Smile by Min (Minane)

---Number One

A priestess ran down the halls of her large stately house, her long glossy black hair flying behind her. Sweat beaded her forehead and she grabbed the wall to prevent her from collapsing. Frustration and fear crossed her face as she stopped for a split second and stared at her perfectly polished marble floor in a dazed state…

Maybe she needed some comfort. Professional comfort from a psychologist in fact, Mai decided, as she felt her emotions fighting to break out of her usually cool exterior. But then again, maybe it wouldn't help. Not now. Not after that thing.

The thing… it was adorable, really; big eyed, sweet, and able to freak the priestess out of her wits. It was really the little smile that did it. Most of those puppets had that blank and sweet little upturned line that gave you a kind of natural fondness for the lifeless imitation. Then you couldn't resist bringing it home and amusing yourself by playing around, and eventually the strings would snap and the original shape of the stringed doll would be deformed beyond recognization. The little poor puppet would then be thrown away, forgotten.

Not this doll. She had given her daughter the chance to buy something on her own. Yes, her little six year old girl who was so helpless and innocent, the blissfully ignorant look on her face.

Mai clenched her teeth. The father was gone; disappeared on a simple walk. Just when their child had reached her second birthday and she herself, happier than ever. She had never quite forgiven her love for that. Even if it wasn't his fault. Deep words etched in her mind repeated.

'But dada say I was his special girl. Dada say that I was all he needed… why did he go away…? I thought he said!'

That was what had sealed her grudge against her beloved into place, in truth. But that didn't matter currently. What mattered was her sweet daughter's life.

So, her daughter got the money. And, as expected, her first destination was the great fabulous toy store, chatting as they walked there all so much about all the wonderful things she would buy.

Mai bitterly smiled as she remembered the gigantic list that the short girl had been conjuring up like a typing machine, hoping p and down, unable to hold back her eagerness. She wished she had bought everything her daughter had named, no matter the cost. Wished that everything her daughter ever wanted was in her little soft baby hands.

Fuck, she wished this stupid, horrific thing had never happened in the first place, shall she say?

When they'd got to the brightly colored store, she had suggested numerous things: a stuffed animal, an inflatable ball, and maybe some key chains – there were so many choices that you could practically drown yourself in the color. Mai had a particular fondness in the poring plushies they had lined neatly on the white orderly shelves.

…Yet, in this wonderland of variety, her little girl had chosen the thing.

At first sight, a shiver had ran up her spine and the instantaneous urge to seal it away forever entered her mind. Yet, her daughter had stubbornly insisted. She said that it was the best puppet she'd ever seen, and that she liked its face, said that it was unique since it had two cool red highlights in the hair.

The only thing Mai could see about its face was that smile… terrible. It was not quite an expression, but more of a taunt. A dangerous taunt. Dare you bring me home? Why don't you love me?

In normal circumstances, the woman would have immediately pulled away the doll from her girls hands and kicked it aside, but the shining eyes and great anticipation of her little girl had anchored her heart in place and she handed in reluctantly, her money to the store clerk. She just noticed the suspicious glance that he gave the puppet. Another shiver filled her body.

Before she had tucked the sweet girl doll in her leather purse, she had heard a cautious suspicious voice behind her – the store clerk.

"Do you really want that doll?" he had asked.

She should have known what it meant. But, no. Her sense of reality had chained her down to an ignorant view of the possible and impossible. One glance at her daughter's shining eyes did the trick.

"Yes. I want this doll," she stated solidly, "I absolutely, positively want that doll." Then she ventured on curiously: "Why do you ask?"

The man shook his head, a strange lost look on his face.

"Forget it. Have a nice day."

And she left.

After her purchase of the doll, two weeks had passed in peace. Her suspicions had resided and her sense of relaxation had returned. But not for long.

Then the incidents began.

