Mystery Short Story - The Mummy Doll

Driving Madeline to school the next morning had been difficult, Madeline had refused to go and then they had had another row resulting with Madeline, now sitting in the back of the car ignoring her mother huffily and talking to Matilda in an urgent whisper. “All right we’re here go on poppet, you don’t want to be late” Kate said seriously. Giving her mum a sour look, Madeline hopped out of the car and slammed the door. When she got to work, there was a surprise waiting for her, a phone call message from the school to immediately call them back. Anxious, she hurried up to her office and rung them, as soon as she heard the word ‘Madeline’ and ‘fight’, she slammed the phone down and leapt out of her office. Arriving back at the school,  she rushed in to see the Headmistress, Mrs Jolson, looking strained, she said “Sit down please, we need to talk, Madeline was in a little bit of a tussle today, she was caught beating up another girl in the bathroom, luckily the poor girl was not too badly injured but she was taken to hospital for a check over,” she paused as Kate gasped looking stunned, Mrs Jolson resumed “after that Madeline ran out of the school building and we have not yet found her, we have had to call in the police and they are out now searching for her, this is a serious attack Kate, Madeline will be expelled for this”.  Kate looking stunned, replied, “But-t why-y would she do that, she wouldn’t harm anyone, I’ve got to go look for her”. She started getting up but Mrs Jolson put out her hand to stop her speaking politely, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, I think it would be best if you went home, the police will bring her over once they’ve found her, don’t worry Kate, they will find her”. “Thank you” Madeline’s mother responded with a little smile. She ran out of the office and dived into her car. Racing home, she let her tears flow making her hiccup and moan helplessly.

It was getting towards lunchtime when  she arrived home, not even bothering to lock or close her car door, she sprinted over to the front door and let herself in, “Madeline”, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Madeline wasn’t there; the only answer that came back was the ghostly sounds of her voice rebounding off the walls. Stepping warily towards Madeline’s bedroom, she thought she heard laughter in the bathroom, ignoring it however, her heart leapt wildly against her chest, her pulse going crazy as she pushed open the bedroom door slowly, making it scream on its hinges. Looking around she sighed and stepped out of her room. She stopped. She had heard something, a creak in the hallway. Someone giggled. “Mummy” someone whispered close by. “Mummy” there it was again. “Matilda wants a hug”. Kate screamed and ran into the hallway, looking around madly she saw no one. She saw a light and realised it was the bathroom. Curiously, she headed towards it, moving inside she realised that the shower curtains were closed. Suddenly the door slammed shut behind her making her jump. Pounding on the door with her fists she screamed and screamed, shouting for someone to help her. “Mummy, what are you doing” someone said whispered from behind her. Like she had just received an electric shock she jumped around. Madeline was standing in the middle of the bathroom with Matilda sitting, happily on the shelf. “Madeline, what are you doing here, how did you get in here” shouted Kate. Laughing evilly Madeline advanced upon her mother “The same way you did mummy”. And then she was stabbing her, blood spurted out, leaving the white tiles a bright red. “Madeline” Kate struggled clutching at her daughter. The blood gargled and bubbled out of her throat from where the knife had penetrated her throat. “Goodbye mummy” she cackled. And then Kate was falling, landing painfully on the cold, wet floor. As though she had been in a dream Madeline snapped out of it “Mummy, mummy get up what are you doing?” she whispered “Mummy” she screamed “what have you done?” and then there were police cars, filling the room with blue flashing lights and a high pitched siren, someone grabbed her and started pulling her out of the room “THE DOLL DID IT, IT WASN’T ME” she cried as men started towards her with a white suit.

“IT WASN’T ME! I’M NOT MENTAL! NO! NO! It was Matilda my doll she did it, DON’T TAKE ME AWAY, NOOO!” Madeline screamed in a weak fit, kicking and flailing, she was forced into the white suit and steered towards the cynical white van as another trolley, with a huge white sheet over it, was rolled out of the house and into a waiting ambulance nearby. Nearby, a huge car boot sale had set up in a nearby farm field, and many people were already milling around, scavenging for the best antiques. Walking a long with her mother, Mary had been so excited about going to a car boot sale but now all she could see was old junk. “Mummy, Mummy, look over there can you see her isn’t she magnificent, please Mum can I have her please, please!” she shouted excitedly, pointing at a large doll with only one eye and deep black hair and with what seemed like a wicked smile playing on her small doll face.