The sounds of the storm began to fade away as Jesse slipped further off to sleep. Suddenly her eyes shot wide open, she rolled over and stared blankly at the red, glowing face of her alarm clock.
"2am, I've only been asleep for 2 hours." She thought.
Jesse was excited about today. Today was her birthday. She would be 13 and couldn't wait for her party. Dwelling in her excitment, Jesse drifted off to sleep once agian.
The sun slowly crept into her room, warming everything it touched. Jesse woke up, stretched out over her bed and smiled. She climbed out of bed and made her way to the window. Last nights storm still left its presence on the soft ground below. Through her window, she could see life beginning to stir in this small Colorado town.
Jesse dressed for the day and headed downstairs. She strolled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Inside was a present addressed to Jesse, from her parents. She smiled and took out the gift, carefully placing it on the counter, she peeled back the wrapping paper to expose a beautiful redwood box. Various hand carved designs bordered the old box and the clasp that locked on the lid was decorated with a single red rose. Jesse carefully lifted the lid and peeked inside. There laid the most beautiful porcelain doll she had ever seen. The doll was dressed in a black victorian lace gown, her hair was a deep red that flowed to her waist. Her face was breathtaking, but the dolls eyes were what caught Jesse, for something so beautiful, they seemed so odd. A blackened set of eyes stared back at her.
"Happy birthday, Jess." said her Dad coming into the kitchen.
"Thanks dad. I love the doll." Jesse turned around and gave her Dad a hug.
"Good, Im glad." Her Dad replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Whats with the eyes, though? They dont exactly go with the doll." Jesse asked, grabbing the orange juice.
"I dont know," her father stated, examining the doll. "You'll have to ask your mother, see the doll was given to your great-great grandmother on her side of the family. It was passed down from there, and well, you know, your mom's side of the family is a little weird anyway."
"I heard that." Her mom said entering the kitchen. "Her name is Melissa, and she is very old, so take good care of her. I don't know about the eyes either, they have always been like that."
A sudden feeling of unrest came over Jesse as she stood staring at the dolls unholy eyes.
A few nights later Jesse was lying in bed, beginning to doze off, when a loud crack of thunder shattered the silence. A flash of light lit up her room, causing the shadows to jump. Jesse rolled onto her side and pulled the blankets up over her head. Her eyes gazed out from under the covers, watching the rain drops pelt her window. Slowly her eyes drifted towards her desk, fixing themselves on a dark image of Melissa.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierced the night sky, and in that moment she thought she had seen Melissa staring back at her. The sight terrified Jesse, she jumped out of bed and flipped on the light switch.
"Sorry Melissa, but I'm putting you in the downstairs closet, for now."
Jesse climbed back into her bed and pulled the covers up tight, A few moments later she heard a loud thud, that seemed to make her soul jump out of her body. Jesse strained to hear the muffled noises from outside her bedroom. A brief dragging, then a scurrying like little footsteps across the floor. Jesse moved to the foot of her bed, gently pushed open the door and intently listened to the noise.
A soft voice called up to her from the downstairs darkness.
"Im on the first step, Jesse."
Jesse wrenched back startled, she could hear the footsteps running back to their place of hiding.
Jesse did'nt sleep at all that night, but laid almost paralyzed in fear until the morning sun had risen. She tried to tell her parents what had happedned, but they passed it off as "just a dream". Jesse checked on Melissa, but she was right were she had left her.
The following night Jesse fought agianst sleeping but eventually dozed off. Soon the voice gently woke her.
"Jeeeesssseeee, Im on the sixth step."
Jesse began crying as she heard the footsteps race back to its sanctuary. Jesse's only thought was of Melissa. She couldn't focus on her school work, only on Melissa...If Melissa was climbing the stairs 5 steps at a time, then Melissa would have one more night.
That night Jesse shut her bedroom door, her mother, not noticing the door closed, shut off the stairwell light and headed off to bed. Just as Jesse began to fall asleep, she heard the noise, and then the voice.
"Jeeeeessssseeeee........Im on the top step. Im coming for you. I want a hug, Jesse."
Jesse felt her heart pounding, terrified she pulled the covers over her head. As she laid there in complete darkness, Jesse could hear a soft scratching at her door. She sprang from her bed, yanked open the door and headed towards the stairs. Jesse froze. In front of her parents open, bedroom door stood Melissa. Melissa slowly turned around, holding a decapitated head of her mother. Jesse shrieked.
Jesse's parents awoke with a start. They raced out of the room, there they found her body at the bottom of the stairs. The police assumed she had accidentally fallen down the stairs in the dark and broke her neck. Melissa, the favorite family doll, was found beside her body................................smiling.
