One Among the Innocent
The front steps creaked as they said their final goodbyes. They were all practically shouting but it was barely a whisper above the roaring winds. The rain was falling heavily now and thunder cracked in the distance.
“What if someone shows up?” yelled a tall, blond girl, about seventeen.
“Nobody in their right minds would travel in this storm, so nobody will need a place to stay! Simple.” said the girl’s father.
“But, YOU guys are leaving tonight in the middle of this!” she yelled.
“What?!?” yelled the mother back.
“I heard her,” the father laughed back, his voice booming, piercing through the storm. “And remember, I said in their right minds Christine.”
With that last word and a wink, he turned on his heels and got into the small family car. Within a matter of seconds, all that suggested it had ever been parked in front of the small inn were the fading red lights fleeing into the fog, and the quickly fading tire tracks. Christine retreated back into the house, soaked from the rain.
“Amanda?” she called out. “Amanda!!”
She heard faint singing coming from the dining area and slowly made her way over. As she stepped into the room, there she saw her four year old sister Amanda, sitting on the floor with her favorite doll. She was singing;
“Ring around the rosie,
Pocket full of posies.
One will die,
The rest will cry,
And soon they’ll all fall down.”
“Those are the right words, silly!” giggled Christine. “It’s ashes, ashes, we all---“
“NO!” screeched Amanda. “NO!” She stood up quickly, doll clenched tightly. “Molly told me how to sing it! Molly knows Amanda! “
“I don’t think Molly knows the right version, squirt.”
“Molly knows,” she held the doll close. “Molly knows more than you know.”
Then Amanda ran quickly from sight, taking her doll Molly too. Christine stood in the dining room a moment longer, confused. That was odd… But, she couldn’t let her mind wander into unmarked territory. Christine just let her thoughts drown out into the sounds of the rain.
Christine had walked around the halls of the inn for fifteen minutes without finding Amanda. She had done it before and come out hours later, after hiding in one of the 13 rooms the inn had. Christine didn’t worry and headed back to her family’s larger-then-the-rest room. They had three bedrooms and a large bathroom, which is where Christine headed first. She would catch a cold if she stayed in cold, wet clothes all night.
Twenty minutes later, she decided she had enough of the shower’s steaming water and got out. She dried off and got dressed quickly, then left to see if Amanda had come out. As she turned the corner to climb down the stairs, the lights flickered and went out. When they came back on a moment later, on the banister right in front of her sat Molly, seemingly gazing into her soul.
“Ahhh!” screamed Christine. “AMANDA! THIS IS NOT FUNNY! COME OUT NOW!”
“But, I’m right her.” came a small voice from behind Christine. There Amanda stood a blank expression on her face. “I’m sorry, did Molly scare you? She only meant to have fun. That’s what Molly said, “Tonight will be fun.””
