4 when a star exploded and sent its powerful fragments showering through the atmosphere One tiny spark fell through a hole in the roof and landed on the doll’s forehead It sank through the fragile plastic she had been one of the first to be made in that marvelous new material and deep within the empty eye sockets old memo ries flickered into life
The doll awoke What a sleep So many dreams how refreshing She jumped up and spun around light as the stardust she now was 5 The house was dark Where was everybody Where was her little girl The doll wanted to share the dreams she’d had of flowers and picnics and tea parties with her The rooms smelled cold and damp and lonely The furniture was gone The wallpaper hung in strips off the walls How long had she slept The doll went upstairs The bedrooms were empty No beds no curtains no toys What had happened The doll flitted from room to room In Lucy’s room there was still the old wardrobe with its heavy mirror The doll approached slowly a suspicion had been growing in her The wardrobe was bare and there was not a sign that a little girl had once used it No party dresses hats shoes or pink hair ribbons
6 The long mirror was dark reflecting back the cobwebs and the dim corners of the room The doll stood before it and gasped She was different She was white and shining Her legs had disappeared and her body was transparent She’d become a ghost Crystal tears streamed down her pale cheeks and she crumpled to the floor like an old tissue How had this happened Why had she been left behind And why was she awake now Then she heard it Ever so quietly something was walking around down stairs Ghost Doll sprang from the floor and dashed to the top of the steps She was floating Zooming No feet no legs and she could go fast and as silent as the dead She couldn’t help giggling it was quite fun Ghost Doll peered over the rickety banister Perhaps her girl had come back for her after all She’d come back to find her special doll and take her to a new house But there was no little girl standing in the room below At first Ghost Doll couldn’t see anyone there Then she heard the faint noise again a slight movement a gentle breath In the far corner where she herself had been lying for so long now lay a mangy black cat Just a cat thought Ghost Doll disappointedly Looking for shelter perhaps It certainly hadn’t belonged to the family Mother
7 had been allergic to animals so there’d never been one in the house Nasty dirty things Father had said Ghost Doll had been inclined to agree with him but she remembered how her little Lucy had wanted a pet so much With that thought in mind Ghost Doll silently drifted down the stairs The cat was busy cleaning its leg Drops of something dark fell to the floor blood Ghost Doll felt a pang of sympathy for the cat It was hurt Kitty kitty she called The cat whirled around in a blur of black fur and sharp claws Ghost Doll crept closer Kitty kitty she called again It’s all right I won’t hurt you
