Music Box

Mary was alone, playing with her dolls. Then, strangers came to capture Mary. What is she going to do? She woke up, finding blood on the floor. Who's blood is it? Who died?

I like the sound of a music box. It plays the music of my favorite lullaby, my favorite nursery rhyme, London Bridge. A ballerina doll dances around, following the beat of the music. When the music stops, I turned the tuner and play it all over again. I sing it along once, "London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling down, my fair lady." Its my favorite song. And, it was given to my parents on 7th birthday.

So when I played it over and over, the memories came back. Those happy memories were the things that me, mother, daddy shared together. We are one happy family together.

I remember once, twice, and thrice, that I played the music box. When I heard the sound of the open door, I came downstairs and hugged my mother and father. I, for once, didn't let them go. My father carried me up high, and all of us laugh. A thousand times they called my name "Mary...Mary..." And that's why I love my name.

On my 10th birthday, my last night with them, they gave me a doll house set. Inside the house, it has 3 dolls; two adult dolls, and one child doll. Those two adult dolls were like mother and father, and the child doll is me. I love it so much. I gave them a kiss as a thank you. The same night, I placed my doll house on the corner of my wall. And on the same night, I played my music box and all of us sang with it. For once, as a special celebration of my birthday, my parents sang their own version of London Bridge.

"Mary is a pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl. Mary is a pretty girl, our fair daughter"

I just laugh, even though it was embarrassing, but I sang it along with them. It's going to be my favorite song. 

Few days after, mother and father were going to leave for work. I waved them a goodbye, until I watched their car leaving the house gates. I stayed up on my room and played the music box. I played with the dolls, that my parents gave me, pretending that we are a family on a doll house. With my other stuff toys, Mr. Teddy Bear and Mr. Horse, I included them, as our visitors, and we played a tea house party. A lot of times, I play the child doll and I will just imagine the voices of my parents to these adult dolls. It was as if they were in my room. 

"Hi Mr. Teddy, would you like a cup of tea?" I asked Mr. Bear

I moved the head of Mr. Teddy Bear like he was nodding. I poured the toy teapot and pretend like I was pouring a tea on his tea cup. I faced to my other visitor, Mr. Horse, and he was lying down. "Oh, Mr. Horse, are you tired already? Should I pour you a tea to wake you up?". I stood Mr. Horse and poured his tea cup.

I played all day long, and the music box keeps playing all day long. When I hold the music box, I accidentally dropped it. I turned the tuner, hoping it would play. But it didn't work. I started crying and still holding the music box. On my mind I thought, "How would I explain this to mother and father?" I feel guilty for breaking the music box. 

I waited for my parents to come home. I was still holding the music box. I thought that, when they get home, I would explain to them. I waited and waited, sitting on the last staircase, watching the door, waiting for my father to open it. When the door opened, two men came in and approached me. One of them is short, and the other is tall. They both have brunette hair color, facing their bangs to the left side. And they both wear black suits.

"Are you Mary?", the short man knelt down to talk to me.

"Yes", I said.

"Would you like to come with us for a moment? There is something I need to tell you?" 

I remember what my mother told me about not to talk to strangers. I promise not to talk to one if I don't know that person. I don't know that guy, so I said "No". The tall man bend his knees, to easily talked to me, telling me that it's about my parents. One time, two times, I asked them where they were. The first time, they didn't say anything. The second time, the tall man told me that they disappeared. I remember my father telling me that I shouldn't believe what the stranger is talking about. It came to mind, and I had to tell them. 

"I don't believe you", I said. 

Holding unto my music box, the short man was grabbing my arm. I could tell that he was getting frustrated. I shoved him off. But he wouldn't budge. He kept pulling me, I had to use my feet to stick on the ground to slow down. The short man asked the tall man to grab my other arm. When the tall man was about to touch me, I bit his hand and I kicked the knee of the short man. I ran upstairs to my room, and locked the door. I needed to hide somewhere. I slid down under my bed, and hide there until they disappear. 

I heard the door banging, until it broke to open. They directly went inside my room. I saw their feet moving around. I closed my mouth with both of my hands so they won't hear my breathing. I heard them talking, telling me to get out. They opened one of my closets, the bathroom, and checking the windows. 

"Maaarrryyy, come out come out, wherever you are", the tall man said. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to play with you for awhile, don't you want to play with us"

I hold my breath for so long. So scared, I need help. But who can help me when I am alone in the house. I wanted to cry out. But I don't want to get caught. 

When the tall man knelt down, he touched one of dolls in the doll house set. He touched my child doll. "This is a scary doll", he said. The short man became impatient, telling his friend to 'get this over with'. "Okay, okay", the tall man replied. He threw the doll because I knew he wouldn't like it. I was shocked, and so mad deep inside that he threw my doll. The tall man stood up from his place. And both of them left the room together. 

