The Doll Collector

Chapter 12: The Doll Collector

I awoke to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Grogginess barely fueled my attempts to reach over. My efforts for a short night with Carole were futile. However, it made me feel a lot better knowing that she would be found soon. My fingers fumbled my phone, dropping it onto the floor. I reached down, brushing the surface of my phone with my fingers. Damn it T-rex arms, reach! Finally, I was able to grasp it fully, and brought it up to my face. My eyes shut immediately at the brightness of the screen.

You have a message from MARIAnCrane!

I unlocked the notification, only able to open one eye. She said yes. She had agreed to go out with me. I quickly sat up, feeling the blood rush to my head. I put a hand to my temple, closing my eyes until my head stopped throbbing. Mia was still beside me on the bed. I stood, lifting her up to carry her back to the doll room. She was sat back into her spot, and I trudged to the bathroom to wash up.

The hot water in the shower could not warm the cold blood running through my veins. Images from what I had done just the night before, to Eloise, were plaguing my mind. My eyes burned, tears threatening my vision. I rubbed the moisture away, shutting off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist. Steam had filled up the bathroom, and fogged the mirror, but I didn't bother to wipe it clean.

I stepped into my bedroom, sliding on the day's clothes then walked towards the kitchen. The house seemed empty without Eloise. As I opened the refrigerator, a yellow furred creature suddenly darted past my feet. My eyes shot towards Eloise's red food bowl.

What! She was there! My brows furrowed as a wave of shock rippled through my body.

"Eloise?" I said.

Was I imagining her?

She glanced back at me, recognizing her name, then turned back to her food bowl. She crunched on her kibble, ignoring me as I knelt down beside her and tentatively reached out. My hand trembled the moment it made contact with her fur. She lifted her body, letting me trail all the way down her tail.

I lifted her up from her bowl, squeezing her into my chest. She sat in my arms, looking everywhere except for me. I kissed her face, holding her close.

"I had the most horrible dream about you Eloise. I dreamed I killed you!" I cried.

Tears pricked at my eyes and I felt so weak. I dropped to my knees, continuing to stroke Eloise and kiss the top of her head. She squirmed away, returning to her bowl.

"You know I could never hurt you, right?" I asked.

Eloise ignored my question, completely engrossed with her food.

I held my head in my hands. What had happened last night? How could I imagine such a horrible thing? Hundreds of thoughts ripped through my head, but one thing was constant. I hadn't taken my anxiety medication in almost a week. That had to be it. I was cracking up. They had managed to get inside my head.

Eloise was suddenly rubbing up against my legs, walking under my bent knees, poking her nose into my knee. I took an extra five minutes petting her, elated, relieved, that I hadn't hurt her and it was only my mind playing tricks on me. When she had had enough of my touch, I hurried to the bathroom to take my medication before something like this occurred once more.

I looked at my phone again, finding it filled with messages from coworkers. After Barbara's identity had been revealed, I feigned feeling ill, going as far as making myself throw up. My boss allowed me to go home early and told me to come back when I was feeling better. He didn't quite make the connection between Barbara and myself, and I certainly didn't disclose a thing. He figured I was overworked and needed a small break. I personally did not care for his reasoning.