》Should this just be a book of horror shorts? R.L. Stein's Haunting Hour (I'm joking)?? Because if so, the title would fit so much better xD《

May 14, 2007

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Piscella grinned widely as her friends, family, and relatives surrounded her, singing in unision and clapping. "Happy birthday Piscellaaaa.~ Happy birthday to you!"

"Blow out the candles!" Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and held a big goofy grin as he watched his daughter blow out the little dancing flames from the candle wicks that displayed a bright red "10."

Everyone clapped and cheered. Not too long after that, the cake was cut and passed out to each individual.

"It's present opening time!" Her mother squealed in excitement once everyone was done eating their cake.

Oh, how happy she was that her daughter had just entered the double digits! Her little sunshine was growing up!

Everyone gathered around a small table, or what was left of the table, that held nearly twenty wrapped presents, some big, some small.

Her mother grabbed a camera and filmed her daughter ripping up the wrapping paper from boxes.

The first present was a series of books that Piscella has been asking for for a few months. She had read one Geronimo Stilton book, she wanted to read them all. And now she can!

"Who was that from, sweetheart?" Asked her mom behind the camera.

"It came from Aunt Alice. Thanks Aunty!!" Piscella looked at the camera and hugged one of the books close to her, causing the crowd around her to coo, "Awww!"

She placed the book back with the others and moved on to the next nicely wrapped box, which was much smaller than the other. Ripping it open, she began pulling multiple items out: Boxes and bags of candy! Licorice, skittles, Sweet Tarts, Dum-Dums, you name it!

"Remind me to hide that later, William," her mother said to her father. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Mommy, mommy, can I eat these now??"

"Not yet, Piscella. Open all your presents first, and then you can pick ONE to eat."

The little girl groaned, more at the fact that she could only have one than that she couldn't have them now.

"Come on, open another one!!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Piscella looked amongst all the brightly-colored presents and selected a long, thick one. She ripped it open and peeled off the cover off the big red box.

Looking inside, she gasped and grabbed at whatever was inside.

"Mommy, mommy, look!!"

Her mother zoomed in the camera as she took out a beautiful, porcelain doll. It was about the size of her, and every single feature that the doll had resembled Piscella. The long, light brown hair that was naturally curly, the bright blue eyes, the many freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks, the star-shaped birthmark on the back of her right hand, and they even wore matching outfits!

"Who's it from, sweety?"

Piscella looked on the box, the doll, and the wrapping paper. "It doesn't say who it's from."

Everyone looked around, seeing if anyone would step up to claim the gift as theirs, but no one said anything.

"That's weird..."

"Miranda is in the bathroom," one of the men said aloud. "It's probably from her."

"Yeah, probably."

They shrugged off the anonymous present and continued to open all the other presents. Besides the books, the candy, and the doll, she also received scented bath soaps and lotions, new clothes, some room decorations, and art supplies so that she could busy herself with crafts whenever she felt.

After all the presents have been opened, everyone stayed to chat for a few hours.

Around 8:30 p.m., the crowd had died down, and only Piscella and her parents were left.

"Did you have fun, sweety?" Her mother asked after rewatching the video she took of her daughter opening presents.

"Mhm, mhm!" she answered cheerfully, stuffing her mouth with chocolate.

"Remember, that's all you get for tonight. I don't want you going to bed with a tummy ache."

Piscella groaned and finished the bar, throwing away the wrapper.

"Go put all of your presents away and get ready for bed. It's been a long day for you."

Obedient as she was, she took all of her presents and put them wherever they seemed to belong. First, the candies in the pantry, the scented bath supplies in the bathroom, and the decorations, art supplies, and books in her room. Last, she picked up the doll.

"I saved the best for last!~" She went to her mother and asked, "Can you take a picture of me and my doll?"
Her mother beamed and picked up the camera. "Sure, sweety! Stand it up. Oh, look, it's nearly as tall as you!!"

Piscella held the doll close to her side, making sure that it was standing on its feet, and smiled at the camera. The doll smiled too, but its head was slightly facing away.

Snap!

"It looks good, honey!"

She lifted the doll into her arms again and came close to see the picture.

"We look like twins!"

"You look so cute.~" Her mother pinched her cheeks and she giggled. "Now get on to bed. Tomorrow is a new day."

Piscella carried her doll to her room and laid it on her bed.

"I'm gonna name you Pisces!" she said to it in a bubbly tone. "Like the constellation! It also is spelled close to my name.~"

With that, she changed into her pajamas and cuddled Pisces, closing her eyes.

