thinking back she did remember something.

"I…I remember falling…down the stairs…Ezekiel's toys…the railing. He did it on purpose! I'm so telling Mom on him. He's gonna-" But then Sybil burst in to hysterics laughing so hard she was in tears. "What's so funny?" The bound girl calmed herself down with frightening speed and stared at Purdy.

"You really don't know do you?"

"Know what? Just tell me what's going on will you!" she screamed but a sudden though came to her. "And how did you know about my head?" Sybil burst out laughing again but not in a funny way. No this laughter sent chills down her spine.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

On impulse Purdy reached up to feel her head…but something wasn't right. This didn't fell like her hair, this was cold and slimy. In a panic Purdy rushed to the bathroom and gazed in the mirror. She had no hair left, and the top of her head was missing as well. She stared horrified at the sight of her own brains popping out of her skull.

She screamed as Sybil continued to laugh. "That's right, your dead! Ha ha ha!" Purdy backed away not believing what she was seeing.

"This can't be real…I'm just having a bad nightmare."

"Well you better wake up then. I heard they brought in a little girl a few days ago who fell down the stairs. They tried to cut her head open to relieve the swelling on her brain but…"

"Shut up! That's not true!"

"Hate to be the one to break it to you kid but you never made it out of surgery." She paused hearing footsteps in the hall. "Great. Thanks a lot, now their gonna sedate me again. I knew I shouldn't have started talking to you."

Purdy was crying now not just because of her head or even the fact that she was dead. She was starting to forget. She was having trouble remembering her family, she couldn't remember where she lived, she even forgot her best friend's name. "Why?"

"Suck to be you kid, come to think about it sucks to be me too, I've got the same doctor." As her door was being unlocked she knew she was going to be put under…again. With an annoyed huff she turned to the crying ghost in her room. "Say what's your name kid."

"My name." But she couldn't remember that either.

"Yeah, who are you?" Clutching her little rag doll and tears in her eyes she looked behind her. As if she was expecting someone else to be there.

"I guess, I'm Lost too."

As time when by the poor little girl lost it all. Her name, where she was from, everything. She grew her hair out to hide her exposed brain and let it grow all that way down to her waist. And every once and a while a patient in that hospital might catch an image of a little girl in a tattered white dress clutching a doll. But a moment later she would disappear making them wonder if she was ever there at all.

But she is something to be afraid of. For being Lost is something we all fear.

The End