The necklace

“Time for school-work!”

She was called

She ran back to her house

Up the steps, tracking in dirt from the fun recently had

The voice that called to her had busied themselves elsewhere

Well then

Time for school-work

Eager to return to the adventured to be had in the front yard

She sat at the table, like every day, 

Repeating the words she had yet to remember

Repeating mistakes till corrected

Even focused on the mundane task at hand

Such an innocent soul

Yet to realize the reality of the world

What lurks in it

What a beautiful thing, to only have play on the mind

“Let’s play”

Someone called

Something called

She turned to the doorway where the like-minded voice originated

It was cute

Rabbit faced

But its body was a poor impression of mans

Shadowy and stout

It looked like a costumed toddler

“Let’s play” 

It insisted, this time running inside to join her

An audible sense of doom emitted from it

It handed her a rope giggling

“Please play with me”

The idea of school-work left her mind

She liked rabbits, she liked playing

It was a delightful idea

“Okay!” she said eagerly

The doom got louder.

She couldn’t hear.

“What are we gonna play?”

She asked

It stepped up on the table.

Propped her up to stand on her chair.

“Let’s make a necklace!”

It smiled,

 the cartoonish smile painted on its face widened to a point where it seemed unholy

The air seemed to darken around it as it tied the rope

Its eyes were still eerily bright

Stealing glances at her neck as it made a perfect fit for her

She was giggling, Jumping even

To have a necklace of your own,

One made just for you, it must be thrilling

Its smile looked human and warm 

The gesture itself concealed its growing pupils

They way its mask and suit looked melded into itself,

 as if it weren’t a costume but its body

They way it was uncommon and maybe tacky to have a sturdy rope necklace

Still she had her eager hands outstretched for the necklace

It shook his head

“Up!” it instructed

Sounding even more childlike 

Pointing to the very top of the chair she had been standing on

She struggled to the highest point of the chair

Hands still outstretched for the necklace 

Now being lowered from a light fixture it had thrown it over

On her tippy toes, she put it on

Instantly the inconvenience of a rope necklace had came to her

“Do I look pretty?” She asked 

It stared

Pupils expanded so far its eyes now pools of tar

The smile stretched beyond the edges of its face

Hands clutching the extra rope on the necklace

Maybe she would have noticed how the room clouded

A void like darkness conquered the room

Or how it had been pulling on the noose while she was assessing her discomfort

It wasn’t all bad though

She had her play

Had her necklace

If only it hadn’t left her hanging