Page 21 of The Doll Factory
“Who?Our daughter, Tim.Also, where’s Molly?”
“You’ve been gone a long time, Lily.”
With the back of my hand, I swipe my eyes and blink rapidly to clear my vision.“How long?”
He takes a few steps forward and shoves his hands in his pockets.A deep breath is the only answer he gives me, other than continuing thosecaringeyes.Pity?Disdain?I can’t tell what the emotion is behind them.
“Where is my daughter, Tim?What is happening?”
“They’re with your mother.”
“Oh.”When he kneels in front of me, I ask with some confusion, “Why?”
“Where did you come from?”
“I was taken from… Fromhere, I think.I can’t remember exactly.Some mad scientist did something to my brain, and I ran away.I escaped from his lab.I know it must sound insane, but I did!Look at my figure!Look at me!I’m deformed now!”
He reaches out to stroke some of my blonde hair off my face and brush my cheek.The warmth of his touch calms me.“I almost didn’t recognize you.Let’s get you out of this and upstairs.You must need to rest.”
With some effort, I lean against him and make it to our bedroom.He hustles into our bathroom and I hear the tap run as I peel off the lacy old dress.
When he returns, his phone is out, but he nods toward the ensuite.“Take a bath and I’ll be back.I need to make some phone calls.”
The bubbly, warm water is the first comfort I can remember having in a long time.Other than the orgasms that Dr.Miles forced into me, I don’t recall pleasure.But this is it.
I’m not sure how long I stay in the tub, cleansing myself to scrub the memories of my ordeal off.
“I have your robe here.It’s late.Do you feel comfortable going to bed?”
I jolt as Tim enters, still ready for Dr.Miles to capture me and take me once again.Will that feeling ever go away?
Will the feeling of him in each of my holes ever leave?
“Yes.I’m exhausted, but the police–”
“Yeah, that’s who I called.We’ll make a report tomorrow… You need rest.”
Weariness overwhelms me.With my husband’s assistance, I slip my arms into the robe and make it underneath the sheets of our cozy bed.
He sits next to me and studies my face carefully, as if he’s seeing someone new, but familiar at the same time.“Good night, Lily.Sleep now.”
I do.
* * *
Crescendos of voices awaken me.The clock says it’s only 3am and I consider returning to my slumber, but the argument continues downstairs.Tim is holding an intense conversation with someone.He sounds enraged.
Worried, I slip out from the bed and approach our bedroom door.A sinking feeling arises in the pit of my stomach.The other voice is male, too… The police?
In the hall, I tip-toe past the closed doors to get a better listen until I reach the final one.The guest room is cracked open.Curious, I take a glance inside the darkened room and gasp.
Two long legs bent at an angle rest on the bed.When I press the door fully open, my hand slaps across my mouth to keep from screaming.
A Barbie doll looking woman in pink lingerie lays in a provocative pose in the middle of the mattress, which has obviously been slept on.The sheets are askew and my husband’s T-shirt lies on the floor next to the side.
The woman’s blue eyes meet mine.She could be me now.A doll.Her lips part, but she makes no expression.
Tim’s arguments grow louder and rattle the mirror on the wall as it wanders up the stairs.“She wasn’t supposed to come here ever!I donated my wife for a new one!You never said–”
