Play Nice

Friday

Lucy had just bought a doll. It was from a pretty sketchy antique shop down the road that sold amazing historical artifacts. But either way, this doll was a bargain. Lucy only had to pay £20 for it and it was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. It had beautiful painted hazel eyes, soft brown hair tied into a bun, and the most beautiful wedding dress Lucy had ever seen. It was an old dress from 1915 and it had a beautiful, velvety veil to match.

Lucy couldn't help but feel watched. She felt, as she walked home that night, as if someone was watching her take the doll and give it a new home. Lucy had this horrible feeling that something heavy was just dropped onto her chest and she felt uneasy, she didn't like it. She walked faster, and even went a different route but couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She got to her cottage and fumbled to open the little red door. Her house was only small. It was a little white-painted house with a brown roof and Lucy and her husband, Fletcher, had lived there since they were married. 27 long years ago.This house had been through a lot. Their arguments, their children, their children's children.But it was still standing.Along with the Baxter's.

She finally heard a click and she ran in through the door, shut it and locked it again. But still, that feeling of being watched lingered over her. Her mind couldn't remove that thought. The thought she had started thinking of since she had felt the feeling. The doll? No. No it was just a doll. It was just a very pretty doll.

She shouted hello out into the house and Fletcher replied
"Where've ya been?" Lucy hesitated, mind racing of what way to reply.
"Oh, I just walked over to town to get some presents for the bairns.And I found this. Felicity would loove this.Lila, not so much, but I got 'eer a special edition comic book last week.She's a'ways been into that type of thin'."Fletcher walked into the hallway.
" That?!"
" What's wrong with it? "
" It's horrifyin'! "
" Don't be silly. It's just a doll. Apparen'y it was found atta bomb site after the war but it was in perfect condition. That can'nt be said for the child who owned it though..."
"See? Horrifyin'." Lucy tutted but the same thought rose into her mind. She decided to push it back and walked past  Fletcher, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. He smiled and she walked towards their bedroom at the end of the corridor.

She went in and put the doll down on the bedside table, before getting dressed into her pyjamas. Today was movie night. She hadnt missed a Friday Movie Night with Fletcher for a long, long time and she wasn't going to stop that record now. She walked to the door, her bundle of clothes in her hands, ready for the wash basket. She turned to look at the doll and saw a slight glint in its hazel eyes.Lucy thought its head turned slightly to the right and it seemed its fingers twitched. She stared at it, again that uneasy feeling arose, but she pushed it away,telling herself she was just being paranoid.
"C'mon, 'oney! War o' The Worlds is 'bout ta start!I know you've always had a croosh own that Tom Cruise..." He let out a hearty laugh and Lucy smiled to herself. Her husband. Bless his soul. She forgot all about the doll and went to sit on the couch with Fletcher, just as the beginning scene appeared.