Alice and Her Doll

Chapter 5

*****

Carrie sat on her bed, drawing a picture.

Carrie had always loved art. Throughout her elementary and junior high school years, she would either draw little pictures on her notes and tests, or would be daydreaming and drawing while the teacher blabbered on about The American Revolution and what not.

Carrie had entered many art shows and art competitions. Sometimes she would do pencil and shading, and another she would do oil paints. Carrie had a true passion for art.

In her room, Carrie hung her recent and past artworks. Her walls were a pale blue so that no matter what artwork she placed on her wall, the baby blue would almost always compliment Carrie's artistry.

Also decorating her room were her many trophies and ribbons from her various art shows and competitions. There were four first-place trophies, six second-place trophies, two third-place trophies, some honorable mention ribbons, and lots of other ribbons and certificates with first, second, third, or fourth printed on them with especially shiny gold letters.

So, as Carrie sat there reminiscing about her past artworks and shows and competitions, she stopped drawing and took a look at the rough draft of her picture.

She held it away from her to get a better view.

Carrie thought that her sketched illustration of a large videocamera was pretty good so far, but she had much work to do before she gave it to her mother for her birthday, which was three days after Alice's.

Carrie smiled to herself as she thought of her mother's happy, smiling, proud face when she received her oil pastel painting of their shared happiness.

*****

The Cooks were all having dinner in their massive dining room.

"Mommy!" Alice addressed her mother. "I have something to show you!"

"What is it, honey?"

Alice hopped out of her chair and ran out of the room, up to her bedroom.

"She sure is a ball of fire," Ray remarked.

"And energy," Megan chortled as Alice returned.

"Here," Alice handed her the pack of tarot cards. "My window told me to give it to you."

A bewildered expression came over her face. She turned the pack of cards over and over.

"Lisa...." Megan said under her breath.

"What was that dear?" Ray inquired.

"Nothing......Alice, you said your window told you to give it to me?"

"Mm hmm!" Alice said as she shoveled spaghetti into her small mouth.

"Okay," Megan said, baffled.

"Who wants dessert?" Ray quickly switched the subject and gave Megan a look that said, "Discuss it later."

LATER.......

"Alice said her window told her to do something.......do we need to worry?"

"Megan, she's just four. She's probably just playing pretend or something."

Megan shook her head. "I don't think so. If this continues, I'm taking her to a doctor."

"I think you're overreacting. I mean, yeah she's almost five, but think about what you played when you were five. Must have said a lot of crazy stuff, too."

"Maybe you're right. Let's just test it out," Megan said as she cleaned off the dining table.

"Oh and hey! I need to ask you about something. Be right back....." Ray jumped up and ran upstairs.

Megan grinned and shook her head. Ray was so goofy. Even when they first met back in college. They were both majoring in law and they were in the same class. They had to pretend like they were in a real trial. Long story short, Megan won the trial, but Ray did put up a fight.

Before Megan could finish remembering their first date, Ray bustled in with his hands behind his back. 

"I found this in the attic," Ray brought his hands out from behind his back and held the doll in both hands. "Do you know anything about it?"

Megan's eyes widened.

"Ray, have I ever told you about Lisa?"

Ray cleared his voice. "Umm....yeah. God bless her soul."

"I just can't believe it's been four years since she, um...." said Megan, unable to finish her sentence.

"Committed suicide," Ray said, bluntly.

They both sat in silence for what seemed an eternity to Megan.

"I just said her name when Alice handed me the tarot cards because, as you know, she was really into tarot cards, crystal balls, spells, curses, and such nonsense ever since Lisa was seventeen."

Ray stared at the doll. 

"Anyway, Lisa gave that doll to me when she found out that I was pregnant. She wanted me to give it to Alice. It's weird-- Lisa died a year after I had Alice and she never visited her. Not once,"

"I'm gonna go ahead and say that we're obviously giving the doll to Alice for her birthday, right?"

"Yes," Megan said as she stared off into space with tears in her eyes. "Yes, sorry. I was zoned out,"

"Ha," Ray responded. "Happens to me all the time,"

Ray got up and carried the doll upstairs, trying to hide it from Alice.

The doll's smile turned up into an evil grin yet once more as she thought to herself, "Good. Everything is falling into place."

*****