●°•○●

"Hey, Piscella!"

The young girl turned her head and met eyes with another girl who looked almost exactly like her. The only difference was the plastic skin, the lifeless stare and stiff movements.

"Hey, Pisces!" she responded cheerfully at the sight of her new doll. It didn't seem weird to her that her birthday present was now animated, blinking and standing on her own two feet, the muscles of her face moving with each movement of another.

"Aren't you glad that we've been introduced to each other?" She happily skipped closer to her, giggling and twirling in her light purple dress.

"I am!!" Piscella answered genuinely, taking delight in seeing her dancing doll.

"We'll be best friends forever!" Pisces reached her hands out and grabbed Piscella's. Before her eyes, that plastic skin softened, and the hair took on a lighter, thinner texture. Her eyes now shimmered, and her skin took on a pattern of semi-wrinkly shapes. She became a bit taller, and her voice became a little higher. It was almost as if staring into a mirror now, for Pisces no longer looked like a doll.
Pisces looked exactly like Piscella's twin sister.

"Defintely!!" Piscella beamed, holding tight to the hands of the doll.

●°•○●

May 16, 2007

"Oh, Piscella!"

"Yes, daddy?"

"Come here, sweetheart. There's something I wanna show you!"

Piscella twisted the cap shut to the bright red nail polish. She had been painting Pisces's nails since she had nothing else to do. Yeah, she had arts and craft supplies from two days ago, but she loved spending time with her new best friend.

"I'll be right back, Pisces!" she said to the doll as she got up and rushed to the living room where her dad was.
Her father was sitting on the floor, a large cardboard box in front of him. He was looking into the box and smiling. When he looked up and saw his daughter, his smile grew wider and he waved her over.

Curious as any young child, she rushed over to him and looked into the box.

She gasped.

In the cardboard box were six squirming Border Collie puppies. They were on their sides, some slightly shaking and others making tiny squeaking sounds.

"Oh my God, they're so cute!!!" she squealed, reaching in and stroking some of them. "Where'd you get them??"

"The neighbor's dog just gave birth to them a few hours ago, but he didn't want to have to care for all these puppies. There were originally eight, but he kept two. These, he wanted to sell. I told him we would take two and sell the rest. I called you out here to choose the two that you wanted."

Piscella felt like she was dying inside from a cuteness overload. Oh, how on Earth was she supposed to choose only two? They were all so small and adorable, she wanted to take them all, swaddle them, and raise them on her own.

"Only two?"

"Yes, only two. Remember, we are kind of tight on money, so we can't spend too much on pets. If we had a bit more money to work with, I would have taken three, maybe even four!"

Piscella groaned, but caught herself mid-groan. She was lucky to get two puppies, let alone any at all! She looked down at the squirming bodies, and immediately felt guilt when she pointed to the first one. How she hated choosing like this! The one she pointed to was mostly black with a white patch on its chest. It was chewing away at its paw, like it had been starving and was in dire need of food.

She felt even worse for choosing the second one. All the other puppies would be going to other people. What if those people abused these poor things? Neglected them, or didn't buy them at all? What if there was a specific puppy that fate wanted her to have, but she was choosing the wrong ones? She shook the thought out of her head to keep herself from crying.
This puppy that she chose was mostly white, and had little grey flecks here and there. She could almost imagine tying a red bandana around this one's neck and naming it Bandit.

"Those are the two that you want?"

Piscella nodded her confirmation.

"Alright. You think you can give these pups about a few weeks so that their mother can nurse them? I'll tell Mr. Armeton which ones you're taking."

"Yeah, sure! I'll start working on making the house puppy-proof!"

"Good, you do that!" Her father gently picked up the box of puppies and carried them out.

Filled with surging excitement, Piscella hurried over to her friend, almost jumping out of her skin with zeal.

"Pisces, we're getting puppies!!" She sat down in front of her friend whose nails were half painted. She clapped her hands together and wore the biggest smile. "They're these cute little Border Collie puppies, and they were just born today! My dad wanted me to have two of them!" She squealed at the thought of raising two puppies before reopening the bottle of nail polish and continuing to paint Pisces's nails. The doll sat there, silent and sustaining a bright smile, but seeming to not have heard.

But she did hear.

She heard it all.

April 10, 2007

The sound of high-pitched barking reached Piscella's ears, and she jumped up from her sitting position. She had been brushing Pisces's hair, which got knotted from time to time.

