Forlot: The Mom Who Lives Next Door - Book Twelve

Chapter Eleven

I froze in my tracks and twisted my face into confusion. I played back in my thoughts what he claimed.

A hole? There was no hole in any of Amy's dolls, and I should know. I would have known way ahead of time if there was such a hole on a doll. After all, my baby sister and I played with her dolls almost all the time.

Even at such a young, young age, my baby sister loves collecting dolls. Not puppets. Not dummies. Just dolls that were as cute and precious as her. She really is into stuffed animals, but there is something about the girl dolls that Little Amy cannot seem to resist.

Back when Mom and Dad were still together, we would visit the toy store as a family, and as soon as we would enter the shop, Amy's eyes would sparkle - not literally - and she would jump up and down in the arms of whoever was carrying her. Of course, our parents quickly learned that she had a special connection with dolls and informed me that I could still go to the toy store. I just had to go by myself or with a friend.

You may think that I lost my mind. I mean, I am practically a teenager, and you do not see teens play with toys. They move on to cellphones and other electronic devices. But not me, and I am proud to say that I love toys and actually told my parents that.

They were...surprised. Not surprised like I did something wrong. It was more like that I revealed a plot twist from a Forlot book. I myself was not surprised at how my dad reacted. He always had this habit of me becoming like him. You know. Being a man. However, he did not push me to stop purchasing toys, and I was grateful for that.

Mom, on the other hand, took it well. She understood the true value of toys and gave me permission to keep buying toys. Her only restriction was that I only could buy a toy once in a while, not every day.

"Think of it this way, your father and I will not have to pay so much money on those darn electronics," she added.

She had a point. Toys were less expensive than electronics, and I had the feeling that deep down inside, Mom and Dad were relieved that they did not have to spend much money on me.

You would think that Milo would understand where I was coming from because we were best friends. But no. He had grown out of the toy phase and owns so many electronics. A phone. Game systems. Thank gosh that I had not told him.

"Jackson, get in here," Milo insisted, breaking me free of my thoughts. "I think that there was an explosion in your sister's room, and I am not joking."

I dashed into Amy's room. Still holding Amy, Milo was on one knee, and it seemed like that he was picking at something that was on the wall.

And speaking of the wall, the area of the wall where my best friend was in front of was covered in gray. It looked like gray dust.

Why was there dust? Was it...from the explosion?

I slowly walked to Milo in order to not startle him. I heard Little Amy sniffing, and she clutched Piggy tightly.

"Dolly...dead?" she choked out.

"Yes, Amy," Milo replied to her. "Dolly is dead."

"Wah!"

As soon as I got close to Milo, I tapped his shoulder. He did not jump or get startled, like he knew that I was coming, and turned to face me.

"What is going on?" I demanded. "Why did you tell my sister that one of her dolls is dead?"

There was a concerned look plastered on his face, and that was rare for him. "See for yourself."

He got up and moved out of the way. He put a hand on Amy's back and rubbed it, comforting her. I glanced at what he had been referring to.

And had the urge to scream. But managed to keep it in so that I would not alarm Dad and Kira.

"Dolly" was really Amy's new doll, Gabi Dollson. She seemed perfectly okay. Her long hair remained as smooth as ever, and her purple clothes were still neat and clean.

Except for her shirt. There was a hole in it. And not just there. The hole went right through the doll's wooden chest.

What the heck happened to this doll? How did it get the hole? What caused the hole? There were so many questions that flew around in my brain.

Gabi was in good condition before. And now...

I remembered when Amy positioned Gabi and Piggy to hold hands. Oh my gosh. If Amy had not taken her stuffed animal away from the doll...let us say that there would have been a funeral for a stuffed pig.

I spun around to face Milo and pointed to Gabi. "That doll was not like that earlier," I explained. "Amy was playing with her, and when we left the room, I heard an explosion."

"Here." Milo held up a black piece that was once part of an object. "This is what caused it."

I took the piece and examined it. I was more confused. "What is this?"

"There are more pieces inside that doll, Jackson. And do not panic, but that was a bomb."

I started breathing hard, like I was having trouble. I was afraid that he would say that. That it was a bomb.

"W-why would there be a bomb in some doll?" I stammered.

He shrugged. "Maybe whoever gave the doll to you planted it in there. That person might have wanted to kill someone in this house. Or all of you."

My legs quivered, and I tried to keep my balance.

"So...my own mom wanted to murder somebody?"