The Doll

Apple

After arriving home I had to shake off that weird feeling. What was with that guy?! What a jerk! It's not like I meant to bump into him. My thoughts were interrupted by the soothing sound of moms voice coming from the kitchen

"How was your meeting?" The smell of chicken filled my lungs. My mouth began to water.

"It was alright. We meet Monday's, Wednesday's and Saturdays. That cool?" I said throwing my backpack onto the dining room table and sitting at the counter beside mom.

"I don't see why not. I'm glad you're getting involved honey." She stopped cooking to caress my cheek with chicken battered fingers.

"Nothing says love like chicken fingers caressing your cheek." I joked. Mom just flicked some at me and when back to cooking, smiling.

"Oh! Almost forgot. On Saturdays we go to the hospital to read to the kids and play with them."

"Oh that sounds like a wonderful idea. Perhaps I should join!"

"Sure." I shrugged. "I'm not your mom. You can do what you want." She looked at me, confusion squinting her eyes.

I laughed as I saw her realization of what I said. She shooed me out of the kitchen and off to do my homework.

"Dinner is ready!" I heard a call from the bottom the the stairs.

"K!" I called back. I jumped out of my bed too fast and hit my dresser. A loud thud and a crash later I was laying on the ground. "God mmmm" I hummed my swear words.

My alarm clock was pulled out of its socket and my teddy was on the floor. I glanced under my bed and I could have sworn I saw someone hiding under there for a moment. Another glance confirmed that there was, in fact, only dust bunnies under there. I needed to sweep my room. I grabbed my alarm clock and set it back up. When I grabbed teddy mom flew into the room like a majestic owl.

"What happened?" She said seriously. I just laughed at her seriousness.

"Nothing. Just hit my dresser that's all." She looked at me a bit.

"That's a nightstand dear." I stopped what I was doing.

"Thanks mom." I threw as much attitude as I could in there. She began laughing hysterically. So in result I threw my teddy at her. "You suck."

"Oh honey. I love you." She easily caught my teddy bear and she looked at it.

"You know when you were younger you lost your teddy." She said with a distant past in her eyes. "You said that you left in the workshop." I didn't know why, but I could feel my blood run cold.

"Yeah?"

"And when I asked you what workshop you said 'the one in my closet'. So I checked you closet and nothing." She looked up at me, smiling. "But then after a few days your teddy bear came back. You know what you said?"

I shook my head.

"You said that Ammor had returned it to you. You had such a beautiful imagination." She tossed the teddy back to me and I instinctively hugged it to my chest.

"Cool story mom. Now I hate to ruin your moment but I want some food."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bye mom!"

"Oh wait!" She came running toward me. Her blond curls bouncing behind her.