Short horrors

The china doll

'Haaaaaaaaappy birthday angel!'

A chorus of singing erupted Megan's bedroom, as her parents and brother waltzed into her cramped bedroom, chocolate cake in hand, and screeching at the top of their voices.

Megan, aware they would do something along those lines, woke up at 6:00 in the morning, and leapt out of bed as they approached.

'Yay! Thank youuuuuu!' giggled Megan, beaming.

Megan was now officially 7. She had been dreaming of it, mainly because she already knew what she was getting.

She had spyed a china doll in London, just a couple of weeks ago, with the most beautiful life-like face, and dressed in an old victorian frock. She had practically got onto her knees and begged for hours, for her mum to purchase it, but nothing.

But last week, she had sneakily taken a peek under the bed, and spyed a package with the words on it: Era Web, china doll.

Era was exactly the doll she had seen, so she was over-joyed.

*

'Pumpkin, how about you open this present now?' beamed mum, passing Megan the package containing the doll.

After unwrapping a wrist-watch with a flowery pattern, some cute earbuds and a notebook and glittery pen, finally, she could uncover the beautiful doll she had fallen in love with.

*

(6 months later)

'SIMON!!!!!' screamed Megan in panic.

'I'm sorry I said your girlfriend was a desperate looser! OKAY!? I said sorry! Pleaseeeee, put Era down!'

Simon, holding the doll between his thumb and forefinger, over the window in Megan's bedroom. Jeering and snickering, he began deliberatrly waving the doll over the window.

'Ooops...!!!' he chuckled letting go of one of the legs before catching it again.

'No please, I'm sorryyyyy!!'

'WHOOOOPS!!'

The doll fell dramatically, as if in slow motion, with her frock flapping in the passing wind.

SMASH.

*

Megan lay on her beg with puffy, red eyes. That afternoon, Simon had flung her precious doll out of the window, leaving it in a complete wreck. The face was smashed in, and one of the arms and legs had come off. Megan wasn't allowed to keep any of the remainds, as they were sharp, and Megan's mother thought it foolish. But she snuck the arm into her room anyway, determined to have some sort of memory.

Sniffling slightly, and whimpering into her pillow ,Megan lay down on her bed, placing the fragment of the doll on her dressing table.

Crying herself to sleep, she dug her nose deeply into her pillow and slowly falling asleep.

*Megan's dream*

I'm hiding in a corner. The room is dark, so I can't make out if I'm alone or not.

Then a little girl's voice echoes in the emptiness.

'Your brotheeeer....'

I huddle up against the corner, frightened.

'Your brother....is going...'

Going?

'Going.....'

What was going on?

'GONE!'