Hello Dolly

Chapter Three

"I can't wait for school to start!" Lori exclaimed happily, looking around the school supply aisle at Wal-Mart.

Two weeks have passed since Lori's birthday, since she bought the doll. School was getting ready to start within a week and for a little bit it seemed that that was all Lori could talk about, which was a relief 'cause I was starting to get tired of listening to her talking about Lucy. One thing that didn't give me any relief was that she had brought the doll with her to the store.

"You can't wait for it to start but I can." I commented, dreading the thought of having to go back to school. High Point High School was full of nothing but nosy snobs, well except for a few which were my friends. One thing I was looking forward to going back was Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track. I've been running Track since middle school and took up Cross Country when I got to high school. Mom and dad said that I never walked as a baby, I ran. All I ever did was run and even they couldn't stop me. Running gave me a break from home and it was a way for me to de-stress myself. While we were out on break, I'd jog around town, trying to keep myself in shape.

"Let's see." Lori said, looking back and forth between pencil pouches. One was hot pink and the other was aqua green. She held them up to the doll. "Which one should I pick, Lucy?"

I rolled my eyes. Oh gosh. Yeah, like the doll is gonna magically talk and tell you which one you should pick.

"Hot pink it is!" Lori said, placing the hot pink pencil pouch into the buggy and putting the other one back. I pushed the cart, glancing down at the doll that sat up in the buggy. Since that night of Lori's birthday, I've been feeling a little bit uneasy about the doll.

Sometime last week, Lori went out with dad to go to the park with Isaac for a little bit and she forgot to take the doll with her. I stayed and helped mom clean the house. Afterwards, I went into Lori's room to clean. Once I was done, I saw that the doll wasn't on her bed which is where Lori usually leaves her when she can't take her out with us and I thought that maybe she must've taken it with her. I left the room and walked across the hall to mine. Once I stepped in, I almost shrieked. Sitting at the foot of my bed with her head and body turned towards me, was Lucy.

I stared at the doll, completely freaked out. I could feel the hairs at the back of my neck stick up. I wondered for a minute if maybe Lori had put her in my room but I couldn't understand why she'd do that. I slowly walked towards the doll and picked her up off the bed. Without looking at her, I took her back to Lori's room and placed her on her bed and walked out, closing the door behind me.

When Lori, dad, and Isaac came back home, she ran first thing to her room to see the doll. I followed closely behind her and stood at the doorway, watching her brush the doll's hair back.

"Lori, did you leave Lucy in my room?" I asked her.

"No, I didn't Daisy." She said, giving me a confused look "I never go in your room without your permission because I know you get mad." She stopped brushing the doll's hair for a second and held her up to her ear. "Oh. Lucy said she really likes your room. She likes the rose wallpaper you have."

"Oh." I said, my eyes moving from Lori to Lucy. "Tell her I said thanks but to please not go into my room again."

"Did you hear her, Lucy?" Lori asked, brushing a hair away from the doll's face. She then held her back up to her ear again. "She said she's sorry and that she won't go back in there again." She placed the doll back in front of her and continued to brush her hair.

Since then, I haven't stumbled upon the doll in my room, but I haven't been able to shake off the chills I'd sometimes get when I looked at her. I hoped it was just me being paranoid.