The Vacation.

The B&B web site said it was a house, but the structure that greeted us was more like a cabin if I’m being kind, a shack if I’m honest. We’d come all this way though, pre paid, and by the looks of the closest town, we weren’t going to get much better.

A small sign hung on the door knob. I leaned in to read it: “Wipe your feet!”

I looked at Claire and smiled, “Well, that’s encouraging.”

“Is it though?” She said, without a smile.

I opened the door and stepped inside to a neat, tidy and well appointed interior. The space however, was no bigger than my college dorm room. Claire followed.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Did you wipe your feet?” I said, hoping that some levity would improve the situation.

She ignored me. “There is no way we’re spending a week in this…this coffin!”

“Coffin is a little bit of an exaggeration, but I agree, this isn’t what we paid for.”

“What is that?”

I followed Claire’s eyes to a creepy little doll perched atop a well worn copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes.

The doll was incredibly detailed, and only about two inches tall. It was carved out of wood and had a tiny scarf wrapped around its neck. Its face was grotesque and twisted. I picked it up.

“What are you doing? Put that down. We’re leaving.”

I don’t remember what happened next or who called the police but when I opened my eyes I was in the back of a police car, both my hands covered in blood. Claire was nowhere in sight but on the passenger seat, sealed in an evidence bag was the wooden doll, the scarf still around its neck and a wide grin carved on its face.