Дмитрий Леонтьев – Terrible (страница 8)

Christina was standing before the sink crying.

“What’s happened, Christina?” Charlie asked again, came closer to Christina and gave her a hug.

“Christina! What is wrong?” Emma also asked.

Christina was still sobbing when her brother Danny, who had also heard that something had happened in the bathroom, went in. He decided to see what was wrong.

“Christina,” Danny called his sister.

At last, through her tears, Christina muttered, “I feel pity for my Lucy.”

“Why?”Charlie asked stroking her hair.

“Why did somebody bury her under the ground?” she asked sobbing. “She is so beautiful and so young,” she added.

At that moment Emma and Charlie looked at each other.

“Well,” Charlie responded. “We really don’t know who could have done that. And, in my opinion, that was an awful thing to do,” he added and looked at Emma.

“Charlie!” Emma spoke. “I told you that we shouldn’t have opened that box in front of the children,” she said anxiously. “You see what we are having to deal with right now?”

Charlie knelt down next to Christina who was still weeping.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Maybe it is unpleasant and a little scary to know what had happened to Lucy but your doll definitely had a bit of luck.”

“What luck?” wept Christina.

“The luck that it is now in good hands and her new owner won’t leave it and will always be there for her,” Charlie answered and waited for Christina’s reaction.

“Really?” Christina asked.

“Yes! I am pretty sure,” Charlie said happily. “I know that you will be the best owner for this doll!” he added and stroked the doll.

Right then, Christina stopped crying, wiped off her tears and looked at her father with happy eyes.

“I will never leave you, my Lucy,” Christina promised the doll. “Never!” she added and kissed it.

At that moment, Danny came up to Christina and gave her a hug. He loved his sister very much and was upset that she had been crying.

Looking at the picture of the sibling love, Emma’s eyes filled with tears.

“Enough,” Charlie said. “Everything is okay,” he added. “Danny, Christina! Now you have your own rooms!”

“Yippee!” Christina shouted.

“Hooray!” Danny joined her.

“Yippee and hooray!” Charlie joined the choir and all of them exited the bathroom laughing merrily.

After a short while they were already in the kitchen having dinner.

• • • • • •

“Mmmm, this is delicious!” Charlie mumbled putting another piece of meat in his mouth. “You are a brilliant chef,” he added and looked at Emma.

The whole family was enjoying the meal. Charlie had time to change his clothes and was now swearing a white T-shirt. Danny was sitting and eating looking pleased and Christina was eating holding her doll.

“Oh! I am flattered!” Emma replied to the compliment.

“No! no! I really mean it. The meat is wonderful… deserves the highest praise possible!” he uttered.

“Well,” Emma spoke. “What is your plan for tomorrow?” she addressed Charlie.

“So, today is Wednesday,” he said, “Tomorrow I shall begin work and this is a little sad because I was hoping to stay home till the rest of the week to have more time to get used to the place, you know,” he explained and put another piece of meat in the mouth.

“Yes, that would be great,” Emma agreed. “As for me, tomorrow I am planning to clean downstairs and if I have some free time, I am going to start planning design for my garden,” she continued.

“Kids,” Emma turned to the children, sipping her tea. “You should get as much sleep as you can. Use the opportunity while it’s still summer. School will start in three weeks and you’ll have to get up early and work hard again.”

“I want to sleep with Christina in her room,” Danny said.

“Nooo!” Christina vigorously objected. “No way! Why?”

“I am scared of cockroaches in my room,” Danny answered.

“You can still swap your rooms if you want. It is still not late to do,” Charlie suggested.

“No,” Christina objected to that idea as well. “Lucy and I are not eager to sleep neat to cockroaches,” she added.

“There was only one cockroach that we spotted,” Emma pointed out. “Only one.”

“That’s right. When I was cleaning the rooms, I didn’t see any more insects,” Charlie confirmed.

“Ok”, Emma had an idea. “Christina, please share your room with Danny one more night. I think it will be safer, I’m still a little apprehensive about the house. I think we need some more time to get used to it. But you will sleep on different beds,” she said. “Charlie, put Danny’s bed to Christina’s room, will you?”

“No problem,” Charlie replied.

“But Lucy doesn’t want it,” Christina butted in.

“Hah!” Emma exclaimed. “How do you know that?” she asked.

“She whispered to me,” Christina answered. “She can speak.”

“Oh, Christina! You have a wild imagination,” Emma told her and patted her on the head.

• • • • • •

“Good night,” Emma said and kissed Christina.

After that she came up to Danny and also gave him a goodnight kiss.

“Good night,” both children replied.

“Have sweet dreams,” Charlie, who was also in the room, wished them.

As agreed upon earlier, Danny and Christina were sharing the room but sleeping on different beds. Danny’s bed stood near the window and Christina’s in the far corner.

Christina didn’t let go of her doll and, of course, was going to sleep next to her.

Emma stroked the doll’s head and asked it, “Keep an eye on them.” Then, with a smile, she walked to the bedroom door.

When Emma was already standing at the doorstep next to Charlie, she turned around and said again, “Have sweet dreams!” After that Charlie switched off the light and they went out closing the door behind them.

Christina turned on her left side facing away from Danny and started falling asleep.

Lucy was sitting on her bed looking right at Danny. He could clearly see its face because the light from the moon penetrated into their room shedding some light upon the doll’s face.

Danny was staring at the doll. He got a little scared because the doll stared back at him. Danny could see its almost red hair, moronic smile and big blue eyes.

Danny was ready to close his eyes when suddenly he saw the doll move. At first, Danny couldn’t understand whether it was his imagination or the doll had really shifted to the side. He cautiously raised his head from the pillow and then again noticed how the doll blinked once.

CHAPTER 14

“Have a nice day!” Emma wished her husband and kissed him on the cheek.

Today was the first day at Charlie’s new job. He woke up earlier than usual to better prepare for the day. By 6 am, he had already taken a shower and had a shave. Emma was also up. She felt as if his nervousness had passed on to her. She wanted to do something nice for him to relieve his stress.

While Charlie was taking a shower, Emma was cooking him breakfast. She made a perfect cup of freshly ground coffee and cheese sandwiches.