I waited for awhile until it was okay for me to go out. I looked at my doll, that was thrown by the man, I started crying. Tears fell down to my eyes. I couldn't make a sound. If I did, those men might come back. I got out under the bed, ran to the doll and hugged it. "You're okay, thank goodness", I whispered to the doll. I was happy that the condition is okay. But I know it, both of my hands were gripped by two men. Dropping my doll on the floor. I was worried for my doll that I forgot about  these men in my house. 

"L-let me go", I told them. "Please, let me go" 

"Hey, let's get this over with already", the short man said. 

"You can say that again", the tall man agreed. "This is why I hate kids." 

They wouldn't let me go. I pulled myself out of their hands, but it's hard because I'm weak. I wanted to reach out to my dolls. But I turned my head and looked at them until they are out of my sight.

We reached down to the stairs. I was getting scared. My heart was pounding. I was screaming for help. I know that I am alone in this house. But I was hoping that, at least, there is someone who can help me. There was no one else I know, but my parents. "Mother...Father...help me!". I called out to them. Somehow, those two men were laughing. I didn't know why they were laughing. But I have a sense that they were hiding something. I could that they were lying to me. They knew something about my parents.

"I don't think your mommy and daddy will come to save you", the short man said. "They are gone. Gone! Far from this earth."

"No, they're not" 

"A kid like you can't even understand what I'm saying"

I do. I understood what he meant by the word 'gone'. It means that my parents are dead. I cried so hard. 

But I don't care I want them to save me, I thought. 

When they pushed me down, my face was on the ground. I pushed my hand to the ground, so I can sit up. I wanted to stand, but my knees were in pain. And my legs were shaking. "Hey, how about we'll just kill her here?", the tall man suggested. His ally agreed. They planned this all along. They came to my house to kill me. I thought that, they may have also killed my parents. I can hear the gun being loaded with bullets. I didn't turn to see it, I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands.

I don't know how many times I said it, on my mind, I called out my mother and father to save me. I didn't want to die. Though I said it, but what I am going to do since they are gone. 

On my mind, I thought about the sound of a music box. The tune was on my head, it made me feel calm. Then I heard my parents singing the song. Its not the London Bridge is Falling Down, but the Mary is a Pretty Girl. I kept hearing them even though it was on my mind. But it is like they are still alive. Laughing, smiling, being a happy family. And I hugged them like I always do.

But somehow, the tune of the music box sounds different. The way my parents sang it was different to. Other than a happy song, the mood became melancholy. Its not I don't like it, but the way it sounds scares me. 

"Don't worry, Mary", my mother said. "We love you so much"

"You will get use of this song", my father said. "We made it special for you"

They hugged me so tightly. I felt their warmth. I thought that I missed this moment. I missed this kind of moment with my parents. I will cherish it every single moment.

The image became darker, all the sudden. I was scared. But my parents told me to worry. They will be with me, and protect me forever. I trust their words. My heart tells me, never be afraid if my parents are around. I will know, every moment, that my parents are around. 

I woke up. I couldn't think of anything. I don't know if that was a dreaming, or not. I remember there were two men, who were trying to kill me. They told me that they killed my parents. I don't why they did that. But my heart was in pain. There was fear deep in my heart. 

When I came to my senses, the last thing I saw was blood flowing on the floor. A blood stained on my clothes. And I was holding a knife, on my hand, covered with blood on a sharp blade. I didn't know where I get it from. How the knife was on my hand? When I turned around, the two men were lying down on the floor. Their eyes were opened, like they are awake, but they weren't moving. There was cut marks on every part of their body. The huge one was on the short man's body. It slice down from his chest to his waist . While the tall man, his body has two huge cut marks. It formed like an "X" mark; from his right shoulder to his waist, and the other from his chest to his stomach. Another cut on their neck, too.

I didn't remember what happen. I didn't remember that I did this kind of killing. I couldn't think at all. 

The one thing on my mind was the music box. I can hear it. I can hear it from my room. I dropped the blade. I went upstairs. A few steps later, I was in my room. I went to my doll house, I knelt down, looking at my parents doll. I smiled at it. And thank them.

"Thank you mother and father" 

I looked under my bed, there I found my music box. I remember that it won't play. When I turn the tuner, the sound in the music box came out. I was relieved that it can still play. Then I saw my doll on the floor. I picked it up and placed it between mother and father. And the last thing I do was singing the song of the music box. 

"Mary is a pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl. Mary is a pretty girl. Our fair daughter..."

I kept repeating the song. I kept singing and singing. Then, there came the voice of my parents. Now all of us sing the song. Until no one can interfere.

Author's Note

Ignore grammar problems

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