DOLLY

China Dolly

Estelle and her sister Maia both craved dolls! Long, fair haired ones, short black haired ones, any doll at all would immediately cut in to a piece of their hearts. Estelle's birthday was coming up rapidly, and her Mama bought her a doll-not just any doll, but a premium china doll called Tia. Tia had blond curly hair tied tightly under a blue lace bonnet, accompanied by a frilly baby pink dress with its own pearl white ribbon attached! Oh, it was beautiful, Estelle would love it. So a week passed and Estelle woke to a sound of rustling paper...IT WAS HER BIRTHDAY!!! She tore into her mama and papa's room with the present and ripped it open eagerly. Smiling warmly at her was a Premium China Doll Tia. She had stared at it longingly for as long as she could remember when they went to London Hamley's.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart!" the parents shouted. Maia gave her sister a look of jealously. Estelle knew something was wrong. Yes, Maia loved dolls just like her, but it WAS her birthday! Estelle clutched the doll tightly, as if never to let it go...

A YEAR LATER

"Maia, you witch! Where is Tia?!" Estelle screamed frantically.

"Ooh, I wonder. Is she maybe...dangling from the window?" Maia sneered, making her sister cry uncontrollably.

"Please Maia! I DO love you and I will let you play with Tia for ages if you stop," Maia begged. But Maia wouldn't give in.

"Whoopsie daisy! Tia, pull your dress down!" Maia laughed, and as she moved her hand off the doll to reach the dress, the doll hurtled through the air for what seemed like an hour and then smashed loudly at the bottom.

"NOOOOO!" Estelle wept. It was the worst day of her life. Maia ran out of the room and went to bed. Estelle was left, sobbing herself to sleep. Her parents were evil. They had binned Tia.

That night, Estelle had a disturbing dream. She was playing with her friend Tilly outside when her ears heard a horrible sound of singing: a sweet, sincere voice,but it wasn't sincere. Estelle knew it.

"Oh, I'm a lovely dolly.

Climbing up your stairs!

Oh, I'm a lovely china doll,

Outside your sister's room!

Oh, I'm a lovely china doll,

Near your sister's bed!

Whoopsie Daisy!

Now your sister is dead."

Estelle woke with a start. A dream, of course. It wouldn't be real. And Tia was in the bin anyway. Silly dreams! She then went back to sleep.

The next morning, Estelle woke to tell her sister about the disturbing dream. As she entered the room, Maia wasn't there. Estelle checked EVERYWHERE! The bathroom, the bed, UNDER the bed and finally the wardrobe. There she was. Maia was tied to a clothes hanger in her wardrobe, neck cut deeply open. What happened to her? Why was she like this???

Estelle went to sleep that night and dreamt once again. But this time , she was screaming at her parents for binning her dolly.