A spooky short, and a bid farewell.

[mydoom.exe 5,154]

As of late, I haven't really found all that much willpower or time to make shorts every so often in the blessed spamland of the AWC. Considering as to how school is coming around the corner, I figured I would share this last story with all of you before I retire for a long time. Obviously I will be back for a day or so on the rare occasion I find the time to do so, but for the most part, I'll be very very dead. Maybe I'll be back someday, maybe not, such is the way of the internet. In the meantime, however, enjoy the story all, stay frosty. And a very possible goodbye from me.

 

 

 

Dolls

 

 

 

"Field trip!", Drew's mom squealed, "We're heading off to the county fair this year. Let's go, put your shoes on!"

 

 

 

Drew groaned. Her mom had an affinity for these types of things, always trying to get her to do something other than "jabbering away with your friends online". She supposed it couldn't be helped - her father had recently passed away, so it was probably bound by universal law to get a truckload of "bonding activities".

 

 

 

"Come on mom, why can't I-"

 

 

 

"Hurry up, we'll be late!"

 

 

 

Sigh.

 

 

 

Into the car, seatbelt buckled, unnecessarily cheesy music blasting, off they go. Apart from a particularly funny commercial advertising toothpaste on the radio, the hour-long ride was boring beyond belief. Or, as Drew liked to call it, "BBB" for short.

 

 

After what seemed like an eternity and a year of mom jokes, Drew arrived at the fair. It wasn't quite as exciting as Drew would have liked. For one thing, half the rides were "out of commission", and the hot dogs were probably bought at a local convenience store, then sold for fifty times the actual value. For obvious reasons, Drew was not happy.

 

 

"Can we just go home now?"

 

 

"Honey, please, we drove all this way here, let's enjoy the outside!"

 

 

"But I'm not, half the rides are out of service and the hot dogs aren't exactly top class."

 

 

Drew's mom was exasperated.

 

 

"Just find something else to do then."

 

 

"But mom..."

 

 

Drew's mom sighed. This wouldn't work.

 

 

"Fine. At least visit one more booth, maybe a collectible store, or a souvenir shop, and we'll go after that."

 

 

A cellphone rang. Very likely in Drew's mom's purse somewhere.

 

 

"Hold on, I'll be back. Drew, just do something exciting for me, will you?"

 

 

And she was off to wherever moms go to talk to people on a phone.

 

 

Drew sighed, and wandered around for a bit. She eventually settled on a drab looking souvenir shop, with what looked like a cardboard box as a sign, advertising a "Genuine antique Russian doll - 500 years old!"

 

 

Her mom liked old things, for whatever reason, so Drew decided to just suck it up and get something. On the way there, she could see a small little, circular doll. Spherical near the bottom, and shaped like a bowling pin. It had no arms or legs, but it was painted quite beautifully. It had to be mechanical, since as she passed the doll, it opened its mouth with a creak and said something Russian, in a little boy's voice. Clearly, the doll was not "500 years old".

 

 

Drew walked into the shop, more like a shack actually, and asked a very old man about the offer on the sign, and about the doll on the windowsill, which was clearly the object being advertised.

 

 

"Ah, the doll? You cannot simply buy that, young lady, but...", Drew could swear she saw a twinkle in his eyes, a little fire that just did not seem quite right.

 

 

The old man took no notice of the glance, leaned in, and whispered, "you can win the doll as a prize, if you get through the maze."

 

 

Drew peeked behind the man and saw a door, surprisingly polished, with a doll right beside. Obviously not the real one - Russian dolls were probably not made by Barbie. She had seen the outside of the shack, and it wasn't quite so big as to hold a truly monstrous maze. The challenge couldn't be that hard.

 

 

Drew accepted the offer, then was led to a small room filled with various passageways of mirrors.

 

 

"This is the maze, young lady. All you need to do to win the doll is get to the other side. Simple."

 

 

Easy peasy. The old man locked the door behind her, and into the maze she went.

