Little Paranoias by Sonora Taylor

Author:Sonora Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sonora Taylor
Published: 2019-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Hollow

Mrs. Sassafras was Lindsay’s favorite doll. Lindsay had spotted Mrs. Sassafras at the church rummage sale, her porcelain cheeks dull and her linen dress yellowed. But it was her eyes that drew Lindsay in. Their irises were gone, perhaps faded with time.

Wherever they’d gone, Lindsay didn’t care. She wanted the doll, and once her mother bought Mrs. Sassafras, she became her favorite.

Lindsay liked that Mrs. Sassafras couldn’t look at her. Her mother often looked at her with a sigh; her teachers with frustration as she answered questions wrong; her classmates with mocking laughter as they asked why she was so quiet. Her cousin Bethany, who was her age and also in her class, was the worst. She always picked on her, both at home and at school. She pretended she wasn’t Lindsay’s cousin when she was around her friends, but being related gave Bethany so much more to tease her about.

The teasing and laughter were too much to bear, but Mrs. Sassafras made it better. Lindsay would hug her close when things got bad, when her usual sadness instead became an overwhelming darkness that clouded her mind. Mrs. Sassafras didn’t care if Lindsay emanated darkness. Mrs. Sassafras couldn’t see her.

Bethany saw her every Sunday, when Aunt Noelle and Uncle Howard would come over for dinner. Bethany was always sent upstairs to play with Lindsay, and she spent that time taking Lindsay’s toys, bragging about how many more friends she had or how her grades were better, or making fun of Lindsay’s outfit.

One Sunday, Bethany’s teasing expanded to Mrs. Sassafras. “What an ugly doll,” Bethany said with a sneer as she picked her up.

“Put her down,” Lindsay said as she sped towards Bethany. She wouldn’t let Bethany ruin Mrs. Sassafras.

“Of course you’d love a doll as ugly as you are.”

“Give her to me!”

Bethany threw Mrs. Sassafras on the ground.

The doll’s face cracked and her arm broke off. The arm lay on the floor, its end in jagged shards.

Lindsay dropped to her knees and picked up the arm, blinking back tears.

“You’re crying over a doll?” Bethany laughed. It was the ugliest sound Lindsay had ever heard. She wanted it to end. She knew how to end it.

Lindsay stood up and smacked Bethany across the face with Mrs. Sassafras’ arm.

Bethany fell down, her eyes wide in both shock and pain. Lindsay was ignited by Bethany’s fear. She struck Bethany again, then again.

Bethany’s cheek began to bleed, and her cries grew less with every blow.

Lindsay dealt one final, deep blow to Bethany’s head. Blood trickled from the cuts on Bethany’s face, and she lay still.

Lindsay dropped the arm and picked up Mrs. Sassafras. Blood smattered her cracked porcelain cheeks, and she stared at Lindsay with hollow eyes. She smiled at their emptiness.

She closed her eyes and brought Mrs. Sassafras’ cheek to hers, whispering, “I love you.”

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