The next morning, it was raining in droves. Melinda regretted asking Alex to come, as she was riding her motorcycle the day before. She watched as a black Aston Martin V12 Vanquish parked in the square. A figure in a long coat emerged quickly, opened an umbrella, and raced toward the store. Melinda was about to feel alarmed, but soon realized it was only Alex, coming to the store as she said she would.

"Man, it's really pouring out there!" Alex exclaimed as she shook her umbrella until it was as dry as possible. "Your right," Melinda agreed. "I was worried you were going to try to come on your motorcycle." "You sound like my mom. I'll bet you're in cahoots with her," Alex jokingly accused. "Besides, there's nothing dumber than riding a motorcycle in the rain."

A bell announced the arrival of a customer, and Alex stepped to the side of the counter. She could see a woman in the doorway struggling with a large box. Alex dashed over and took the hefty load from the woman. Melinda recognized the woman from the day before and walked over, "Thanks for bringing them by, I'm glad you could make it in this rain." "It was no trouble," the woman replied.

Alex cleared her throat to get Melinda's attention. "Oh, Alex, you can put that on the counter." Alex did so, and as she did, she saw a china doll in the box. "That's Lizzie Doll!" a voice called to her. As she looked around to see where it had come from, she saw a little girl standing beside the counter. The girl was strange, not of this world. "Ghost," Alex thought.

Alex realized all conversation in the store stopped when she began looking for the voice. "Something wrong?" Melinda asked. Alex could see that she knew what was going on. "Oh…uh nothing. I just thought I heard someone's phone ring."

A few minutes later, the woman left, and Alex turned to Melinda. "I know you heard that voice, and I know I'm not crazy… completely, at least." Melinda nodded, "Yes I heard the voice."

"You're just better at ignoring them than I am."

"Where was the ghost? I didn't turn around."

"By the counter, she appeared when I picked up the doll."

"Try it again," Melinda suggested. Alex took the doll off the counter, and in no time, the little girl appeared again. "Lizzie Doll!" she exclaimed. Alex and Melinda watched in amazement as the girl ran up to the doll. Alex knelt down to her level and held the doll out. "What's your name?" she asked. The girl was hesitant, "Samantha."

"How old are you?"

"Six."

Alex could see bruises on the girl's arms. "Do you know what happened to you?" Samantha nodded shyly, "Yes. I'm dead." Alex felt a pang of sadness for the girl. She looked at her arms again, but as she did Samantha put them behind her back. "How'd you get those nasty bruises?" Alex asked. "I can't tell!" the girl shouted and disappeared.

Alex stood up and shook her head. "What?" Melinda asked.

"I've seen it before."

"What?"

"She was abused."