When I was still with my mother, I would help her at the grocery store. She would always let me help pick the vegetables and stuff. I remember seeing a bruised tomato. She wouldn't have it at first, but when I begged her to let me keep it, she relented, laughing.

I kept it because I wanted to fix it. But I've learned that some things just can't be fixed…

***
Andy knew that his doll was very different from him. They didn't like the same things. He'd heard before that opposites attract, however. He supposed this was why they were becoming such good friends. But there was one thing that Andy and Chucky had in common. They both hated shopping. It didn't matter what they were shopping for, or what store they were in, they both detested it, and tried to do anything to avoid it. Well, Andy did most of it. Chucky just laid there in his arms like any doll would.

Today was one of those days. Mrs. Barclay was feeling the beginning of school coming around the corner, and it was time to get those school supplies. Sighing, she braced herself for what would be the biggest battle of the year. "Andy, come on!" she called down the hallway. "We've got to go today! The 15% off sale won't be here tomorrow!"

She heard the reluctant groaning of her son as he dragged his feet across the floor. "But Mommy," he said. "Chucky is sick. He can't go. See?" He pushed the doll up towards her. Karen grinned slyly to herself as she came up with a response. "Well, then. The poor dear. I suppose you'll just have to leave him at home, won't you?" Andy's eyes widened. "No! No… I'll just make him some tea. He'll be okay, honest. Chucky can handle it…" Karen's grin stretched to an open smile as Andy slowly accepted his defeat and pulled on his shoes.

She would have to tell Maggie. This doll was a great addition to the family.

***

As crazy as this detective is, Maggie thought to herself, at least he seems to care. Mike had run across the street to the parking zone behind some bushes. He was beckoning her over now. She walked over to him and crouched beneath the bushes as he instructed. "Mr. Norris, don't you think this is a little too much?" she commented. "I mean, I could always just visit Karen and search for any clues…" She stopped and gasped suddenly as Mike put a hand over her mouth. "Hush, Ms. Peterson," he said. "We can't be spotted. As for simply visiting your Mrs. Barclay, no, that just won't do. Charles Lee Ray will suspect you. He's a very intelligent criminal."

Maggie sighed and rolled her eyes. "We'll have to sneak by their apartment, and then…" Mike paused when he heard voices entering the parking lot. Maggie perked up. "That's Karen's voice! She's taking Andy somewhere," she exclaimed. Mike groaned. "No, no, this is bad for our investigation. We can't spy on Charles Lee Ray if he's not here!" He watched the mother and son and his doll as they reached the car and rubbed his forehead. Suddenly he grabbed Maggie's wrist desperately. "Ms. Peterson," he started. "Do you have any idea where they could be going?" Maggie scanned their faces. Andy seemed to be dragging his feet, which was odd, because Andy was a very good boy and almost never complained. Except when…

"I know!" she said just as they pulled out of the parking lot into the street. "There's only one place Andy hates to go, only one place thing he complains about doing. And it's nearing school season again. They must be going to Wal-Mart, shopping for school supplies." She turned to Mike. "Would you like me to drive, or would you rather be the one courageously pursuing your escapee?" Mike looked up at her with a bit of admiration. "You write?" he asked slowly. "Who, me? No," she replied. She looked off towards the car, where she knew that possibly, a killer could be resting next to her best friend's child. "But maybe someday, as a hobby…"

***

Last time I was in a store, it was in an outdoor market. Some sort of fair. I was with my mother. There was some strange elderly man staring at me. I remember helping my mother with her shopping, because she was carrying Lisé in her arms. The old man had walked up to us, asked my mother if he could paint us. "It's been so long since I've seen such a good family," he said. Strange.

He took a quick sketch. I never saw the sketch, and I've never seen that man again.

***

Karen was browsing through backpacks. "Andy," she said, holding out one with racing stripes. "What about this one?" Andy looked up from his doll and shrugged. "That's fine, I guess," he said. Karen sighed. He just wasn't paying any attention. "Andy, I'm just going to pick whatever I want if you don't help me choose," she warned. Andy shrugged again. "That's fine. Can Chucky and me just play now?" Karen nodded in defeat. "Fine, but don't go far. And don't talk to strangers!" she called just as Andy rounded the corner of the aisle. She smiled to herself. Perhaps it was a little unhealthy, that a boy should be so close to a doll? But there were no kids in the apartment. Chucky was a godsend, that was for sure. She hadn't seen Andy so active since her husband was alive.

Her shoulders sagged for a moment as she thumbed through the notebooks and binders. Thinking of Andrew was hard. He was a good father and husband. She could still remember the night the police called. It was raining, and there was loud thunder. It was so ironic how the weather was a sort of foreshadowing.

***

Mike was watching the boy through the toys. He could just barely see the doll that he was clutching. Gee, that toy is as big as he is, he thought with a laugh. But it was no laughing matter. If this doll really was Charles Lee Ray, it was frightening how the boy was so trusting of him. If he knew Charles Lee Ray, and he figured he had a pretty good idea of him, the Lakeshore Strangler would probably stab the boy in the back at the opportune moment.

