The Porcelain Doll.

I looked across the new neighbourhood. A neighbourhood soon too be mine. I could see all the people occupying the other houses outside doing 'gardening' or 'taking out the trash'. It was blatantly obvious that they wanted to take a good look what 'riff raff' was coming into their neighbourhood. It was the same every time.
My parents were constantly on the go, moving from house to house, obviously bringing me along with them. I felt just like another box of stuff to them. They would make the decision to move, they wouldn't ask me, or any of the stuff whether we wanted to go. Why should they? Yeah, boxes of stuff are just stuff they don't need to be asked. I on the other hand do. My parents don't understand how hard it is going to new schools every few months. It's ridiculous, I haven't stayed at one school in my whole life for more than a year, but when I try and explain to my parents they just say;
'Don't be so selfish, Ally. This is a real opportunity for us! We could make the money we need to be stable and be able to stay in one place. After all, that's what you want, isn't it?"
It was what I wanted. EXACTLY what I wanted. Too be able too stay in a place for more than just a few months. Not being able to keep a best friend, not being able to keep the same teachers. Not being able to keep the same neighbours. Sometimes I wished my parents understood how hard it is for me. To them they just think moving is perfectly fine, they think that I'll make new friends. I don't always make friends, one school I went too all the children made fun of me simply because of what my parents do for a living.
Oh, did I mention what they do? What makes us move around so much? Well basically, they're Parapsychologists. Basically they're scientists who deal with things that aren't quite yet 'explained' by science, in this case; ghosts.
They study any paranormal activity going on from floating books too 'exorcisms'. Personally I think it's all a load of rubbish, but I wouldn't dare confront my parents about it. A full investigation for some paranormal activities can go on for about 1-5 months. They vary as some spirits or ghosts 'just don't want to go into the light'. I just wished this one would be short, I didn't like the look of this neighbourhood. Then again, my parents were talking about settling down? It's what I'd always wanted... But this place gave me goosebumps.
"Right this is our new home! House number 13!" My dad exclaimed, turning into the driveway.
"Number 13? Typical. Unlucky number..." I mumbled, but my mother heard me.
"Don't be so negative, Ally. We've talked about this," She said sharply. I didn't say another word. I examined the house, it looked old but quite nice. It was a Victorian house, probably with lots of history, which always interested me.
"Right let's get unpacking!" My mother said hopping out of the car. We all got out and unloaded the boot of our car, taking a box each and walking into our new home.
********
Later on, we had unpacked all the things for downstairs. We had decided to do downstairs first then unpack all the things for upstairs. So we all grabbed a box for our bedrooms and went upstairs.
"This is mine and your mothers room, Ally. You can pick which ever other one you want," My father said heading into the biggest bedroom in the house.
There were only 2 other bedrooms, so I chose a random one, as they were both around the same size. I walked in and saw that a bed had already been put in by the people we hired too help us move all the heavy things. I put down a box by the bed and saw something from the corner of my eye.
In the corner of the bedroom was a little porcelain doll. She was beautiful with blue eyes, lovely dark brown hair, rosy red lips and cheeks. Her mini-doll clothes were Victorian, just like the house and I guessed this must of belonged to a girl who lived here before us. The only thing that was imperfect about this pretty doll was that she had a crack right down her face, going diagonally for the right side of her forehead too the left side of her jaw. Yet she was still smiling.
Well, of course she was smiling, she was made that way. I set her onto a shelf that was on the wall already built in and facing your bed. I went back down and started too bring up the rest of my boxes, still thinking about the doll as I did so.
*******
After unpacking everything for my room, my parents decided for a treat for getting it done so quickly they'd order pizza for dinner. I went upstairs whilst we waited for it too arrive and I stared at my new room. It was filled with all my favourite things, but it still didn't feel right. It still felt like it wasn't mine, and that it didn't belong too me. I looked at the wall, looking at weird faded stains and cracks and scratches in the wall.
How weird, I hadn't noticed them before. The stains were faded scarlet red in colour, almost resembling... Blood? Some of the scratches in the wall had streaks of the 'blood' stains with it. It almost looked like someone was trying too escape. Did this room have a lock? I looked at the door handle, and it did have a lock, but it needed a key. I wondered where that key could be.
I was probably overreacting, it was probably just paint or something, and the scratches and cracks that build up over the years from scraping something hard against the wall accidently. This house was Victorian after-all, it probably had a lot of history.
"Ally!" Called my mother, "Pizza's here!" I left my room and went downstairs too the dining table too eat the pizza with my family which was already set out for us all too grab a piece.
"Now, Ally remember what tomorrow is, it's-" He started but I cut him off.
"I know, the first day in hell," I grumbled.
"Now, Ally stop acting so angry and negative all the time, new places should bring interest! Inspiration! It should be making you excited for your first day at your new school," My dads nagging speech was starting to get on his nerves, and before he could say anything else, I quickly inserted something that would hopefully stop his rambling.
"Sorry dad, I know I should be nice and more positive," My dad patted me on the head.
"Good girl, now eat up. It's been a long day and this food should give you some energy!"
My mother and father meant well, but they don't understand a thing about my life, I wish they would.
My father was a tall, lean man with brown hair, that was always gelled back, and he wore glasses with a thick black frame around them. My mother was average-small in height, slim with very light brown wavy hair that came below her shoulder. They always seemed like a perfect pair to me, always seemed like they were so in love.
After finishing my pizza, I returned up too my room. I decided too read a book that was on my shelf I randomly took it without even looking at the title, next too the porcelain doll still sitting there as pretty as ever. I took the book down and jumped onto my bed and started reading it. It was a 'horror' type story. It was about a ghosts and stuff. Must have been one of my parents' book. Though, it was rather intriguing. The more I read, the more I was sucked into the story line, almost as if I was there in the story. As if I was the main character looking around the empty rooms. It wasn't until I heard a loud shout from downstairs that I jumped and was put back into reality.
"Ally!" My parents shouted in unison. They sounded slightly irritated, what had I done now? I quickly put the book down on my side table of the bed and ran down the stairs, stumbling and almost tripping at one point.
"Yes?" I shouted back at them, just as I reached the last step and saw them by the door with their coats on.
"We're going out, I know it's the first night in a strange neighbourhood but we have to go. It's-" My mother started apologetically.
"Work, right?" I said disappointedly, I had nothing too do and I was going to be in a strange house in a weird neighbourhood and they were going too leave me here. Great.
"We're sorry, honey," She replied.
"We'll be back soon, promise. We won't stay away all night," My dad said, opening the front door.
"Don't forget too lock the door behind us. Don't stay up too late sweety," My mother said, gripping me into a tight hug and kissing me on the top of my head. "We love you and will miss you," She let go of me and they left. I shouted goodbye after them and they turned around and waved then carried on, opening the car and the lights flashed. I closed the door, locked it and ran upstairs. On my way up, I noticed a door. It looked old and had lots of cracks in it. I tried opening the door, and it squeaked open.
What was up there? I stared into the darkness, all I could see was a set of stairs. It looked rather scary, and I didn't really want to go up, but curiosity got the better of me. I went up into what I could only assume was attic. I slid my hands up on the wall whilst I went up too look for a light switch, and luckily on the last step I found it and switched it on. The light shone through the room which was filled with dust particles and old furniture covered in cobwebs or old white sheets. I stepped up into the attic ready too explore.