Chapter 1 Noises
As he walked along the street towards his house, Petty Officer Owen Sherman hummed Green Green Grass Of Home and thought to himself 'today is my lucky day! I've had a job promotion and nothing seems to have gone wrong. I'm even on leave!' As he turned down a gloomy alleyway the sun seemed to disappear behind a cloud. At almost the exact same moment the temperature plummeted. Something didn't feel right, but Sherman carried on walking. That is, until he heard a noise, where he stopped turned. A small child's doll sat behind him in the alleyway. "Play with me. Please play with me" it cried. Sherman picked it up, turned it off and checked it out. It would make a good birthday present for his lively 3 year old daughter. The doll reminded him of the wife and daughter he had left behind to serve on the U.S.S. Valkyrie at sea for 6 months. He had looked forward to the day since he had the date secured for his leave. Suddenly a flock of birds flew overhead, and Sherman headed for home. As he entered his driveway his daughter came flying out of the front door straight into his arms. As he presented the doll to her, her eyes lit up and grew wider. "That's the best present ever Daddy!" she said the joy in her voice. "But not as good as having you home Owen" his wife, Kelly said.
Chapter 2 A Strange Occurrence
As the Shermans sat watching CSI, his daughter Shannon stifled a yawn. "Bedtime for you I think" said Owen, scooping up his daughter, who was wriggling around in his arms. As he walked upstairs, Shannon said "it's good to have you home Daddy. I missed you." Opening is daughter's bedroom door, he let her down and she rushed over to her bed. "Don't forget to tuck me and Dolly up" she said, clutching at the doll Owen had brought home. "Goodnight Shannon. Goodnight Dolly." Walking out of the room he blew a kiss to his daughter and turned out the light. That night Shannon woke up several times, saying she heard someone calling her name, but when she called out no one was there. Both Owen and Kelly stayed in Shannon's room, but heard nothing. In the morning they all were asleep and when they woke up, they snuggled up together in the morning sun. When Shannon looked around she cried out in dismay "Daddy, Dolly's gone". Owen looked around the room and couldn't see the doll. He went downstairs and saw the doll by the knife block in the kitchen. It un-nerved him, a child's doll by a knife block. "Play with me. Please play with me" it cried.
Chapter 3 Teleportation
Shannon was swinging on her swing shouting "Higher Daddy higher!" Owen willingly obliged, pushing harder on the swing until he feared Shannon might fall off. "Don't forget Dolly!" she reminded him. Her doll sat in the swing next to her. Owen stepped over and started to push the swing, laughing with Shannon as he went. "Off Daddy off!" she shouted, Owen slowing her down. "Don't forget Dolly!" he said "Hang on, Dolly's done her disappearing act again!" and there the doll sat, in gate entrance. "How did it get there? It was sat in the swing and now it is on the other side of the park. It can't move itself." But there it sat. It reminded him of earlier that morning, where it had been sat by the knife block. Something was wrong. "Play with me. Please play with me" the doll cried in its high pitched voice.
Chapter 4 The end of a life
That night, Sherman decided he would stay up in his daughter's room to see if it moved. When he put his daughter to bed, he kissed her goodnight, then went and sat in the chair in the corner of the room. He managed to keep his eyes open for a few hours after his daughter fell asleep, but then lost his battle to stay awake. As sleep washed over him the last thing he saw was the doll lain by his daughter's side. The two slept until the morning, until Sherman woke before his daughter to check on the doll. It had moved. Moving slowly and quietly, so not to wake Shannon, he made his way downstairs cautiously. Checking the front room and bathroom found nothing. Stepping into the kitchen, Sherman rounded the corner and stopped dead. The doll had hold of his firearm, loaded, safety off and a silencer attached. Facing him. The last thing he thought about was his wife and daughter before a quiet sound ended it all.
'Play with me, please play with me'.