 

 

She thought about calling her mom about what had happened, but there was no cell reception in here anyways. The door behind her was really locked, and the old man probably needed his peace anyways. Left turn, right turn, then another left. Nothing but mirrors ahead. The artificial lighting gave a harsh glow, giving her eyes the light she needed to see herself on what seemed like hundreds of mirrors. Drew eventually got to a crossroads with a ventriloquist's doll at the center. It smiled that creepy comedian smile at her as she chose the path to the right. More turns followed, and soon she was staring at the wall, brilliantly decorated with colourful images that Drew recognized as kings and queens of ages past. The only thing missing from the painting was emotion; the faces were smiling, but not in a human way. Drew shuddered - she would later talk to the fair manager about the old man. Yet more turns, a left, another left, yet another left, a right, and she was right back at the beginning. She thought about quitting, then knocked on the door. Once, twice, thrice, each a harder pound than the last. Eerie silence. Is the old man deaf? More pounding, followed by cries for help. Still silence. Drew tried her hand at forcing the door. No luck. This was worrisome. That meant she had to get back into the maze, and find her way out. Right, right, left, right, left, nothing new. Drew rounded the same corridors that had flown past her on the first run. Back to the ventriloquist dummy, now with what looked like a mocking smile. Forget the right, Drew turned to the left. More turns, and Drew was back at the wall. The same kings and queens, bathing in the harsh lighting, wearing the same inhuman smile as before. 

 

 

 

Yet more turns followed, this time leading Drew straight back to the dummy at the crossroads. Left, left, right, back to the wall. Right, left, left, right, left, crossroads. Drew could see the panic in her own eyes from the countless mirrors lining each other. This maze just didn't end. Whatever path she took led her along the same route she had first gone in the beginning. Finally, Drew collapsed at the crossroads, on the lane opposite the creepy dummy.

 

"I give up! Let me out!"

 

Silence.

 

"I give up!"

 

Still silence. Despite the light, Drew felt rather, sleepy. Possibly from all the running.

 

"Give up."

 

"Give up..."

 

"I...give...up..."

 

---

 

A massive investigation was launched when Drew failed to rendezvous with her now-frantic mother. The fair was searched high and low, with some stalls being completely pulled apart. The landowner provided as much help as he could, but he too, failed to find Drew. Pictures were posted, rewards were offered, still nothing. However, the massive manhunt failed to notice an old man on the outskirts of the fair, creeping away with two Russian dolls. One, with a young boy's voice. The other, with a slightly older girl's voice.

[VaudeVille 1,428]

Damn.. No poetic Justice

[GoldRock 6,165]

Great story as always, loved the originality. Sad to see you go, hope you'll be able to check in on this section once in a while. Good luck with school and any other real life stuff you do!

[TTK_229 1,080]

K...

 

We luvs you abdomen!!1!11!1 no leave pls

[BlueDragon_tamki 3,204]

Nice story. I hope you can return someday :(

[Silvercougar 224]

Creepy!!!!

[Guest]

Wow, right after I've seen GoldRock's review decided to check out. After reading I must say it did worth it! Recommend to everyone - as a short story.

[mydoom.exe 5,154]

Damn.. No poetic Justice

Eh, isn't that what makes horror shorts (or sp00kies) so...horrific?

 

Great story as always, loved the originality. Sad to see you go, hope you'll be able to check in on this section once in a while. Good luck with school and any other real life stuff you do!

Thanks Goldy, I'll do my best to check in every so often, and maybe even return full-time one day.

 

K...

 

We luvs you abdomen!!1!11!1 no leave pls

Love you too! (Probably no homo)

 

Nice story. I hope you can return someday :(

I will, no worries. Whenever I find a break, be it Christmas or a rare weekend with nothing to do, I will return and hopefully have a quick short for you.

 

Creepy!!!!

That's the idea. ;)

 

Wow, right after I've seen GoldRock's review decided to check out. After reading I must say it did worth it! Recommend to everyone - as a short story.

<3

[ToHoYoNTaDa 1,147]

Nice job, Acbadnboowm

 

 

That are spellings..right?

 

[Ninja 10,468]

Really enjoyable.