Haunted Love 1
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A Cursed Doll Story
Book One
Tara Venn
by Tara Venn, Copyright 2015. All Rights Reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real events, people, or places is entirely coincidental.
In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author constitute unlawful piracy of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than review purpose), prior written permission must be obtained. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Sandra
Chapter One: Sandra
Chapter Two: Derek
Chapter Three: Sandra
Chapter Four: Sandra
Chapter Five: Dolly
Chapter Six: Sandra
Book Two
Prologue: Sandra
I’m so scared. So, so, scared. I know I should be a strong mother. I always believed I can protect my daughter, Dolly. I’m always ready to do everything to protect her and make her happy. I can sacrifice everything for her, including my life.
But today, I’m not so sure I can protect Dolly. For the first time, I feel so helpless, so uncertain, so frustrated, and so… ashamed… of myself.
That vicious spirit, the mysterious doll, the evil that has found their way to my family, suddenly appears in front of me. She wants to bring Dolly to the eternity of that dark, cold, and miserable world. I want my Dolly back—before she is carried away “happily” by the surging flood.
“Leave us alone…” I yell, grabbing Dolly’s hand tight.
“Mommy?” Kaboom. That spirit, Maya. appears under the rolling thunder. “Mommy? Don’t you love me anymore? I’m Maya. Your daughter.”
What? I have another daughter, Maya? What’s going on? I’m totally confused. I try to open my eyes to see who she really is.
Her green eyes are vicious. Her black teeth are so ugly. Why does this ugly, evil spirit call me “Mommy”? Is she playing a trick on me?
But why do I no longer feel scared? Why do I want to walk over to touch her and… hug her?
“Mommy… it’s the time… to follow me.” Maya is smiling. The green lights from her eyes are shining.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. But I can’t. “Maya? Where are we going?” I ask.
“Please don’t ask, Mommy. Follow me now. Step ahead, and we will be together, forever. Mommy? Please do it now. Now… Now…”
I raise my foot. I’m ready to step forward. I hear the water. What? Maya wants me to step into the water? Why? Isn’t it flooding right ahead me? Why it looks so tempting, so soothing, so inviting?
“Maya?” I look at her.
“Move. Mommy. Move. You need only one step. Move now… Now… Now…” Oh, Maya’s voice is so irresistible. The green lights from her eyes seem so soft, so convincing…
I move forward…
KABOOM!
The lightning strikes again. It sends a huge roll of thunder across the sky. I wake up like from a dream.
I look around. Gosh. I’m in a storm. The thunder lights up the sky like day time. I see water. Everywhere. Nothing else.
Flood! The water is rushing down fast. One step. Only one step more and I will be carried away.
I step back and stare into Maya’s green eyes: “No. I’m not your mommy. Stay away from us.”
“Mommy, you forgot. You… you… really forgot.” Maya begins to cry. Tears run down her cheeks like crystal beads.
“Pain. Pain. Mommy…” She screams. “Fire, fire…” She sounds so desperate.
“Maya?” Suddenly, I feel something emerging in my mind. “Maya?” I reach out with both hands. I want to hug her.
“Leave me alone. Don’t touch me.” Maya yells, stepping back. “I hate you. You…. You killed me. Mommy, I hate you. You’re no longer my mommy. I hate you. Hate you.”
I feel like seeing something. But I’m not sure…
“Tikal. Mommy. Tikal. The rain. The fire. Pain. Ahhh… I hate you. Hate you. Mommy… Pain… Ahhh…” Maya screams and runs around.
“Maya, my daughter…” I cry, looking into the sky. “God, why did you choose us?”
Chapter One: Sandra
The first time I met my husband, Derek, I felt we had been together for a long time.
Well, actually, he met me.
As always, the café is busy. The fact is that college students like to work in the night and early morning—well, that’s another way to say they like to stay late in bed. I’m one of those night owls.
As an art student, I’m always busy. Study is one thing. Designing is the other. I’m so lucky people like my designs. So, that’s actually the way I make money to pay for college. Not bad, isn’t it?
It’s funny, they always associate my designs with Central America and Mexico. They come back again and again for brochures, travel guides, and souvenirs.
“Your designs speak for themselves.” Agacia gave me a big smile.
“Really?” I can’t believe my ears.
“Trust me, Sandra, I have been in this business for over twenty years.”
Of course, I trust Agacia one hundred percent. She’s the owner of a large travel agency with business in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, EI Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and a few other countries in that area.
