Here’s another short story in time for Halloween. It’s a little long so I will post it in two parts. It’s titled, Don’t Panic. Here’s part one. Enjoy.
His shiny black eyes stared up at her from her lap as she admired his permanent red smile. Fingering his tiny overalls, she pictured the little ones' faces, pressed against the icy windowpanes, waiting for her to arrive with another basket of her homemade gifts. She put the last strand of hair was in place. As she inserted the needle to tie a knot, the doll lurched in her hand, and a high-pitched voice yelled, “That hurt!”
She stared at the doll squirming in her hand.
Okay, don’t panic, she thought. The doctor said this could happen. This is not real.
The doll grabbed the needle and stabbed her leg. She jumped up, dropping the doll to the floor. She watched in disbelief as the doll ran into her bedroom.
Well, I certainly felt that. She lifted up her dress and saw a small drop of blood where the needle stuck her. She touched her finger to the drop of blood and then put her finger into her mouth. It tastes like blood. I need to renew my prescriptions.
She walked toward the bedroom to get her jacket. She never saw the lamp cord strung ankle high across the doorway. Tripping and falling fell forward, she struck her head on the corner of her dresser and landed on the floor unconscious.
Twenty-four hours later...
Chief Williams flashed his badge at the officer at the door and walked inside. He saw detective Sam talking to a young woman in the living room. Sam looked up and came over to greet him.
“What have we got, Sam?” Chief Williams asked.
“I think we have a suicide, but you won’t believe it. Take a look, and then let me explain.”
Sam gestured toward the bedroom and both men walked over to the door.
“Brace yourself!” said Sam. You ain’t seen no suicide like this.”
Chief Williams entered the room. On the floor was a young woman laying on her back. A plastic bag was over her head and tied around her neck with a lamp cord. One of her arms was tied by the wrist to a leg of the bed with a cord while the other arm was tied to the dresser leg. All around the body lay pint-sized homemade dolls.
The Chief looked at Sam, “She’s tied up.”
“I know Chief, but I have seen it before. She made a loop like a noose on one cord and tied it to the bed. Then when she was ready, she tied the other hand, lay down and slipped her wrist through the loop. Once pulled tight, she could not untie it. That way if she panicked, she could not chicken out. Check the knot on her right wrist. It’s a slip knot.”
Chief Williams bent down to exam the knot. Then he glanced over to the young woman’s face.
“Damn!” he exclaimed and stepped back.
“That’s the part I was warning you about,” said Sam.
“Are her lips sewn together?”
End of Part One.
His shiny black eyes stared up at her from her lap as she admired his permanent red smile. Fingering his tiny overalls, she pictured the little ones' faces, pressed against the icy windowpanes, waiting for her to arrive with another basket of her homemade gifts. She put the last strand of hair was in place. As she inserted the needle to tie a knot, the doll lurched in her hand, and a high-pitched voice yelled, “That hurt!”
She stared at the doll squirming in her hand.
Okay, don’t panic, she thought. The doctor said this could happen. This is not real.
The doll grabbed the needle and stabbed her leg. She jumped up, dropping the doll to the floor. She watched in disbelief as the doll ran into her bedroom.
Well, I certainly felt that. She lifted up her dress and saw a small drop of blood where the needle stuck her. She touched her finger to the drop of blood and then put her finger into her mouth. It tastes like blood. I need to renew my prescriptions.
She walked toward the bedroom to get her jacket. She never saw the lamp cord strung ankle high across the doorway. Tripping and falling fell forward, she struck her head on the corner of her dresser and landed on the floor unconscious.
Twenty-four hours later...
Chief Williams flashed his badge at the officer at the door and walked inside. He saw detective Sam talking to a young woman in the living room. Sam looked up and came over to greet him.
“What have we got, Sam?” Chief Williams asked.
“I think we have a suicide, but you won’t believe it. Take a look, and then let me explain.”
Sam gestured toward the bedroom and both men walked over to the door.
“Brace yourself!” said Sam. You ain’t seen no suicide like this.”
Chief Williams entered the room. On the floor was a young woman laying on her back. A plastic bag was over her head and tied around her neck with a lamp cord. One of her arms was tied by the wrist to a leg of the bed with a cord while the other arm was tied to the dresser leg. All around the body lay pint-sized homemade dolls.
The Chief looked at Sam, “She’s tied up.”
“I know Chief, but I have seen it before. She made a loop like a noose on one cord and tied it to the bed. Then when she was ready, she tied the other hand, lay down and slipped her wrist through the loop. Once pulled tight, she could not untie it. That way if she panicked, she could not chicken out. Check the knot on her right wrist. It’s a slip knot.”
Chief Williams bent down to exam the knot. Then he glanced over to the young woman’s face.
“Damn!” he exclaimed and stepped back.
“That’s the part I was warning you about,” said Sam.
“Are her lips sewn together?”
End of Part One.
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