The Awakening of the Dolls

Chapter Nine

Akira's stomach dropped. Her head spun as an icy sensation settled in the pit of her stomach. She wrung her hair in her shock, before abruptly letting go as she remembered the doll's identical strands that were now almost the same length.

"The longer she stayed in the altar, the longer her hair grew," Mrs. Miyamoto said.

Akira was about to ask more questions when her father came in the room. "How are you doing, Claud?"

Mrs. Miyamoto smiled at him. "I'm a lot better now that Akira's here."

"I'm glad you liked seeing her," Mr. Miyamoto said, placing the tray on her bedside table. "But I'm afraid visiting hours are over. We have to get home now, Akira."

"No!" Akira protested, clinging tightly to her mother.

Mrs. Miyamoto kissed the top of her daughter's head as she tried to climb onto the bed. "You can visit me tomorrow. I'll be so happy to see you."

"Don't worry. She'll be much better tomorrow as well," Mr. Miyamoto assured.

Akira reluctantly let her father drag her away. She was silent the entire trip home, wringing her hair in her hands and biting her lip. Her father and stepmother tried to console her, with little success.

"I'm sorry about your mom, Akira," Michael told her when they finally arrived home. "I'm worried enough. I can't imagine how you feel."

"It's so horrible," Akira admitted, shuddering. "When I saw Mama lying there with her eyes closed... I was so scared. I thought for a moment that I'd never see her again. And it was all my fault."

"Huh? Your fault?" Michael demanded. "How was it your fault?"

"We... we had a fight before," Akira admitted. "That's why I was at the field by myself. I yelled at her and threw away the present she gave me... and she told me how upset and sad she was when I did that."

"It wasn't your fault," Michael insisted. "You couldn't have predicted she'd have an accident. If anything, it was more my fault when..." He trailed off as he gazed into the distance.

"Huh?" Akira stared at him. "How is it your fault that Mama's in hospital? You weren't even there."

"No, not your mom," Michael explained. "It's my fault Dad got injured. You know, on our trip to Japan."

"What? How exactly did he get injured?" Akira demanded. They hadn't told her or even her mother all of the details, and he had recovered so quickly that they had agreed when he begged them not to take him to hospital and assured them he was fine.

"I... I can't tell you exactly," Michael admitted. "You're too young to know all the details. It's probably too scary for you." Akira rolled her eyes. "But it was because of me. I should've been the one who was injured. But instead, he jumped in front of me at the last moment."

"What?" Akira's eyes widened.

"I was just as surprised," Michael admitted. "We weren't close before our trip. I didn't know him that well. But he jumped in front of me without even hesitating when I was about to be hurt. He nearly died to save me."

Akira stared at him in shock. She could never imagine her father doing something like that... well, she could, for her or her mother. But he had known them all his life. He had barely met Michael before.

"I was so terrified," Michael admitted, his voice wavering as he recalled the memory. "He was lying in front of me, bleeding out... his heart stopped beating for a moment. I kept thinking about how I was just getting to know him after he hadn't been in my life for years, and how I'd never see him again..."

Akira swallowed, not even wanting to consider how awful it would be to see her mother like that. "I felt the same way when I saw Mama lying there. And I wasn't even there when she was hurt. I wasn't there, because I ran off after yelling at her..." She lowered her head.

"Don't think like that," Michael assured. "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself. And Dad was fine in a few days. He didn't even need to go to hospital. So your mom should be fine as well."

"Maybe you're right," Akira admitted, raising her head. "Maybe it wasn't my fault. She looked happier just seeing me." She smiled at her brother. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

It wasn't my fault, she realized, but that thought didn't calm her as a more alarming one surfaced. It was something else's fault...

Once her family was in bed, she hesitated before carefully heading to the bathroom. She wasn't sure why. The scene of the terrible event should be the last place she wanted to be, but she needed closure, needed to see how bad it was. 

To both her relief and trepidation, the bathroom looked completely normal. No signs of a disaster. The only indication of a fire was that some of the towels against the bathtub were slightly singed. Her stepmother must have cleaned the room after her father took her mother to hospital.

There was no sign of the doll, either. Akira had been partially hoping that it would be burnt to ashes, like her mother had almost been. But it was nowhere to be seen in the bathroom.

Akira headed to her bedroom. She jumped as she saw the doll on the top shelf, staring out the window with a strange expression on its lifeless face. It couldn't be in her room. It must have gotten there by itself, somehow. She knew her mother had been telling the truth about bringing it to the bath.

Akira glared up at the doll. In that moment, she wanted to shatter its porcelain skin and tear out its hair, which now almost reached her waist. The dark, shiny strands were so long, Akira would've been happy to play with them any other time. But now, the length made her shudder.

"Tell me!" Akira found herself yelling at the thing. "Are you alive?"

She felt foolish, but she found herself staring at the lifeless doll, demanding answers. "Did you hurt me? Did you hurt my mother? Tell me!" She was glad her brother couldn't see her. She must look so ridiculous.

And then, the glassy eyes shifted in the plastic sockets. The long hair swayed on her shoulders as the head turned... and stared right at her.

Akira froze. She stayed completely still, her heart pounding, as the doll's chapped lips quirked upwards. A strange smile spread over the usually expressionless face. The smile made her blood run cold. It was a cold, empty smile - without any warmth or joy or even glee. Somehow, the smile was just as empty as her usual expression.

"You... you are alive!" Akira choked out. She didn't know what else to say. She was sure she was seeing things. Maybe she was dreaming. The shock of her mother's terrifying story must have gotten to her. She shouldn't have insisted that she tell her.

And then, she let out a scream of shock as the doll tilted forward, stretching out its pale arms as if reaching out to her. Then it leapt off the shelf and fell... fell down towards her. Akira stood frozen in shock with her mouth open, the doll's huge, porcelain body about to crush her.- without any warmth or joy or even glee. Somehow, the smile was just as empty as her usual expression.

"You... you are alive!" Akira choked out. She didn't know what else to say. She was sure she was seeing things. Maybe she was dreaming. The shock of her mother's terrifying story must have gotten to her. She shouldn't have insisted that she tell her.

And then, she let out a scream of shock as the doll tilted forward, stretching out its pale arms as if reaching out to her. Then it leapt off the shelf and fell... fell down towards her. Akira stood frozen in shock with her mouth open, the doll's huge, porcelain body about to crush her.