Day one, Monday morning, a person just living across her street was found, hanged. It was assumed as suicide – except for the part about all the limbs being cut off and stuffed into the fridge. She had felt disturbed and alert, forbidding her daughter to leave the house without company. Once, the little girl had come out to fetch her ball that just happened to fly out the window. Nothing had happened, but enough had happened as to frighten the priestess out of her wits

Then came day two; Tuesday afternoon, her daughters teacher had been found in the bushes, stabbed into gory pieces – a leg had been found hanging on the tree at their front yard. This was right after the afternoon when the poor scholar visited their home to talk of her daughter's wonderful conduct.

Mai had definitely gotten freaked out and immediately, with the sense of danger in her mind, began installing locks in her house entrances and informed her clueless daughter that any wandering outside would result in severe punishment – with or without company. She was careful as to inform families living near by that it was best they did the same.

They gave her conspicuous looks and whispered among themselves, probably deciding whether to heed her or to wave her off as a madman. In the end, two people listened to her.

Yet, that didn't stop day three. This time, tragedy closer to home. A close friend, in fact, her best friend from her college years, had been visiting them to show off her new baby, but it hadn't ended quite right. Quite right my ass, Mai thought. More like extremely messed up and definitely screwed. The most accurate description would be hell burning into ashes. The worst part was when she found out that the very danger she'd been running away from was being locked up in her house by herself.

The friend had gone outside to get a present for Mai that just seemed to be, almost coincidently, in her car. After ten minutes and her friend hadn't returned, she had gone outside. The image would forever be etched in her mind, centuries after her death.

On the fresh green grass, her friends body was lying limp, only knocked unconscious. Relatively fine. But not for long.

There was a strange metallic glint, lit by moonlight and a sick squished sound of something sharp slicing into something soft.

The grass seemed to absorb the gushing liquid, turning a crimson red. The woman could only stare, horror struck as the liquid substance lapped at her Mary Janes, staining the white cloth. At the moment, she was in pure hell. Then she saw the thing. Now she was beyond hell, into the very pits of fear.

A small arm length figure was standing, holding something. The first thing that struck her mind was the glint of the held object – a metallic glint. The second thing that had come was the familiar chilling smile. An evil taunt. Pure irony. And so you dare?

She had ran for it. Into the house, tried to lock the doors, windows, everything. Grabbed her daughter in her arms and hugged her tight in a corner of the house. Yet that hadn't helped. Suddenly, there had been a huge cracking sound and the windy air of outside entered the house.

The doll thing had broken down the door with its knife.

It came with its blood covered weapon and for the first time, Mai felt pure fright. Her daughter suddenly began shaking, confused, unsure of why her mother was so frightened – and then ran for it. The doll had diverted its attention from the woman and to the girl – her sweet daughter. Then it left, an evil glint in its beady black eyes. The priestess stared in wordless terror as it disappeared behind a door.

So now, that was why the Mai was freaked out. And in need of professional help. Console (as if it would help).

But not now. Now she had to find her daughter.

"Lina! Lina!" she screamed desperately as she dashed down the hallways, "Where are you!? Lina! Lina!?!"

Mai spun around as she heard a noise… a faint voice…

'Dolly? What's wrong? You can walk? Wow!'

The womans eyes widened in panic.

"No! Lina!"

She ran for it and a different voice grew louder as she got closer and closer and closer…

'I love you sooo much… so much… so much…that I…'

She yanked open a door, her hair falling around her disheveled face. Her eyes opened in horror. The doll was facing her, its knife coming down… and down… and down…

'Can kill you…'

Behind it, she could barely make out a bloody heap, an arm, a leg… her daughter.

But then she could only see the smile. The evil taunt. Pure irony. Pure agony. Pure. Sick. Joy.

For a split second, she heard a scream – maybe her own. Then pain, and crimson red liquid everywhere. Mai felt her sanity begin to slip between her fingers as she stared in horror at the thick maroon liquid that was spilling on the floor, splashing on her feet like water. Then there was more numb senseless pain.

The floor seemed to be getting closer and closer – until she hit it. First, searing pain – then a shock like feeling.

… Everything was blank, but Mai didn't care. Everything was numb, pale and all she could hear was her own voice whispering in silent agony;

'Why is it so cold?'