"The puppies are here!" she exclaimed, looking bright-eyed at the motionless doll who just smiled back.
She ran out of the room and into the living room.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The two puppies she had picked out a few weeks ago were running after each other, yipping with excitement as they wrestled each other.

"Ooohhh my God, they're SO CUTE!!!" she near screamed, sitting on the floor near the playing pups. The Border Collies stopped their rough-housing and looked over at Piscella. After looking at her for a few seconds with their floppy ears lifted and fluffy heads cocked, they ran over to her with their tongues flapping at the sides of their mouths. They pounced on her, nearly knocking her down. Their tongues licked her face, and they yipped at her.

"They're so cute, I'm going to diiiieee!!"

Her father laughed as he carried another box, but blue and smaller. He set it down in front of her and began to empty it of its contents.

He scattered toys, brushes, and towels on the floor. "Now both these dogs are going to be your responsibility. You need to feed them, give them water, potty train them, and bathe them once a month. I'll help you every now and then, but do you think you can handle those responsibilities?"

Piscella was barely listening. She was too busy hugging the furry little bodies close to her.

"Yeah, uhuh..~"

"Good. What are you gonna name 'em?"

She pointed to the white puppy with light gray flecks. "This one is Bandit." Then she lifted up the black one with the white patch on its chest. "And this one is... Bubba!"

"Bandit and Bubba?" He laughed at the two names. "Well, they are your dogs, you name them what you want."

Piscella picked up one of the toys from the floor and wiggled it in front of their faces, making them growl and take it into their mouths.

These were her new friends, and she would make their lives as interesting and delightful as possible.

April 11, 2007

That morning, Piscella sat up in bed. She looked down where her feet poked through the sheets, and where two little furry bodies laid still, but when she sat up, their heads poked up and their ears perked. A pair of little tails began wagging, and they both came up to her to give her a morning kiss - or more like a morning lick.

"Hey, Bandit. Morning, Bubba." She greeted the two happy pups, hugging them close to her. She turned to Pisces who had slept beside her. She was on her side, like she had toppled over.

Piscella picked her up and set her back into a comfortable laying position. "Sorry, Pisces," Piscella started apologetically. "But we may need to make a rain check. I need to make sure the pups get a lot of exercise today, and I'm also gonna try and potty train them!"

The doll looked onward.

Piscella took the two pups in her hands and rose off the bed.

●°•○●

Piscella yawned and stretched as she hopped back in bed, the puppies using a short stepstool she had put up to get up on the bed as well.

"I'm so sorry, Pisces," she apologized again to the doll that was in the same place Piscella had left her that morning. "We were just having so much fun! They're so cute, and I couldn't get enough of them. I didn't think we'd be playing the whole entire day!"

Bandit and Bubba laid at either side of her feet, and she cuddled her best friend.

"Maybe tomorrow we can play." Piscella held Pisces tight and closed her eyes, the warmth of the puppies ar her feet ever making her tingle.

●°•○●

Piscella had Bandit in one hand and Bubba in the other. She held them tight to her as she spun in circles, like an excited little girl. But then she immediately stopped when she spotted herself somewhere far off, back turned to her, arms crossed, and head slightly hanging. Her replica remained still, like some statue posed to look disappointed or angry.

Or maybe even sad.

She skipped over to herself, and said, "Pisces, what's wrong?"

The person didn't move, but she could hear her speak in a low voice. "I thought you were my best friend, Piscella..."

Piscella scrunched her eyebrows, very confused. Had she done something wrong to her doll that she was not aware of?

"Actually, yes, you have," Pisces answered again, lifting her head a little, but still had her back turned to the one who had apparently betrayed her.

She had just read Piscella's mind...

"What did I do?" The young girl asked, afraid to lose her best friend over something that could be easily fixed.

"You've abandoned me..."

"What? Me, abandon you? How??"

Her head turned a bit to the side as if she wanted to look at her, but at the same time, not wanting to. She caught a glimpse of her eyes, which were shaded heavily.

"Choosing those damnations over me--"

"They're not dalmations, they're Border Collies."

"DAMNations! You've been playing with them instead of me. I thought we were best friends!" Her arms fell at her sides, and she balled her hands up into fists.

"Pisces, I didn't choose them over you. They're my responsibility and I have to care for them! "

"And not care for me?"

"You don't need to eat or be potty trained, Pisces, you're a doll!"

At the word 'doll,' she wheeled around to face Piscella. That's when she saw that her eyes weren't just shaded.

They were pitch black.

Piscella nearly screamed at the sight, but she stopped herself.

What had happened to Pisces's eyes?? It really looked like there were no eyes in her sockets at all, just black holes.

"Doll? DOLL?? Is that all that I am to you now??" The blackness of her eyes began to leak, running down her cheeks like black tears. Though, there was no sadness in her voice, just pure, sheer anger.

"N-no!" Piscella could feel the two little puppies shivering in her hands. She had almost forgotten they were there. "You're my best friend, Pisces, I didn't mean for you to feel abandoned!"

"It's either me or the pups, Piscella." She put her hands on her hips. Even if she had no eyes, she could tell that she was looking dead at her.

"What? Pisces, I can't choose..." Choosing really was Piscella's weakness, and Pisces knew that. "The pups need me. They're too young to go into the world on their own. But like I would release them anyways. They're dogs, they live with us! But I also can't just leave you... you were a birthday present, and my best friend. Please don't make me choose, Pisces!"

The black-eyed girl stood there with an eyebrow arched, hands firm on her hips. Then she whispered, "Fine... Then I'll choose for you."

She pointed to the ground next to her, and Piscella saw a barred cage with two Border Collie pups within it.

Wait a second...

She looked down, and realized that they were no longer in her hands. Her heart skipped a beat. What on Earth was that doll doing??

Pisces snapped her fingers, and the cage was engulfed in a conflagration. The puppies screeched and yelped as their fur singed, and the immense heat ate at them.

"NOOO!!" Piscella screamed at the top of her lungs, her heart pounding as she saw the hungry flames devour the caged puppies. "STOP IT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!"

"You didn't want to choose," Pisces started calmly, watching the little Border Collies yelp and scream for help. "So I happily chose for you." She snapped her fingers again, and the fire disappeared in a wonderful display of white and black smoke plumes. The bars were a little red from the heat, and two little black bodies trembled and whined before going still and silent.

Piscella dropped to her knees, her chest tightening as she had just watched Bandit and Bubba burn to death. She sobbed into her hands, traumatized by what she just witnessed.

"Another burden finally off my shoulders." Pisces sighed. "They aren't your best friends. I am."

Piscella looked up with a red, tear-stained face. She balled up her fists. This doll just killed the two things she loved most.

All of her sorrow and anger flew out of her mouth.

"No, you're not my best friend, Pisces! Best friends don't get jealous like that, and they don't murder in cold blood like you just did! So you know what, Pisces??" If her mother heard what came out next, she would have a heart attack. She had only heard her father say this once, but he told her not to repeat it, but at this point, she felt it necessary.

"F**K. YOU."

Pisces stood there staring at her. Then the blackness of her eyes began to leak even more. They dripped all the way down her dress, staining it, and dripping to the floor. In plain silence, she lifted up her hand to the girl that was sobbing on her knees.

Then Piscella was engulfed in a fire much larger and hotter than the one the puppies had endured.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, as the flames licked her, their seething tongues burning her skin and making it leathery. Her sight was covered by the angry-red and orange that whipped angrily around her, but she could hear Pisces giggle with delight.

April 12, 2007

She jumped, sitting up in bed and panting. Looking down, she could see that her skin was still the same pale color, and had no differences in it.

Yet, she remembered that painful burn...

She looked down towards the end of the bed where Bandit and Bubba were staring at her, waiting for another sudden action.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

They're alive!

Almost as if they could sense her sorrowful relief, they came up to her and lovingly licked the tears away from her face. She held them close to her trembling body, using them to comfort herself.

Then she looked to her side.

Pisces was on her side, staring at Piscella with the same innocent, lifeless smile she always wore.
Just seeing the doll made her sick.

But wait...

It was only a dream.

A nightmare.

Pisces really was just a doll. There was no way that she could have done something like this.

She pet the little fluffy Border Collies, taking comfort in the softness of their fur.

Then there was a yelp from Bandit.
Piscella drew her hand back, afraid that she had harmed the puppy, but then cocked her head in question. She was just petting them softly...

She gently picked up Bandit who softly whined, and she inspected his body.

Almost immediately did she notice the little patch of black, kinky fur on his right thigh. When she brushed her thumb over it, the puppy gave another yelp and squirmed in her hands.

Fear ran through her body.

Bandit was burned.

She slowly turned her head to look to the doll still at her side...

To see its eyes bleeding black liquid.

"MOOOOOMM!!!" Piscella screamed at the top of her lungs, grabbing her furry babies and lunging off the bed.
Piscella's bedroom was at the very end of a corridor, and her parents' room was at the other end. By the time she was out her door, her mother came bursting out of her own bedroom with her father close behind.

"Piscella, what happened?" cried her mother in panic, her hand holding her robe shut to her body as it attempted to flutter open.

"Is everything alright?" asked her father, who was trying his hardest to quickly button up his shirt and zip up his pants. That guy just doesn't know how to carry himself... Piscella thought before shaking it out of her head.

"No, everything is not alright! Bandit, Bubba, and I were almsot burned to death by Pisces! Her jealousy is getting the better of her, and we need to get rid of her!"

Her parents just stood there, blinking for a moment. They exchanged glances before her mother sighed. "You had a nightmare, sweetheart."

Piscella shook her head wildly. "At first it was, but when I woke up, Bandit had a burnt spot and Pisces eyes were bleeding!" She held up the gray-flecked puppy and pointed to the black, kinky hair on its thigh. "See?? He's burned, and it's all Pisces fault!" Bandit whined when she brushed her thumb over the patch.

"Piscella, what did you do??" Her dad scooped the injured dog into his own hands and inspected the black spot.

"It wasn't me, it was Pisces, I swear it!!!"

"Pisces is a doll, Piscella," spoke her mother, regarding her. "She can't do anything."

"Oh-ho, I'd like to beg to differ! Look at her in my bed, she has black stuff coming out of her eyes!"

Again, her parents looked at each other, wondering what the other was thinking about the current situation.
Then her mother sighed and made her way over to Piscella's room.

Piscella herself stayed behind because she was afraid to be in the presence of that jealous doll.

"What black stuff?"

Piscella, out of frustration and confusion, went over to her mother and peeked at Pisces. To her amazement, there was no black liquid leaking from her eyes. There were no stains on the bed that showed it either.

"Huh...?"

Her mother and father looked at her with agitation.

"No... you have to believe me. I woke up this morning and everything was fine, but when I noticed the burn mark on Bandit, there was black stuff just pouring out of her eyes!"

"Then where is it?" asked her mother.

"I..." She held Bubba close, on the verge of crying. "I don't know."

William and Christie's POV

"What's going on with her?"

"I don't know, Christie, but I don't like it." William scratched his head, messing up his dark brown cowlick.

"I remember when everything revolved around that doll with her. Her imagination has been running wild lately."

Christie sighed and went to the kitchen, where she stored the camera in one of the drawers.

"I mean, look at how happy she was to see the doll in these pictures!" She pulled it out and turned it on, flicking through the gallery. Together, they looked at the shots of Piscella on her tenth birthday, opening presents with delight. When she opened the present with the doll, her face lit up like a Christmas tree, and she hugged it like she was afraid of letting go.

She flicked to the latest picture, and she nearly screamed as her face showed immense amounts of horror.

"Oh my God!!"

"Honey, what's wrong?" He came over when she didn't say anything, or even look at him. He glanced at the picture and tensed up. "Uhm..."

The picture was of Piscella holding the doll to it's feet to show how tall it was compared to her, and when she snapped the picture, she let it slide that its head was not facing the camera.

But now, it was looking dead into the camera, it's innocent smile turned sinister. But the most disturbing part about it was that the eyes were leaking a thick, black liquid.

Piscella's POV

The two puppies laid comfortably in Piscella's lap as she sat on the bed in front of the doll. She was afraid to turn her back on her, that she might 'spontaneously' catch on fire.

"This needs to stop, Pisces," she muttered to her plastic replica.

Stop what?

Piscella froze in horror. Pisces had responded to her in a nasty tone, but the doll showed no signs of speaking. It didn't move any part of its body, not even the lips when it spoke, but Piscella knew it was her voice. She recognized it from her dreams, and she heard it loud and clear as if it was inside of her head. Bandit and Bubba cocked their little heads as they looked at the doll, and she knew that they sensed the spirit of Pisces.

"Your... Y-your jealousy." Piscella did not know where she found the strength to speak back to Pisces. Maybe it was from the puppies. She didn't know, but she found it.

I am not jealous. You just abandoned me.

"I didn't abandon you, Pisces!" Piscella knew that she should be afraid of Pisces, but she felt more anger, frustration, and hatred towards her than anything else. "I still played with you, just not as much! I have responsibilities, you know."

She heard the doll growl demonicly, but then her mother burst in with her father close behind.

"Throw it away."

Piscella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean throw it a--"

"Throw it away." Christie said with more force. Piscella could see the fear in her eyes, and could hear her breathing become heavy.

"What happened out there?"

"Just do it, Piscella," stepped in William, eying the doll as if it would attack him out of nowhere.

"Uh, okay..!" She didn't object, and Pisces had nothing left to say, so she lifted the puppies from her lap, and carefully picked up the doll. Her heart raced once she made contact with it, for fear that it would kill her right on the spot. And she knew that Pisces really could.

Very quickly, almost running, she carried the doll outside and dumped her into the large trash bin.

"She's gone," Piscella announced as she walked back in. Her parents sighed with relief, but they still seemed tense.

"Good... but we're never getting you a doll ever again," William muttered, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"That's just fine by me," answered Piscella, petting Bandit's head as he came near to her.

Though, she couldn't shake the feeling that things still were not right.

●°•○●

The two brother Border Collies frollicked in the fields, chasing each other and pouncing on one another. They yapped and let their tongue flop at the sides of their mouths.

Piscella giggled as she was amongst the two playful brothers. They were so cute and adorable, she couldn't stop laughing at them!

Looking across the field, she saw flowers of every kind, penetrating her eyes with a sea of color. Birds flew out of nearby trees in flocks, their beautiful wings lifting them off to the sky. The trees left sparse areas open, for they were clustered together like penguins during a blizzard. In the midst of the trees, she could see a small figure, but she couldn't tell who it was.

"Hello, there!" she called out to the hidden figure. It didn't move, but something inside told her that it heard her.

"Hey!!" She yelled again, but louder, making dramatic movements, hoping that whoever it was would look over and see her.

The figure must have noticed her that time, for it stood to its feet and faced her. The movements of this person resembled a laggy animation, for it started and stopped, fast and slow, like a buffering film of some sort.
Her brows creased, and she felt intimidated by this person's actions.

As their laggy feet took them out of the cover of the trees, Piscella immediately regretted getting this person's attention. This person's head was down, and their long hair covered their face from being seen.

"Uuuhh..." Piscella backed up a few steps as this creature lagged on towards her, her arms out from her body like she didn't want to touch herself, fingers curled as if dying to claw something.

"Bandit, Bubba!" She called out, hoping to warn them of this freaky creature coming towards them, but when she looked to where they had been playing, they didn't move. They just lied in the grass. Their sudden immobility sent a chill down her spine, and she could feel the tears pricking her eyes as her breath caught.

Not again...

She looked back to the creature, only to see it right in front of her face. The sight of its own features made her knees buckle, locking and knocking together. She was paralyzed with fear as she stared right into this thing's face.

It had black holes where its eyes should be but there were glowing white dots in the center, almost like pupils. It's mouth was carved in jagged ends like a jack-o-lantern, and the skin of its nose was decaying.

"You haven't seen the last of me."

Piscella nearly pissed her pants because, unfortunately, she knew this creature.

It was Pisces.

April 14, 2007

Piscella woke up with a start. Her heart was hammering against her chest, and sweat beaded her forehead.

Relief washed over her when she realized it was only a dream, but then she looked down at her feet and didn't see the two furry bodies sleeping at her feet.

Panic struck her again, and she immediately jumped out of bed. Her room was dark besides the nightlight that was beside her bed. What time was it?

She looked to her side to see that her digital clock glowed a bright 2:56.

It was nearly 3 am!

Cling!

The hairs on her arms and neck stood on end, and goosebumps lined her skin. That sound came from the kitchen...

Hell no, she was not about to go out there and face that monstrosity of a doll!

But Bandit and Bubba...

What if they were out there, being tortured, or even killed?

She couldn't fathom the thought of that happening.

She could hear the click click click of the gas stove as it was being turned on.

Oh no...

She willed herself out of the comfort of her room, and slipped out into the darkness of the corridor. Her breathing became heavy, and her eyes looked around wildly, afraid of the mass in front of her that wouldn't allow her to see what was going on.
She widened her eyes and forced them to get used to the dark, and before her, shapes began to take place. Yet, she still held her hands out to make sure she didn't bump into anything.

The dim glow of the street lamp outside their house gave a little light to the living room, but it was still hard to see.

Getting on her tiptoes, she inched towards the kitchen where she could see little blue flashes and hear the constant click click click.

Her hands felt the counters of the kitchen for a weapon, and she wrapped her fingers around a cold, hard cylinder. It was heavy, and she knew that it was the handle of a large frying pan.

Her eyes lifted and could make out a figure about her size, looking into the blue sparks of the stove.

Then a soft whisper reached her ears as she heard, "Burn..."

That's when she held the pan like a baseball bat and swung it at the head, and hit with a crack and a sickening Ching!

"OW. F**K. F**K. F**K!!"

The figure all of the sudden grew taller, and she would have smacked it again out of fear, but it rushed past her. Then the lights flickered on and she turned around to see her father, gnashing his teeth in pain and holding the back of his head.

They met eyes, and she could see that her dad was debating whether to show anger or show pain.

"Piscella, why the-.. Why did you do that?!"

Piscella stood there, all of the sudden ashamed. She didn't know how to explain what she just did, for she didn't know how to. How could she mistake her dad for Pisces?

"Piscella, I'm talking to you!"

"I-I... I thought you were Pisces..."

"How in the-..."

"William, what's going on out here?!"

They both turned their attention to the woman who had come up from the corridor, weilding a wooden baseball bat in her hands. When she saw her husband and daughter and nothing else, she lowered her weapon and scrunched her brows.

"She hit me in the head with a freaking frying pan!" He spurt, pointing to the suspect still clutching the weapon of assault with white knuckles.

"I thought that he was Pisces trying to burn my puppies!"

"And what the Hell made you think that??"

"I... I had a dream last night, and when I woke up, the puppies weren't at my feet like they usually are. I heard the stove clicking and thought she was trying to burn them."

"You had a dream about her, too?"

Everyone looked at each other for a few seconds in genuine fear.

"Wait... so what were you doing out here 3 am in the morning in the kitchen?" asked Christie slowly.

"After that dream, I went and pulled Pisces out from the trash. I was afraid that she would find her way out, so I decided to burn her on the stove."

"Then where is she?"

All eyes turned to the stove, which had finally caught fire, but there was nothing on top of it.

"I... she was just right here!" William approached the stove warily, staring at it like it was the monster itself.

"I'm sorry, dad..." Piscella put down the frying pan and began to softly cry.

"No, it's okay, Piscella! I'm not mad anymore, I promise." He went over to his daughter- his only daughter- and held her close, his anger rekindled to the doll and the person who sent it. His family was now in danger because of it.

"Whoever sent that doll must have something against us or something..."

"Pisces wasn't hateful at first," Piscella defended. "She got jealous because I was spending more time with the puppies rather than her."

"Is... is this my fault, then? For giving you the puppies to begin with?"

"No, dad! I love them so much, they're a better present than Pisces! She's the one at fault here."

"I agree with her," said Christie, joining in the hug. "It's none of our faults."

They stayed like that for a while before releasing each other.

"We need to find that doll and get rid of it once and for all."

The others nodded, Piscella grabbing the frying pan and William grabbing a large kitchen knife. Christie tightened her grip around her baseball bat and eyed the corridor, as everyone else did.

"She's not in the kitchen or the living room, so she has to be in the other rooms."

"We should split up. Christie, you and Piscella search her room, since that's where she will most likely be. I will search in our room and in the closets."

"But wait!" Interrupted Piscella. "What about Bandit and Bubba?!"

Everyone went silent, their eyes searching the floor for the two little figures, and their ears open to listen for claws scraping the floor, or any little whines or yaps.

Yet, all they could hear was silence.

"I bet my money that Pisces has them held hostage somewhere," said William. Then he turned to Piscella who was on the verge of crying again. "Don't worry, we'll find them."

Christie placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and, together, they crept into the corridor, William behind them. They nodded to each other and went opposite ways.

The door to Piscella's room was open, and the night light was still illuminating the room.

Then the sound of water running echoed out from the bathroom.

Christie turned around and met William's eye, who was also just about to enter the opposite room.

Christie looked back at Piscella and signalled her to stay put in her room, then slinked towards the bathroom door, which was in between the two rooms, but more towards Piscella's side.

Both her and William swung the door open, and at the same time, the door to Piscella's room slammed shut and locked.

The darkness greeted the young girl once more, slightly penetrated by the weak nightlight. Her heart hammered against her chest as she looked towards the door that had just jumped to life and slammed by itself.

She looked around her, trying to make out shapes in the dim light - one shape popped out the most. A figure about her size resembled her body shape, and stood almost directly opposite of where she stood. The head of the figure slowly tilted to the side, and it almost seemed to be slightly growing larger.

Then the faintest melody of a whisper tickled her ear:

"Did you miss me?"

Behind the figure, the digital clock shifted, reading 3:00 am.

William & Christie's P.O.V

Figuring that their daughter had shut and locked the door out of fear, they proceeded into entering the bathroom. There was no sign of Pisces, but there was a shadow behind the closed curtains of the shower. The water of the tub was running quick, and the shadow was wavering slightly.

Bat in hand, Christie slowly grabbed the edge of the curtains and yanked them to the side.

To their horror, the tub was half full, and in the midst of it was a small cage that held two drowning pups.

"Oh my God!!" William helped her to pull the cage out, without hurting Bandit or Bubba.

The two puppies shivered terribly as they took them out and dried them with whatever towels they could get their hands on.

"So the puppies are okay," started William. "But we need to put them somewhere Pisces can't find them."
They thought for a few moments before Christie snapped her fingers.

"Mr. Armeton!" When William gave her a confused look, she explained, "We can give him the puppies to keep them out of harm's way, and when all of this is over, we'll take them back."

"That's a good idea! Here, you take them to him, and I'll stay here to make sure Piscella's alright."
His wife nodded, and they both left the bathroom, the puppies swaddled in towels.

As soon as they left the bathroom, Piscella's door swung open, and smoke poured out as she herself rushed out, coughing.

"Piscella, what happened in there?" asked Christie, trying to see past the thick, black smoke, but only burning her eyes in the process.

"Pisces was in there! She tried to set me on fire, but I knocked her out with the frying pan. We need to get out of here, quick!"

They both nodded, but stopped when Bandit and Bubba barked at her viciously, as if they were posessed themselves.

"Oh, you found them!!" She made no move to take them into her own arms, and didn't ask why they were wet and swaddled. She just clapped her hands in delight.

"We're taking them to Mr. Armeton's so they can be safe. But it looks like we might have to leave anyways. Come on, let's get out of here!" She ushered Piscella towards the front door, William right behind them. The Border Collies didn't stop barking at Piscella, but began to wriggle from the towels, like getting to her was imperative.

"They must have really missed you!" William commented as they opened the door and escaped the house. They ran down the driveway, staying close together to make sure no one would be left behind, and turned around to look at the house as fat plumes of smoke rose from the roof.

"Oh my God..." Christie held Bandit in one hand, and the other hand covered her mouth as she watched the smoke become thicker, blacker, and flames turning into a conflagration.

"Pisces is still inside." William huffed, not knowing whether to be devastated by the destruction of their home, or to be relieved that Pisces was finally gone. "And we're all still together."

Piscella began to laugh.

Both Christie and William turned to look at her.

Christie screamed.

Piscella had grown a head taller, her hands bleeding as claws protruded through her finger tips, black liquid leaking from her eyes, and her mouth carved into a jack-o-lantern smile.

Bandit and Bubba finally squirmed out of the arms of their owners, and sprinted down the street. They had to get help, save the ones who saved them! But around the street corner, a car came swerving in at fast speeds, the driver's face illuminated by the glow of a cellular device, and who did not pay any heed to the sudden thump, thump as the car continued to roll onwards.

Help would not be coming soon...

A snap of its fingers, and Christie and William spontaneously caught aflame. She watched as they burned alive, their skin charring and melting from their flesh. Then her mouth opened and she purred,

I told you that you haven't seen the last of me...

Piscella's P.O.V.

She screamed at the top of her lungs as she watched the ceiling cave in around her, pieces of burning, molten wood and bricks falling to the ground.

Or...

At least she thought she was screaming.

Her mouth didn't move, and she couldn't twitch a single muscle.

After all...

She was made of nothing more than porcelain and hollow plastic.

》Thank you guys so much for reading, and sorry for the long wait! I've been so busy, and I made this short way too long. But it had a really sick twist to it, didn't it? At first, I was gonna make it to where Pisces was gonna burn the puppies in the kitchen, but I got a funny thought in my head, "What if it was her dad?" So I did that. And then I was gonna give it a happy ending to where they burn Pisces, but then around the part where they went into the bathroom, I thought it a sick twist to actually secretly have Pisces switch bodies with Piscella. Sorry about Bandit and Bubba! I wanted to make them live, but this horror short needed EVERYONE'S death *Evilly laughs*
I'm actually sad about Bandit and Bubba, though, for real xD《