He was deep in dark thoughts when he felt a hand on his back. He jumped and turned to see Maggie watching him. "Yeesh, Ms. Peterson. Don't do that. You could have blown our cover!" Maggie rolled her eyes with impatience. "You know, Norris, I could just talk to Andy now. He's alone, and he trusts me." Mike shook his head. "Now, Ms. Peterson, I know you would like to do so much for your friend, but, let the expert handle this," he said, pointing to himself exaggeratingly. Maggie sighed and rubbed her slowly depleting bruise. "Fine, fine, whatever," she mumbled.

She soon regretted that. Mike, in all his dramatic flair, snuck behind Andy and nearly startled him out of his wits. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. People don't just sneak up on kids. He held on to Chucky a little tighter. Mike stood. "Aah, me? Detective Mike Norris, at you service! There's no need to be afraid of me, little one," he said, tousling Andy's hair. Maggie snorted quietly to herself. Sure, nothing to be afraid of. After you give the first impression of a pedophile, why worry? "What's your name, son?" Mike asked Andy, who only gave him a reproachful look. "My mom says I shouldn't talk to strangers," he said simply, turning back to the Tonka truck on the shelf.

Mike sighed. Steady, Mike. You have to do better than this. He's a kid, for god's sake. Don't scare him off. He got down on his knees. "Listen, kid," he said softer. "It's just that, my wife died, and ever since then, I'm having a hard time getting close to my son, who misses his mother." He saw Andy turn toward him with a sympathetic look. He had struck a sensitive nerve. This boy obviously understood the loss of a loved one. "So," he continued slowly. "I was just wondering, about that doll you've got there. It's a Good Guys doll, isn't it?" Andy nodded. "His name is Chucky," he said. Mike nodded. "I see. Is he a good friend, kid? Would it be a good idea for me to get my son one?" Andy smiled. "Yah! I like him! And you know what else? He's special. In fact," he lowered his voice to a whisper. "He's real. He talks to me all the time."

Mike raised his eyebrows. Now this was getting good. "Really?" he said in genuine interest. "What does he tell you?"

***

Not good. Not good. Please Andy, please.

Don't tell him everything I've told you…

Karen could hear her son talking. Usually she would dismiss it as him talking to his doll, but his doll's name wasn't Mr. Norris. Her mother's intuition was tingling. She rounded the corner just as she heard a man's voice say, "He doesn't mention a hit list?" Andy was confused. "A what?" The man was getting closer to her son; they were almost touching. "You know, people he wants to kill?" he was whispering. Well! That was enough! Karen huffed angrily. She reached Andy just as he was proclaiming that his doll would never, ever hurt anyone. "Excuse me!" she hissed at the man, who jumped up, startled. "Oh, Ms. Karen! Allow me to introduce myself. Detective Mike Norris, at your…" She slapped him full force in the face before he could finish. "That is my son you're talking to! About hit lists and what-not! What kind of nonsense are you filling his head with? Are you trying to raise a murderer?" Mike was a bit taken aback. This woman was fiery; her eyes were burning. She had every intention of keeping her son safe from harm. Not after…

He was doing it again. In fact, he had missed everything she had just said. "No, excuse me, Karen, but it's just that, Charles Lee Ray, he could be here, and…" he ducked another slap. "Charles Lee Ray, for goodness sake! Do you think my son needs to hear about that?" Still fuming, she grabbed Andy's hand. "And it's Mrs. Barclay to you, Mr. Norris!" She stalked away, dragging Andy behind her while lecturing to him about 'what have I told you about talking to strangers?'

Maggie came out from behind the shelf. "Now, Mr. Norris," she laughed to the dumbfounded man. "Do we agree that maybe I should do the inquisition from now on?"

***

Mom was mad. Andy could tell. They were halfway home, and she was still pestering him about how he was talking to that man in the store. "How could you, Andy?" she was asking for the millionth time. "You don't even know him! And he was such a creep, talking about Charles Lee Ray, for pity's sake." Andy looked up at her. "But, Mommy, that's Chucky's full name!" Karen almost put on the brakes, she was so astonished. "Andy," she said, as calmly as she should. "Don't ever say that name again. Ever." Andy sighed to himself and slunk down in his seat. "But it is," he mumbled softly. "And that Mr. Norris was nice. He reminded me of Daddy."

Karen's eyes widened. Andy's father. How could she have forgotten about how much Andy missed him too? No wonder he so willingly accepted another man's attention. Andy, of course, never even got to tell his father good-bye. She didn't want him to know she had lied. When the police had called, they had found Andrew's body folded around a lamppost. He had been driving on the way home, when he got a flat tire. He had called her to let her know, he would be later, but he would be home soon. Unfortunately, he never made it home. His last words and his gruesome death made it clear. He died in no car accident.

Charles Lee Ray had murdered him.

***

It's a good thing that woman came when she did. This kid almost gave me away.

I might let you live, Mrs. Barclay…