Penny

Little fingers push open a tall door, and a pair of blue eyes peek into the room. The girl knew she shouldn’t be in her dad’s office, but she was a curious child and wanted to grow up and do important adult things, just like he did. She grinned and stepped fully into the space, making sure to be so, so quiet – like a spy from one of her cartoons.

Only after walking around the room and fiddling with some books on the bottom shelves of the bookcases did she move her attention to the closet. Opening the door with some gusto, she excitedly looked for any new treasures hidden within.

A flash of pink caught her eye, and to her delight, she found a cute little doll! Her birthday was in a week, so it just had to be her present! It had hair just like her mommy’s, with streaks of both brown and blond – and it had freckles like she did! She cooed; she just loved them! They looked just like shooting stars the way they arched over the doll’s face. Hers were just boring in comparison.

“Ladies, I’m home!” came a deep singsong voice from down the stairs.

The girl jumped up and ran to her room, tucking her new friend gently under the covers before racing off to welcome home her Daddy. She saw him waiting by the stairs and hurtled down, throwing herself up and into her father’s open arms. He swung her around in a circle while she squealed in delight.

He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead before setting her down, ruffling her hair. “Were you good today, sweetheart? How much have you grown today – are you still Daddy’s little girl?”

She nodded quickly. “Uh-huh, uh-huh!”

Just then, her mother walked over from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish rag. “Dinner’s almost ready,” she said, looking over them fondly.

The next morning, the girl woke up early, with the sun. She rubbed her eyes, then reached under her pillow, pulling out the doll. Holding it close, she took a deep breath.

“I know!” she whispered. “I’ll call you Penny.”

She twirled around with the doll, letting out a giggle before deciding Penny needed breakfast too. Holding her carefully, she padded downstairs, her socks muffling her steps.

Her father’s car wasn’t outside. He must have left early for work.

In the kitchen, her mother sat at the table, staring at the phone in her hands. There was a coffee cup in front of her, but she wasn’t drinking it.

“Mommy, look!” The girl held up her doll. “I named her! She’s Penny!”

Her mother didn’t look up at first. “That’s nice, Lily sweetie,” she murmured. Then, as if something registered a second too late, she blinked and lifted her head. The moment her eyes landed on the doll; her half-smile froze on her lips. The color drained from her face.

Lily tensed, glancing down at Penny. Was she in big trouble?

“Where…” Her mother’s voice came out shaky. “Where did you get that?”

“In Daddy’s office!” she chirped. “In the closet. She’s my birthday present!”

Her mother stood up so fast the chair screeched against the floor.

She walked over and crouched in front of her daughter, trembling hands reaching out. “Sweetheart, can… can Mommy see Penny for a second?”

Lily hesitated. She didn’t want Penny to be taken away from her. But this was her Mommy, so she nodded her head and handed her over. The moment the doll left her hands, her mother let out a choked noise. Her mother’s fingers traced the doll’s hair and face, shaking violently as they passed over the ‘freckles,’ smearing some clean off Penny’s forehead.

She dropped Penny when her knees gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. With trembling fingers, she pulled her phone out and quickly dialed 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

Lily clutched the hem of her pajama shirt, watching as her mother sucked in a shuddering breath.

“My husband,” she whispered. “I think—I think he killed our daughter.”

Lily’s world tilted.

She shook her head. “But, Mommy,” she whispered. “I’m right here.”

Her mother turned to her, eyes red and wet, and the look she gave her made her go silent.

She picked Penny up from the ground and squeezed her tight while her Mommy kept speaking, letting the words wash over her. They spoke for a long, long time, and she was getting hungry. Just as she worked up the courage to interrupt Mommy and ask for some apple slices, someone knocked on the door.

The police had come fast. Flashing lights. She scooted towards the adults having a conversation, but she could hardly understand what was going on.

“Are you sure this was the doll Rose had when she was kidnapped?”

“Of course I’m sure!” her Mommy snapped, “It’s in the picture we took of our family the day it happened; I keep it in my drawer, I see it daily! And the damn thing has got blood all over it!

She must’ve made a noise, because the man and her Mommy both looked at her and stopped talking.

She looked down at her feet and said in a small voice, “Mommy I’m hungry.”

They told her that her Mommy was busy, and so another kind looking man came and took her to the kitchen to get some food.

Her Daddy was locked away just hours later.

Excerpt

It didn’t even take them the rest of the day to find more evidence to what her mother had feared.

They found a crawl space. Remains laying haphazardly in the corner. Photographs, writings. His rational for doing it, his drive to keep both his daughters pure forever. His plans to have Lily finally meet her older sister.