Requiem

Scarlet paints the walls of the room and fear grips me with its piercing claws. A little doll stares at me from the corner. It’s painted face smiles maliciously at my frozen figure. I hear a small giggle come from the corner and small child-like hands pick up the doll and from the shadows walks forth a small girl. Her pig tails swing around in a cheerful manner yet I feel a shiver run down my spine as I look at her.  I cover my mouth with my freezing hands as a scream rips itself from my throat. I scramble backwards till my back hits the wall.

The girl smiles showing off her splintering jaw that is coming through the melting skin of her face.  Whatever this girl is, she’s not human.  She takes a step towards me, tucking her doll under one arm as she reaches out the other towards me expecting me to take it. I feel bile rise in the back of my throat as I inspect her decaying hand. It’s like watching a corpse rise from the ground way past its expiry date. Maggots squirm under her skin wishing for freedom. She pushes her hand closer to me, gesturing for me to take it. Maggots eat through her skin and fall to the ground. The stench of rotting flesh fills my nose and I can no longer hold the contents of my stomach.

The girl frowns at me obviously confused by my actions. She takes another step closer and leans down, dropping the doll to the ground. She inspects my face which is mere inches away from hers. She runs her fingers across my cheek, flesh drips off them like melting plastic. I scream as I push her away. She hits the wall with a dull ‘Thunk’. She pushes herself up off the ground, her bones clicking and splintering in protest. She limps back towards me, her leg snaps in half causing her to crumple back onto the ground. She stretches out her skeletal hand and pulls herself forward.

I push my foot against her skull in an attempt to deter her pursuit of me. She digs her bony fingers into my leg, pulling herself closer. 

“S-Stop” I let out a feeble whimper as I come to the realisation I can’t push her away.  She seats herself on my lap, seeming quite content to just be in my presence.

“What do you want?” I scream at the decaying corpse that is sitting on my lap. She tilts her head and caresses my face. Her jaw opens and closes as if she is trying to speak but only groans manage to escape. Tears spill down my face as fear digs its claws deeper into my soul.

The girl reaches back to grab the doll, her spine creaks in protest and I fear she’s going to snap in half. She pushes the doll into my hands, although I try to push it away she becomes more insistent. She snaps her jaw at me till I finally agree to take the creepy doll into my hands. Its silky hair falls through my fingers in a cascade of curls. Its painted smile looks sinister in the flickering light of the room.  I look up at the girl and she snaps her jaw once again. I inspect the doll once more gasping as I come to the realisation this isn’t just an ordinary doll. It’s my doll. The one I burnt in the fire the night my mother died.

I turn the doll over, winding it up like a music box. A sweet yet haunting melody invades my ears. I always found the doll strange, I mean what kind of doll plays music?  I notice the girl has red ribbons in her hair, just like the ones I wore as a child.

“You’re me aren’t you?” I pat the corpses head and she smiles. Her flesh reforms and her bones knit back together and there sitting on my lap is a little replica of a seven year old me. My mirror image picks up the doll and hugs it to her chest. She takes my hand in hers and pulls me to my feet.

“You always said you liked being up high” She giggles. I raise an eyebrow at the strange comment she made.

“Because when I fall I’ll have a good view” I finish. She pulls on my hand leading me out of my room and out to the stairs that lead to the roof.  She swiftly runs up the stairs and I struggle to keep up with her pace. I stop once I’m safely on the roof, leaning on the railing I regain my breath.

“Why are we up here?”

“You need to remember” The girl giggles once again. She spins around in elegant twirls and her dress billows out around her legs. She dances across the roof, dragging me into her dance. I smile, remembering the dance I learnt as a child. I spun around with her, never missing a step.  A laugh escapes my lips and for the first time in a long time I feel free.  After what feels like hours I collapse onto the ground. 

“You still don’t remember do you?” The girl frowns with a slight twinge of anger in her voice. I look at her confused.

“I haven’t forgotten anything.”

“You have, you just don’t want to remember” She screams. I stand up in shock.  Her personality seems to shift far too much for my liking.

She stands up and rushes at me. I feel her fingers bite through my wrist.

“Remember” She commands me.  My eyes widen in shock and I scream in agony. A malicious smirk plasters itself on her face.

“That’s right” She lets out a sadistic laugh.

“It can’t be” I whimper, leaning against the railing.

“It can’t be” She mocks my voice. Scarlet tears slip down my face.

“This is your requiem, you are already dead” She pushes me over the edge with the doll in my hands.

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So, I wrote this short story in an attempt for a competition but ended up liking another one better so here is a nice short story for you guys :)