In Nightmares We're Alone Read Free

young lady,” says Mommy wide-eyed.
    “Mommy, I just don’t like them!” I yell. “They’re just…” I don’t know how to explain about the eyes so I make something up. “They’re for babies.”
    It’s silent for a really long time, then Mommy just repeats it. “Babies. They’re for babies.” She looks at Sissy and shakes her head.
    “Don’t look at me,” says Sissy.
    “Macie, honey,” says Mommy, still sounding irritable. “Take your dolls out of the garbage, put them back in your room, and then you can help Mommy open the new package and we’ll talk about this later.”
    I say nothing.
    “Macie,” she raises her voice a little.
    And really low, without thinking about it, I say, “I don’t care about your stupid goddamn doll.”
    Mommy’s jaw drops. Sissy chokes back a laugh, but it’s very audible for just a moment. Mommy turns to Sissy with wide eyes and Sissy has both hands over her mouth, the smile still visible.
    Mommy walks to me and smacks me a good one, just like she did Buster. I know it’s coming, so I just stand there and look her in the eye. That seems to make her angrier.
    “Get your dolls and go to your room!” she shouts, pointing down at the garbage can.
    “No!” I scream.
    She hits me again.
    “Mom, leave her alone,” says Sissy.
    Mommy turns and points a finger at Sissy. When Mommy’s back is to me, I turn and run. I’ll go to my room. I don’t care. But I’m not bringing any dolls with me.
    I hear Mommy thumping down the hall after me, calling my name, but I don’t look back. I slam the door shut behind me. She gives an exasperated sigh and I hear her turn back to the kitchen.
    “You should be ashamed of yourself,” I can hear her saying to Sissy.
    Sissy’s voice says, “I told you. I didn’t—”
    “Where does she get that language from? I know it’s not from me.”
    “Whatever. I agree with her about your doll anyway.”
    Sissy comes walking down the hall with Mommy yelling after her. She goes in her room and the house gets real quiet for a while.

    * * * * *

    I’m lying face down on my bed, still pouting, when Sissy comes in half an hour later.
    “Hey, creep,” she says. “How you doin’?”
    I say nothing. I stay face down.
    “Oh, are you mad at me too?” she asks. “Mom’s taking her nap, so you’re off the hook for a little bit.”
    I roll over and look at her, still upset. She closes the door behind her, and sits on the bed with me.
    “Macie,” she says. It’s weird. She usually calls me ‘creep’ or ‘retard’ or something, even when she’s being nice. “I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you the other day about Mom’s dolls. That had nothing to do with you. You don’t have to hate them just because I do. If you like them, that’s good. You should keep liking them. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
    “I do like them,” I say.
    There is a pause. “So you just don’t like your dolls?”
    “I like them too. But Mommy’s new doll ruined them.”
    Sissy nods. She looks a little disappointed. “Mm. You mean you want dolls like Mom’s.”
    “No,” I say quietly. “I want to smash the new one and burn it.”
    I see curiosity spark in her face. “Is it… really pretty? Or…?”
    “No. It’s horrible.”
    “How did a horrible doll ruin your dolls?”
    “It made me… hate them.”
    Sissy cocks her head. She seems to search for a question and not find it.
    “I want to see this new doll,” she says.

    * * * * *

    “Creepy,” says Sissy.
    Beth’s sitting up there on the top shelf, dead center, with twenty more dolls on the bookshelf below her and ten more bookshelves around the room. Sissy and I are standing in the middle looking up at her, talking in low voices because Mommy’s sleeping on the couch in the next room and we’re totally busted if she wakes up.
    “Right?” I say. “It’s like she’s alive or something.”
    She gives me that you’re retarded look big sisters are good at. “I wouldn’t go that