Chapter 5: A Hole in the Ground

With all the other “deads” there was an encouraging message they would usually try to pass onto a loved one among the living. They would sometimes torment Adeline to send messages to their remaining relatives on earth. She would often comply, as she had done with her Kindergarten teacher. And she didn’t mind, as the loved ones were always nearby, so the connection was easy to make. And she was five. Her schedule was not terribly full.

This time, though, there was no loved one nearby. And there was no clear message to deliver. The only thing Adeline felt like doing was playing with the doll. She had the doll stand up in a pretty dress and she made it dance while she held its hands. She sang softly to it and petted its hair. She often repeated the words,

“Penny, I will find you. I will search the earth….”

For days, Adeline combed the doll’s hair, dressed her, bathed her, played with her. She stayed indoors mostly, in the dining room, right near the curio. Adeline had set up quite a little house for Penny, with a bed, a chair, a table, a tub, a box of clothing, some cooking utensils for dolls, and all sorts of little playthings dolls need to live. She had made a fort for herself and her little one by draping large blankets over the dining room table and attaching them over to the curio. They were essentially positioned directly over Sarah’s "grave" in the dining room.

It was here Adeline would read books to the doll and cradle and carry her like she was a real child. Just the way any other little girl would do. But the conversations she had with her doll were a bit unusual, and usually in a whisper.

“I know honey. I know it’s dark down there. I will get you out. Don’t you worry. I’ll find you. I’m coming.”

One day, to her parents’ delight, Adeline decided to take her activities outside. She had primped a little pink bassinet with laced pillows and satin blankets. She wandered around the patio in the backyard, pushing the bassinet on its tiny wheels, singing softly to the doll.

She planted herself down on a bald spot of hard dirt under the acorn tree and layed down her baby things next to her. Her baby began to cry, so she pulled it out of the toy bassinet, held it close to her neck, and rocked it back and forth while she patted its back.

“It’s OK, Penny. Shhhhh. Shhhhh. Shhhhh. It’s OK,” she whispered.

She noticed a little trowel in the dirt nearby and began to carve little shapes and things in the dirt with one hand while she held her baby with the other. As she did so, the baby stopped crying. So she continued to play around in the dirt with the trowel. Maybe she could make a tower. She began to scoop and pack the dirt into a small cup. The soil was moist and packed in nicely and firmly.

Suddenly, she heard a sharp yelp from inside the house. She whipped her head around and fixed her attention toward the house.

Was it mother? Did she hurt herself?

“Mom?”

“Mo-om!”

She heard her mother whimper again.

Adeline dropped the baby, sprung to her feet, and fled inside to see what was wrong. Mother was sitting on the rocking chair in the living room attending to a crossword puzzle with a pleasant look on her face. She had been so pleased to see her daughter playing outside for a change.

Mother glanced up from her work, “Having a nice time outside, Adeline? Would you like me to bring you some snacks out to you on a blanket so you can have a picnic on the grass with your baby?”

Adeline stood there motionless, studying her mother.

"Adeline?"

“Umm...no thanks.”

Adeline slowly turned around and headed back outside, a bit puzzled. She HAD heard her mother whimper. Hadn't she? As she walked past the dining room, she thought she saw a small section of the floor slightly bulge, as if something was underneath, pushing against the carpet, trying to get out. She walked over to inspect and saw nothing, so she headed back outside toward the tree, a bit puzzled.

Her baby began to fuss again, so Adeline picked it up and set it next to her in the dirt as she played with her shovel and cup. She had two really good cup-towers going now, and was onto her third when she felt a panic come over her.

Adeline gasped. “We need to change your clothes, Penny. Or you’ll get all dirty!”

Adeline darted inside to the dining room again to grab a little swimsuit and shorts for her doll. She sorted through the clothing box and found the swimsuit and pulled it up. When she did, her face suddenly grew blank, as if all of the muscles in it had fallen out of her skull and been replaced by steel counterparts, with skin laid over the top.

She delicately dropped the swimsuit back into the box and instead retrieved a beautiful red velvet dress and matching shoes. Adeline selected pretty little ruffled white socks and a red bow perfect for Penny’s yellow hair. She walked outside to the tree, put the fancy clothing on the doll, dressed up her hair, placed her back down on the ground, and returned to digging. Adeline's eyes had a look of stone, in stark contrast to the bright red curls that bounced delicately around her shoulders as she shoveled small scoops of dirt with the garden trowel. She had given up making cup towers now, and was simply digging into the dirt, straight down. It was as if two different forces were pulling on her, one from inside, in the dining room, and one outside, near the tree.

The sound of scraping against wood and dirt jolted her out of her trance. Adeline looked up from the ground to see where the sound was coming from. It stopped the moment she looked up. She went back to digging as she had before. She heard it again. She looked up. It stopped. She resumed digging. It started again. Adeline threw down her little shovel and heaved a sigh.

Adeline had witnessed many strange things in her life, so it was not so much a spook to her as it was an annoyance. She felt she had a goal to accomplish, and this scraping sound was throwing her off. Her little hole was growing in size. She could almost fit a small animal inside. A squirrel maybe? A puppy? Pretty soon she might even be able to fit her own baby in there! She could make a little bed for her with soft blankets and sing to her while she lay her to rest, forever.

But the scraping sound kept disrupting her concentration. And the doll started to cry again. Adeline gave up, grabbed her doll, and stormed inside. It was getting late. Mother had Adeline gather her doll toys outside and come in for dinner and a bath.

Adeline laid her head down on the pillow and pulled the covers up with Penny in her arms. She whispered, “Don’t worry, Penny. I’ll find you. I know you’re cold! I'll bring you a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. I promise I’ll hurry. ”

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Join STEEMTOPIA for free steemit coaching