Chapter 7
Ally
I wake up in my bed. Memories from last night surface and I wonder if it was all just a dream. The last thing I remember was being in the attic and the little girl…
I roll over to see my doll laying in the spot Cali was. There’s a note addressed to me laying next to her and I pick it up to begin reading.
Good Morning Sunshine,
I snuck out before your folks woke up. Even though who knows if they would have noticed. I’ll pick you up before school.
Cali
I get up to lay the note on my dresser, then head toward the bathroom for a quick shower.
I turn the water on, setting it to the perfect temperature and climb in.
I grab my strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner, wash my hair, then move on to wash my body next.
I scrub and scrub, getting harder and harder until my skin is blistered pink from the roughness of my movements.
Thirty minutes later, I get out. I'm drying my hair when I look in the mirror and see my reflection.
Three red scratches are splayed across my cheek.
I gasp, dropping my towel, and moving closer to get a better look.
I begin internally freaking out. My chest grows tight and it’s getting hard to breathe. ‘Maybe it’s from what happened at the party,’ I tell myself, attempting to believe that what happened in the attic was just a dream and nothing more.
“Ally! Get the fuck down here!” I hear my dad yell, giving me the distraction I needed.
I would take their toxic rage over thinking I’m currently going insane.
I rush to finish getting ready, grabbing a black corset dress and a pair of my Doc Martens.
I don’t even attempt to do my makeup, terrified of infecting the scratches, and honestly, I just can’t be paid to give a shit today.
I run a brush through my hair, deciding to let it air dry.
Grabbing my backpack, I dash out the door.
I come to face my dad in the living room and he’s pacing back and forth on the hardwood floors.
He must hear me approach, because he stops his pacing to face me.
“Where the fuck is your mother?” He yells at me.
I take a deep breath, already feeling anxiety and discomfort.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning,” I reply.
He lets out a loud laugh.
“Yeah, you’re a lying little bitch just like her. I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.”
I don’t say anything, praying and hoping he will drop this and just let me leave. I try to walk away, but he stops me.
“You know, Ally, I bet I’m not even your real daddy.”
I gasp and he makes his way toward me. He fists me by the back of my head, his fingers tangled in my hair.
“Please,” I whisper.
Stale beer and the scent of cigarettes infiltrate my senses. I want to throw up. Specifically all over him.
“Please what? Huh?” His hand glides to my ass and I freeze.
“Maybe I should take care of you since your mom doesn’t seem to want to.”
Something in me snaps, and instead of freaking out, I’m filled with rage, angry tears making their way down my cheeks.
“Get the fuck off of me!” I yell, shoving him hard in the chest. He falls backwards, his head hitting the coffee table in the middle of the room.
I’m so furious with how they treat me. I can’t take this anymore.
I CAN’T TAKE ANY OF THIS ANYMORE! I see his old beer bottle sitting on the edge of his side table.I grab it by the handle, busting it against the wall so it breaks in half, and sharp shards stand out at the end of it.
A voice whispers through the room or is it in my mind? Melodic and creepy.
“Kill him,” it echoes.
“He deserves it after what he and his teammates and their girlfriends did years ago to our poor sweet Savannah.”
“Savannah? Who’s Savannah? What did they do?” I ask, more curious than panicked.
“Our maker, of course. The only reason I’m truly here. They raped her while the disgusting cheerleaders held her down to take it. Only one guy attempted to stop them and they almost beat him to death for his actions,” the voice hisses.
“I don’t understand, how did you get here?” My voice shakes as I look around the room, trying to see if anyone else is here with us.
“I’ve lived in Clementine a very long time,” the voice giggles in a childlike fashion.
My brain begins racing a million miles a minute, trying to put the pieces together.
“But I don’t even have the doll with me, so how are you able to talk to me?”
Silence drags on for a minute, before Clementine answers.
“Once you held me for the first time, I was able to attach my spirit to you. I can do anything I want now, especially after last night in the attic.”
“Wha–” I begin, but my brain becomes hazy, Clementine orders, controlling my body.
“Kill him, Ally. He deserves it for everything he’s done to you too.”
I look over to my father and march to him, watching as he grumbles and moans, rubbing the knot already forming from where he hit his head as he landed. I straddle him, bringing the beer bottle up to his face. He snarls at me.
“You will never fucking touch me again,” I spit at him.
“I own you!” He laughs, not taking me seriously.
“No, you don’t, but the fires of hell will own you.”
He looks at me confused and I hear the same nursery rhyme melody filling the room. A smile overcomes my face and I start singing my own words to the sound.
Oh my darling, Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
In a house, in a home
Your blood is splattered everywhere
Please don’t, cried her father
But smiling was their daughter, Clementine.
As I sing the words, I take the shattered beer bottle, raising it over my head and stab it directly into his face. I stab repeatedly, blood splashing onto me. I begin laughing as I sing, the violence of my actions bringing me a sort of peacefulness I’ve never felt before.
Oh my darling, Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
One stab, two stabs
Blood is spraying everywhere
You are now dead
And at peace was Clementine.
I drag the bottle down into his neck this time, and instead of stabbing again, I begin sawing the sharp shards roughly up and down, continuing to cut until his neck is completely shredded open. Meat and bone is visible, and his blood is running like a river down his body.
I take a deep breath, calming down, and finally look up into his eyes.
All the life is gone from them. You would think I would feel some sort of regret, maybe cry, or scream.
But I don’t feel or do any of those things.
I get to my feet, tossing the beer bottle to the side of the room.
I go back to the bathroom, wet a wash rag with warm water, and I look at myself in the mirror.
Blood coats almost every inch of my skin.
I smile at myself, letting out a loud laugh.
If anyone saw me, they’d put me in a psych ward.
I change from my black dress into a red one. Same style, just different color. As soon as I put it on, I hear the sound of a vehicle honking outside my house. I look at the clock to see I’m running late.
“Shit,” I hiss.
I grab my bag and run to jump in Cali’s truck with him.
“Well hello, Sunshine,” he says smiling.
I smile back, “Good morning, Cali!”
“Well, someone's in a good mood,” he chuckles, reversing the truck and heading toward school.
“I have a feeling today’s going to be a great day.”