Chapter Text
“Happy birthday, sweetie!” said a mother to her (possibly) 8 year old daughter. She held in her hands a giant box, wrapped in lovely wrapping paper. It was her daughter’s special day.
“Thank you, Mommy!” said her little girl, hearts in her eyes.
She took the box and happily unwrapped it. The daughter was more than overjoyed—this was something she always wanted, but could never get for one reason or another. The unwrapped present was a doll half her size, with a porcelain finish, mint in its original box. ‘AGGIE’ was written in big fancy letters beneath the cellophane window. Four small circles were printed near the bottom, each with its own blurb: ‘SHE WALKS!’, ‘SHE TALKS!’, ‘SHE DRINKS!’, ‘SHE WETS!’. It was everything the daughter ever wanted in a doll.
“An Aggie!” said the daughter, “How did you know?”
She pulled the doll out of its box. Its weighted eyes fluttered open. On its back was a giant golden key.
“I found her at a vintage store,” said Mom while her daughter set the doll down on the floor.
The daughter wound the key several times, and then the ‘magic’ began. Robotically, Aggie took one step forward, then another one.
“Let’s play house,” said the doll, “I’ll be the baby!”
The daughter giggled happily.
“The clerk said she was happy to get rid of her,” Mommy continued, “Can you believe that? Who doesn’t want Aggie?”
“I LOVE HER!” the daughter happily proclaimed.
As soon as the doll ran out of wind and stopped walking, the daughter picked it up by its tiny arm and ran over to Mommy, giving her a big fat hug.
“This is my best birthday ever!” she said.
“It sure is, my little daffodil,” said Mommy, “It sure is.”
The daughter set Aggie down on the floor again and wound its key. Aggie started walking again.
“Say hi to mommy for me,” said Aggie.
The daughter complied, happily waving to her mother. The mother waved in reply, then sat down on a chair next to a table.
“My little angel,” she said to herself, ”Nothing could possibly ruin this day.”
Six hours later…
It was a completely different story by nightfall. The mother and daughter were crouched in one corner of the living room. They were shivering in fear. There was no escape.
The Aggie doll that seemed happy to belong to a loving family that morning…was now against them. Robotically, it approached the two humans, holding a knife in one of its hands. Not a toy knife, mind you: it was the sharpest one in the house. The doll seemed to be moving on its own: nobody remembers winding its key, and there it was, turning with no sign of slowing down.
“Let’s play sacrifice,” said Aggie, ominously, “I’ll be the executioner!”
“Aggie, I’m sorry!” the daughter cried. She didn’t know why her new doll decided to up and betray her, all of the sudden. She did nothing wrong to it.
“It’s no use,” said Mommy, holding her daughter tightly, “She’s not herself.”
“Say hi to Satan for me!” Aggie said slowly, its voice growing deeper.
Mommy screamed. Her baby cried. Aggie grinned sadistically. Thunder clapped, Lightning struck. Aggie slowly raised the knife, ready to stab, until…