Chapter 7
Elaine froze. The telephone fell from her hand and hit the floor with a crash. She stood there, so still, afraid to move. Could this be my mother, she thought. She reached down to pick up the phone, her hand shaking violently. She grabbed it, and held it to her ear.
"Elaine? Elaine? Hello? Elaine, are you there? Elaine its your mother, Elaine why don't you talk?" said the voice.
Elaine's voice started to quiver; she turned off the phone and threw it across the room. She began to cry. The voice wouldn't leave her ears. She got up and ran for the door. She turned the knob and ran down the stairs. She opened the front door, stepped out and slammed it shut behind her. Then, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a silver key and locked the door. Elaine took deep breaths as she turned around and sank to the steps beneath her. She opened her eyes and looked around. The same friendly neighborhood stood before her, the fall leaves softly rustling on the ground. She looked to her left, and saw that the mail had come. It was lying in the mailbox next to her. She saw a cardboard box sitting on the step, next to the railing. Somebody must have sent me a birthday present, Elaine thought as she picked it up. She turned it over and looked at the sides. There was no address or return address written on it. It was all blank. She ripped off the tape and lifted the lid. And right when she took a look inside, she screamed. In the box, there it sat staring back up at her, the same face with the same knots of red yarn for hair.
Elaine froze. The telephone fell from her hand and hit the floor with a crash. She stood there, so still, afraid to move. Could this be my mother, she thought. She reached down to pick up the phone, her hand shaking violently. She grabbed it, and held it to her ear.
"Elaine? Elaine? Hello? Elaine, are you there? Elaine its your mother, Elaine why don't you talk?" said the voice.
Elaine's voice started to quiver; she turned off the phone and threw it across the room. She began to cry. The voice wouldn't leave her ears. She got up and ran for the door. She turned the knob and ran down the stairs. She opened the front door, stepped out and slammed it shut behind her. Then, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a silver key and locked the door. Elaine took deep breaths as she turned around and sank to the steps beneath her. She opened her eyes and looked around. The same friendly neighborhood stood before her, the fall leaves softly rustling on the ground. She looked to her left, and saw that the mail had come. It was lying in the mailbox next to her. She saw a cardboard box sitting on the step, next to the railing. Somebody must have sent me a birthday present, Elaine thought as she picked it up. She turned it over and looked at the sides. There was no address or return address written on it. It was all blank. She ripped off the tape and lifted the lid. And right when she took a look inside, she screamed. In the box, there it sat staring back up at her, the same face with the same knots of red yarn for hair.