“Look, I got something new for you this time.” Agacia winks.
“Really?” I am so excited. “You want some new brochures?”
“Nah, I need something more important.” Agacia waves her hands. “I need you help me to do something big. Much bigger.” She grins.
Wow… My heart flies through the roof. I can’t wait to get started.
“What’s that?”
“The website.”
“The website? You have a website already, right?” I’m a bit puzzled. Two months ago, Agacia spent almost an hour showing me her website and told me how great it was. “We paid for it.” She was so excited. Her eyes popped out like ping pong balls.
“Right. But I want to make it better.”
“How much better?”
“As great as you made my brochures.” She can’t stop smiling. “Look, Sandra, everything goes with performance, okay? If you can improve my business with this new website like you did with the brochures, you are going to see a big bonus.”
“Thank you so much, Agacia. I can definitely make it happen.” Wow, I’m going to be recognized big time. It’s not only the money. This special experience will look great on my resume, too.
“When can you get started?” Agacia looks at me, grinning.
“Today?” I’m so excited.
“Good girl.” Agacia holds my hand. “Look, Sandra, I know you’re busy. But, please. The summer season is coming.”
“Sure. I will make sure the new design is ready to boost your summer sales.” I say right away.
“Thank you so much, Sandra.” She pulls out a check from her briefcase and put it in my hand. “This is a small prepayment for you to get started.”
I look at the check and take a deep breath. Wow… It. Is. Not. That. Small. At. All.
Here I go… I made my promise. I have been prepaid. Now I have to deliver.
My day is hectic, for sure. I work unti
l one thirty in the morning to finish my college stuff. I stretch and yawn. Time for bed.
I take a quick shower and then drop into bed. I’m so, so tired. But I can’t sleep at all. Not a single bit. The moment I close my eyes, I see the website I’m going to improve. I see people and places rolling across the website, too.
Funny. That happens again. Each time I design something, I see those people and places. I hear them talking, too. They look and sound so cool. I put them into my design. Bravo. My design brings my client more business.
I know I have to work right away because those amazing views and sounds are going to disappear soon. I jump up and jog down as much as I can. My vine charcoal and pencils fly on my sketchbook.
By the time I go to bed again, it’s almost four o’clock in the morning.
I flip through my sketchbook page by page while chewing my lunch. Everything looks good.
Hmmm, maybe I need something special here… I pick up my 4B pencil.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” It’s a man’s voice.
“Nope.” I raise my head. Then I blush right away. “Derek?”
“Sandra, is that you?” He blushes, too. After a while, he mumbles, “May I take this seat, Sandra?”
“Sure.” My cheeks are all hot. I take a quick look at him and then lower my head right away.
Derek sits down. “Sandra, have we ever met?”
I peek at him. “Not that I know of.” I cover my cheeks with both hands. Gosh. Why are they burning hot?
“Did you say you want a poodle?” Derek looks at me. His voice is so soft.
“Did I?” I murmur. My heart is thumping really hard.
“And you said ‘Dolly’.” he smiles.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Did you tell someone Ikan is a better name?”
“Did I?” I can barely hear my own voice. Yes. I did. Derek. I did everything. In my dreams. With you. You were the someone.
I don’t know what happened. I met Derek in my dreams many times.
We talk. And we… kiss, too. One day, we are taking a walk along the creek. There are flowers everywhere. Yellow, green, and white. Birds are chirping. Bees are humming. The sky is all blue. Everything is so… romantic.
Derek picks up a tiny dandelion.
“Like it?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I smile. He gives it to me. I reach for the flower.
“Will you please marry me?” Derek bends down on one knee, taking my hand in his. The dandelion disappeared. Instead, he is holding a tiny box with shining bits inside.
I’m overjoyed. I want to say yes but my voice is blocked by a lump.
“Sandra, I love you so much. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I promise to respect you and care for you.”
I nod, wiping off my tears with the back of my hand. I know that’s going to mess up my makeup. But I don’t care.
…
The other day, we met in the dream again.
“Derek, do you mind using a new name after our marriage?” I smile.
“Why? I thought only you need to change your last name.” He gives me one sweet kiss. “You can keep your last name, if you want.” he adds.
“I think we both should change names.” I whisper.
“You think so?” Derek is a big surprise. “Sure, why not. So… what would be my new name?”
“Ikan.”
“Ikan? What does that mean?”
