The Doll

Part 3: The Demand

Part 3

The Demand

The morning was bleak. A grey sky cast over flooded streets. Puddles caught in worn sidewalks. It was hard to believe the weather had been warm and sunny just yesterday. However, the drear matched Mina's mood.

She breathed on her hands for warmth. The cotton gloves barely protected from the sting of the cold. She stuffed her hands into her winter coat. Classmates with early classes greeted her at the gate. A flash of a smile met their greetings and deflected potential conversations.

Ten minutes to seven. Mina leaned back against the wall behind her. She sighed. She needed to see Clay right away. Her anxiety was through the roof. She arrived at the school around six just to wait for Clay. The entire time, her foot tapped in sync with her frantic heartbeat.

"Morning, Mina. You're unusually early."

She was about to deflect the conversation before she realized it was Clay's friend, Blaine. "Oh, good morning, Blaine." She shivered. "I'm just waiting for Clay to show up. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"Uh..." Blaine smiled awkwardly. "Uh... He stayed over last night, but he was gone before I woke up this morning."

Mina zeroed in on him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"What makes you think I'm hiding something?" Blaine glanced away.

"Blaine Conwell," Mina's eyes bore into his. Her nostrils flared with spectacular flair. "You better spill the tea before I make your life miserable. And trust me, friend," She poked his chest hard, "Clay won't be able to do a thing."

"My god... you're scarier than the devil himself." Blaine pushed his glasses up. "Clay asked me not to say anything."

"You should be more afraid of me than Clay." Her glared made him shrink in terror.

"Clay decided to skip today. He's trying to find something and needed the time to do it."

"What is he looking for?"

"He didn't tell me."

"Liar."

"Ugh, you're like a lie detector." Blaine shuddered. "I don't know if I should tell you though. He doesn't want to frighten you."

Mina's eyes widened. "It's the doll."

Blaine's eyebrows scrunched together. "You should be a detective."

Mina's shoulders slumped. "Then I'm not crazy."

"Wait, did something happen?"

"I'm not sure." Mina wrapped her arms around herself as a cold breeze blew. "I think the doll is haunted or something."

"Why?"

Her gaze drifted. "Last night, I was in my room. I had set the doll in my closet. As much as I like dolls, they're creepy in the middle of the night. And to my dismay, when the sound of the rain woke me... the doll was sitting on the edge of the bed... staring at me.

"I screamed and the doll fell off. It took a minute for me to get the courage but when I leaned over to check, the doll was gone. I looked under the bed and everywhere. I opened the closet and the doll was there, exactly as I left it." Mina rubbed her arms as the goosebumps prickled along her skin. "Clay was acting strange last night. His focus was elsewhere. He must also think it's haunted."

Blaine nodded. "He's looking for an exorcist."

"This is crazy. Haunted dolls are just televised entertainment." Mina laughed at herself. "I shouldn't be so spooked."