House of Dolls

Her Big Reveal

Nathan had been without Kayla for a few days. He was devastated and sat mostly alone in a daze as he grappled with her death on the inside. Even though she hadn't died at his hands, Nathan couldn't shake the feeling that he was the one who killed her. Anna begged him to come to her while he grieved her death and considered where Kayla should be buried. He turned down her request, telling her he wasn't feeling well and refusing to make her sick. Anna eventually respected his wishes and let him be for the next few days after some persuasion.

Anna became ill unexpectedly on the third day after Kayla died. Nathan awoke from a night of light sleep to the sound of Anna forcing herself into the toilet. "Oh my God, Anna, are you OK?" he screamed as he jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom. Worry began to creep in as he realized she could have been sick in the same way Kayla had been.

Nathan dashed up to her as she hunched over with her head in the toilet. He wanted to examine her to see if she was warm or if she had a fever. Anna then brushed him off with her hand above her head "Nathan, I'm fine. I think the Chinese food you brought me the other night was bad."

Anna continued to expel everything in her stomach until there was nothing left. Nathan insisted on feeling her head as if he wanted to make sure she wasn't on fire. As he placed his hand on Anna's brow, she reluctantly agreed. He could tell she wasn't warm, which made him feel better. Nathan leaned back against the wall, relieved that Anna seemed to be fine except for her stomach. "I'll go get you some ginger ale and be right back." Nathan then went downstairs to get her drink before hurrying back up the stairs to Anna. "Here you go, why don't you go lie down for a while? Just try to get some sleep." Nathan then extended his hand to assist her in getting up.

Anna agreed, taking Nathan's hand in hers as she dragged herself off the floor. She then walked out of the bathroom, still feeling nauseous, and went to bed. She climbed in, tucked her fleece blanket under her chin, and closed her eyes for a nap. Nathan walked over to Anna, leaned down, and kissed the top of her head. "Get some rest, beautiful," he said quietly. Nathan then turned and left the room with a solemn expression, closing the door behind him. He moved over to his bedroom after leaving Anna's side, walking in and closing the door that led to the bathroom.

Nathan decided to go to the garage to see Kayla after Anna had been tucked in. He unlocked the garage door, shut it behind him, and made his way over to Kayla's temporary coffin. As he unlocked the top of the deep freezer, lifted the lid, and peered inside at Kayla's preserved body, he began to sob uncontrollably. Her expression was permanently frozen in time.

He knew he had to think quickly to find a place for her. He'd decided to bury her in a remote location on the outskirts of his 100-acre estate. The woods butted up against a beautiful location. He returned Kayla to the freezer and went outside to his shed. He then retrieved a spearhead shovel and began the difficult task of digging her grave. Nathan would spend the next four hours digging a deep enough grave that neither animals nor humans would smell her decomposition.

He returned to his garage to retrieve Kayla's body from the deep freezer. As he lifted her frozen corpse, which lay stiff in an almost permanent fetal position, he began to whimper once more. He carried Kayla to the edge of his sprawling property and lowered her into the nearly six-foot-deep grave that had been dug. Nathan sobbed as he gazed at her lifeless body, then lifted a shovel of dirt over her until she was completely buried.

He then retrieved four large boulders from his property to prevent any animals from potentially digging her up. Nathan ended up staying out there until the sun began to set. He decided to sit at her grave until dark to make sure nothing attempted to disturb her final resting spot. He had hoped the boulders would work and resolved he would check daily to make sure.

Nathan tried to remain alone for a few days after Kayla's burial. While he desired Anna's touch, he felt he didn't deserve it at the time. As the week progressed, he began to feel sorry for himself. Anna approached his door and knocked on the second day after Kayla's burial. She was worried that he never came to her as she had hoped.

"Are you there, Nathan? I want to talk to you," Anna continued to lightly tap on his door until he reluctantly opened it.

"What is it, Anna?" Nathan inquired as he returned to his bed and took a seat.

"So, I think we need a test, Nathan," Anna said, concerned.

Nathan then looked up at her with a puzzled and worried expression on his face "Test? What kind of test do we need?" Nathan sat, perplexed by what Anna was trying to tell him.

Anna entered Nathan's room with her head down, pacing back and forth as if something bothered her. "I didn't notice it at first, but, Nathan, I've been here for almost a month and I'm late."

"What are you late for, Anna?" Nathan responded. As she went on, the hints she had given him continued to pass right over his head.

"Nathan, I need a pregnancy test! I believe I'm pregnant!" Anna sat in a chair next to Nathan's bed, staring off into the distance.

"Nathan, did you hear me?" Anna snapped her fingers to get his attention.

"You're pregnant?" That was all Nathan could say as he sat with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Nathan, yes. I think I am pregnant. I mean, I think we're pregnant. Could you please go to the store and get a test for me?" Anna got up and walked over to Nathan, who was sitting at the end of the bed. She sat down at Nathan's feet and rested her head on his knee. Nathan looked down at her as the gravity of what she had just said began to sink in.

"All right, Anna. I'll go get one right now. I need to know right away so that I can plan our next steps." "I'll be back shortly," Nathan said as he lifted Anna's head off his knee and helped her up to her room. He then walked over to Anna and kissed her on the forehead softly.

As he walked away, he locked both the connecting door and his door from the outside. He then got into his flashy car and drove two towns over to buy the test, keeping his purchase hidden from view. Nathan purchased the test nervously and returned home. He parked his car in the garage and dashed back into his house, closing every door behind him. He then dashed up the spiral staircase, skipping every other stair.

As he returned from the store, Nathan rushed into Anna's room. He quickly unwrapped the test and placed it on the bathroom counter. "Come on, Anna. It's ready." Nathan yelled from where he stood.

Anna rose from her bed and entered the bathroom. She took the pregnancy test from the counter and sat down, placing it between her legs and holding it under her urine stream. She then placed it on the back of the toilet as she moved to the tub's edge. Nathan chose a spot on the counter to stand by while they both waited for the results.

Anna slowly rose from her seat as her heart began to race rapidly out of her chest. She was nervous about reading the results, but she knew she had to find out if she was pregnant. Anna then walked slowly over to the toilet, grabbed the test, and looked down. Her jaw dropped as she looked over at Nathan, who was in a trance as she fell to her knees. She didn't know whether she should have been happy or sad about the results at the time. Anna then got to her feet, walked over to Nathan, and held out the test for him to see. All she could say was two tiny words: "We're pregnant."