“The star.”
“Oh. Great. What would be your new name then?”
“Ichik.”
“I…chi..k?”
“Yeah. You don’t like it?”
“Sure, I like it. That means…”
“The rainbow.”
“So, we are going to be the rainbow and star.” Derek becomes very excited. “Do you have a name for our daughter, too?”
“Why are you so sure we are going to have a daughter?” My cheeks turn red.
“I feel she is coming to join us.” Derek looks at the sky. “Yeah… she is coming…”
“I know.” I mumble. “I know she is coming, too.” I look at the sky. I see a tiny star moving closer and closer to me. “Let’s call her Dolly.”
“Yes. Dolly. What a beautiful name.” Derek murmurs…
These dreams are so sweet, and so real…
“Derek,” I look at him. He is looking into my eyes.
“Do you believe in dreams?” I whisper.
Chapter Two: Derek
Do I believe in dreams? Not before I had these dreams. I met my girl. I married my girl. We were expecting our daughter, Dolly…
How believable can a dream be? Here I see my girl, exactly the same as in the dream. Her voice. And her smiles, too.
“I don’t.” I say. “But I believe in ours.”
“Derek,” Her voice is so sweet, my heart almost melts right away. “Why do you keep telling me we should move back to Tikal. Is it a city somewhere in the States?”
Yeah, right. I did mention Tikal in my dreams several times. But… is it a city, a village, an island… or something? I don’t know. It’s a dream, isn’t it?
“Gosh. Sorry, Sandra, I don’t know.” I scratch my head. I think for a few moments and then ask, “Did you Google it to find out?”
“Oh, right.” Sandra’s eyes rounded. “I’ll do it tonight.”
“Are we going to meet tonight again?” I look at her.
“Derek.” She takes a quick look at me and then lowers her head right way. I know why she acts like that—because now we are doing everything a couple does in our dreams, including… that.
“Can’t we talk about something else?” She whispers.
“Something…” I scratch my head. “Yeah, honestly, this is our first time seeing each other in person, isn’t it?”
“Right.” She looks at me. “Except we know so much about each other already.”
“Not that much.” I grin. “So, you are a student at the college, too?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“What’s your major?”
“Arts. Applied arts. For design.”
“Like… fashion design?” This is only thing I can think of.
“No. Industrial design.”
Wow…, this is exciting. “So, you are going to design cars?”
“That, too,” she smiles. “It can be anything. Like a cellphone or a coffee machine.”
“Awesome…” I look at her sketch book. “So…, you are doing some industrial design now?”
“Not really. This is a website.” She shows me a few pages.
The description is pretty impressive:
Honduras is a tropical paradise with its gorgeous islands, lush rainforests, and picturesque mountains. It offers the best diving and snorkeling opportunities in Central America.
“Wow…”, I look at Sandra. “Did you write all these?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “Look at this.” She shows me another description for a funny sketch:
Ladies: Come into the rainforest and enjoy the free sauna. Shed pounds while you play.
“Wow. Are you sure the rainforest is hot as sauna?” My eyes round.
“Sure. It’s hot and humid. The air is wet. The view is misty. It brings you into a fantasy world right away.” She smiles. “And it definitely works as effectively as a real sauna.”
“Really?” I’m very impressed. “Have you been in a rainforest?”
“Ah… no.” Sandra shakes her head.
“But the description is so real.”
“Yeah. Because I feel it.”
“You mean… you feel you're in a rainforest when you are doing your design?” I can’t believe it.
“Yup. Did I feel it wrong?”
“Nope. Because I have been in rainforests a few times. That’s exactly what I felt—hot and humid.”
“Oh. Real
ly?” Sandra’s eyes widen. “Hey, Derek, you haven’t told me anything about yourself yet.”
“Me? Huh. My major is not exciting at all.”
“What’s that?”
“Meteorology. The weather stuff.” I try to give her a simple explanation.
“So one day you are going to tell people when it’s going to rain, huh?” She winks.
“Probably. But I’m more interested in long-term weather forecast.” The drought. Gosh. That drought. The one turned world upside down. I see the hunger, the fire, and the…
“Derek?” I hear her voice. My mind drifts back to this world. “Huh?”
“Are you okay, Derek?” Her voice is more than concerned. “Derek…” Her hands are trembling.
I hold her hands. “Sandra, it’s okay.”
“No, you know it’s not, Derek. You know it’s not.” Her voice is panicked.