-----

A figure paced impatiently down the sidewalk like a wind up soldier toy. Cars roared past it, but nobody seemed to notice it. Unfortunately. And fortunately.

It walked continuously, non stop, its cloth tap shoes clicking on the concrete sidewalk. Eventually, the thing reached a dark closed building. Displays of water guns, stuffed animals, and small mini houses were placed on shelves… – the toy store.

The thing, as it seems, a doll entered through the window and looked around the shelves of the store. It jumped on one of the shelves and pushed off a box. Then the thing took off the cover and threw another doll out – a Barbie. Then there was the earsplitting sound of plastic and cloth ripping. A plastic thud resounded throughout the hall as a leg fell on the ground. The doll grinned and tossed aside the limp armless Barbie, a permanent empty smile plastered on its face. Then it climbed into the box and pulled the cover on.

Time to wait.

----Mai

"Ghost."

The fear stricken priestess turned her head, eyes empty, before her brain restarted.

Where was she?

Shuffling to her knees, Mai stared at her hands and body; solid. There was no blood. Was she alive?... impossible. Feeling her own hands until she finally realized that she wasn't on the ground, lifeless, the woman dazingly turned her head to trace the voice.

Oh my god.

A scream echoed in nowhere and the priestess lurched back in shock, only to lunge forward again as her shoulder brushed a lifeless lump behind her, one of the many that were hanging in the air.

Dolls. Marionettes. Everywhere.

Where the hell was she!?

"You aren't alive."

The voice… from where? But her thoughts went no further as she could only drown in fear at the beady eyes of each puppet that surrounded her – like an army of zombies in this endless land. It was like Niffelheim – except worse.

"Where is this?" she whispered, hazel eyes wide. She leaned both back and forward to keep away from the haunting dolls. When she turned her head, she could swear that she saw a glint; a metallic glint.

"You are nowhere. However, that doesn't matter."

Mai clenched her fists. "Then what matters?!"

A wind blew – oh wait, that couldn't be the wind. There was no air here.

"Priestess… do you want to live?"

A sudden shock surged through the woman's body and a flash went through her mind – her playing with her girl, her husband, the time when she first became an acolyte; each time she met a friend and went to a party; her murder. Even when police came to investigate her husband's disappearance. A sob racked Mai's throat.

"I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Do you want to live though?"

"First, where's Lina?"

Something close to a smirk filled the air.

"Dead too. However… she chose to live."

Eyes opened wide. "Lina's alive!? Where is she?!"

"Here."

Mai scanned the area. There was no little girl. No laughter, not even a body. Only the lifeless dolls that grinned hauntingly. Irony.

"I don't see her-"

"Look again."

"She's not-"

"Think."

Then realization struck her – cold cruel realization. The priestess breathed in and faced the dolls.

"Which one?! Lina?!"

A noise echoed from behind her and Mai spun around.

Tap, tap, tap.

Mai felt like screaming. Her horrors, the cause of her death, before her; only it was her daughter.

A little girl doll, with the same ironic smile as her murderer was staring up at her. A knife was slung across its back.

"Hi Mommy!!!"

"Lina.."

The woman resisted the scream rolling up in her throat.

"Lina really happy Mommy! Lina is alive! All she has to do is make anyone who buys her from the toy shop go away!"

The doll swung around her knife at the airless substance surrounding them in a kill gesture, to show her meaning.

"Can you come live with Lina? Lina loves Mommy!"

Mai stared in a mixture of horror, grief, happiness, and disgust. Lina…. her daughter… a killer.

"Here's your girl… so do you want to live?"

Mai knew already. She didn't care how many people died. Her freedom was before her. What she felt was not life. This was a hell in her mind. Why couldn't all those other people find out how she felt? Just a taste… of eternity. And Lina. She would give anything for Lina.

But first…

"How many of these… dolls are they?"

"Too many. Maybe two for each shop in the world."

The priestess shivered before nodding. Maybe she should suffer hell than this.. but something inside her wouldn't let her die. It would rather have the gods wipe out the meaning of life than die.

"I want to live."

"Heh."

End.

Tellie's comments:

I always thought dolls were creepy.

Sal's comments: