Hayden couldn ’ t help but think about the hard time she had been having over the past couple of years , taking care of her mother who had developed schizophrenia . Her mother had made her miserable to the point where she couldn ’ t have anything else to do with her . Hayden had decided that their mother would be better taken care of in a mental institution , to which Paige had agreed . Both girls had continuously visited their mother in the hospital for months , but eventually their mother became more violent and the visitations stopped completely . A year later the girls ’ mother died alone in her room at Shanghai Mental Health Centre . Hayden took it especially hard ; she loved her mother more than anything , but during her last years she had become a totally different person , cursing her out , hitting her , and having hallucinations . In the end she couldn ’ t take it anymore , she wasn ’ t strong enough for it ; she wasn ’ t strong at all .
“ You have to move on .” Paige told Hayden . “ Mom would have wanted both of us to .”
“ I know ,” Hayden responded plaintively .
“ I got a doll in the mail today .” She said , deciding to change the subject .
“ Yeah ?” her sister said , happy to be talking about something else .
“ Yes , she ’ s beautiful , she looks …”
“ What ?” Paige asked as she noticed her sister had stopped talking .
“ She looks a lot like the ones mom used to get us when we were little girls , only this one is taller .”
“ Who sent it ?” Paige asked as she felt a sensation that was one of fear creeping up the back of her neck ; fear not for herself but for her sister . It was ridiculous she knew , but she couldn ’ t help it .
“ I don ’ t know , there was no name or return address .” Hayden responded .
“ That ’ s weird .” Paige stated , trying to shake off the strange feeling .
Over the next few hours , the girls drank tea and Paige decided to fix dinner . Pretty soon Hayden decided that she ’ d better get back to her own apartment . The driver pulled up to her building fifteen minutes later and Hayden got out . Opening the door to her apartment , she walked to her living room , turned on the light and stopped when she saw the doll . Hayden couldn ’ t help but think that the doll looked like a real human girl standing in the corner . Hayden crossed the living room , far too aware that a pair of eyes were following her .
She walked into the bathroom and jumped into the shower , turning the water as hot as it would go . As she stood under the hot water , Hayden thought back to the conversation she had with her sister about how the doll looked like the ones their mother used to buy them when they were children .
Hayden eventually turned the water off and stepped out of the shower . Wrapping the towel around her , Hayden suddenly froze ; there was laughter coming from the living room ; a way too familiar laugh . Opening the bathroom door , Hayden slowly made her way down the hall toward it .
As she stepped into the room , Hayden ’ s eyes collided with the dolls and a fear so great seized her that she could hardly breathe . The dolls facial features seemed to be changing . Its eyes now were so intense and alive that Hayden felt as if this thing wasn ’ t really a doll at all but something very different , something evil but at the same