My Killer Doll

Chapter 5

Victoria began the walk home after school was over, many things on her mind. The girls at school had been giving her dirty looks and whispering all day after lunch. It wasn't much of a step down. Xavier had left her once he got her agreement to meet him at her house. At first it seemed a bit strange and scary, but the more memories came flooding back to her, the more she remembered he had been her protection through childhood. He had whispered in her ear at night; telling her she didn't need to be afraid of the dark. He would talk to her when she came home crying from school because of a mean kid or a bad grade. He had been the only thing that kept her together. Now that he was back, she wondered if he was here to protect her once more. 

There were many questions that needed to be answered. She had made a list in her head, which she planned to write down at home. 

Where did you come from originally?

Why are you here?

How long are you back for?

Where did you go after Dad threw you away? 

Do you still have your black wings?

What species are you; doll, human, or angel?

She laughed as she tried to rephrase the last one in her head. Doll was not a type of species; it was a small model of a human figure, used as a child's toy. She had to admit to herself that she was still fearful of what Xavier was capable of. None of it made sense, and she felt like she was starring in some horror movie of her own demise. When he had looked into her eyes, it felt like she was under some spell. Cliché, she knew. But it felt real; like if he had snapped and told her to jump she would have. There was no way she could go from thinking he was a killer doll to a hot human in seconds without some kind of other magic. Right?

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Later that night, Victoria lay in bed wide awake. Her parents had gone to bed shortly after their evening talk show. It was about to hit midnight, and she wondered if she had been played with after all. Suddenly, she heard the window opening slowly. She sat up, giving some space on the end of the bed so he could sit with her. He crawled in, silently stopping in front of her. She peered around him, frowning when she didn't see his wings. She opened her mouth to ask, but he shook his head and put a finger to his gorgeous lips. "Do not ask. I will answer everything within time and reason," He whispered. 

She crossed her legs beneath her and gestured with her hands for him to go on. Nodding, he began in a low, steady voice after sitting down beside her. 

"I was born long ago. I was born in the Progressive Era, where things like political reform were trying to go underway. 1893 to be exact." He paused, giving her time to digest this before he went on. "This is why I speak differently than most. When I was a young man, I came across an older woman that spoke to me in poem. I laughed it off, thinking she was looney. It went something like this."

Your head is very large, young man

You must decrease its size

Before it's too late,

And you are in for a large surprise

The devil watches over you

Smug as can be

Something you cannot undo

Love is the only key

Victoria shivered at the creepy poem, not sure what to make of it. Reading her thoughts, Xavier nodded. "I have figured out half of it, because it has become true. I was too cocky back in my youth. I was born stunning, and that has been the death of me." His blue eyes flashed, and she wondered if he meant that literally. Not wanting to interrupt, she continued to listen. "Being the large burden that I was, my parents took care of me well past due. I ignored the old hags warning, continuing to use and abuse any males or females that came across my path. I soon figured out what the 'large surprise' was." Xavier gritted his teeth, and she could tell this was difficult for him to talk about. She was surprised he trusted her so completely. The way he spoke and carried his words, she knew he was not making a fool out of her.

She touched his arm, letting him know she was sympathetic. There was something about him that caused her to be drawn to him despite his harsh words. "Before my twenty first birthday, the old hag paid me a visit. Unknowing to me, I lay in bed with a maiden." Victoria's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head. Did he have to add that in? For some reason, it stung. She closed her legs further, reflecting on the fact that she was still a virgin. For her generation, that was pretty rare. 

Xavier carried on, ignoring the signs of her discomfort. "The old hag appeared, reciting the poem back to me. Of course I was angry, not knowing where she had come from or why she was there. When she was done, she pointed at me and gave a wicked smile. To my horror, I shrunk. In a flash I went from normal human size to toy size. A doll's size." He sounded bitter, remembering the first feelings of changing. "The woman disappeared, and I was stuck with the maiden. She picked me up..analyzed me. And never came back. In seconds she was gone. Of course you can't blame her." Trying to process all this, she was silent a moment before piping up with a question. 

"Xavier...why did the witch turn you into a doll?" 

He grunted, struggling to get the next part out. "The evil one...Satan himself not only took my dignity, but he took my soul as well." 

Victoria instantly felt chills along her spine.