2013

"...And now, it's time to play." Chucky announced, exciting Alice Pierce. It had been a few weeks since her aunt Nica had been found guilty for the murder of her parents, and Alice was forced to stay with her only living relative, her grandmother. Luckily for her, the gift that her grandma Sarah supposedly gave her, a doll that could somehow move and talk. Now, it seemed that the doll had found her, right in the nick of time, since she was beginning to feel depressed over the loss of her mother, father, and nanny, all in one night.

"Hide and seek?" Alice asked happily.

"Hide the soul." Chucky corrected. "And guess what? You're it."

"Why do I always have to be it?" Alice complained, getting bored of the constant role.

"Because you're somebody that no one would ever suspect." Chucky explained mysteriously. "Now, close your eyes…" Alice did so, and Chucky began whispering some sort of chant in a strange tongue.

"Ade due Damballa." Alice could hear Chucky whispering, but chose not to open her eyes, thinking it was just part of the game. "Give me the power I beg of you…" Alice kept her eyes closed throughout the incantation but opened them slightly once he finished. Hearing a loud gasp, Alice turned around, seeing her grandmother emerge from the cellar, with a plastic bag on her face.

"Why the fuck didn't it work?" Chucky asked, surprised.

"Alice, get out of here!" The grandmother called out, attempting to take the plastic bag off. "Run!"

"Grandma!" Alice cried out, before turning to Chucky. "Did you do this to her, Chucky?"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Chucky yelled, taking out a large knife. "I'll come back for you later." Chucky smacked the girl in the face, knocking her to the ground and momentarily unconscious. A few seconds later, Alice opened her eyes, brushing her hair out of her face and seeing Chucky on top of her grandmother, stabbing her repeatedly in the chest and back. At that moment, the realization hit her: Nica didn't kill her mother, father, or Jill. It was all Chucky, from the very beginning.

"I'm sorry, Aunty Nica." Alice whispered, as tears ran down her face. "I'm sorry we didn't believe you." As Chucky repeatedly stabbed her last living relative, Alice silently got up, grabbing her backpack and leaving the house while Chucky was occupied. The young girl ran down the sidewalk, not knowing where she was going, and at this point, she didn't care, as long as she could get away from the monster that pretended to be her friend. Alice wasn't looking where she was going, and pretty soon, she was almost hit by a car in the street. The car, a sleek black convertible, screeched to a halt, and the driver got out.

"Holy shit! Are you alright?" The driver asked, running out.

"No." Alice cried. "My grandmother is dead!"

"Kid, hold on." The man said, kneeling down to meet her eyes. "What happened?"

"Chucky killed them!" Alice replied, pointing behind her. "He also killed my mommy and daddy!" The man looked at her with an expression of confusion, mixed with disgust.

"This your idea of a joke?" The man asked, his mouth forming a grimace.

"No, Chucky killed them!" Alice insisted.

"Sure." The man rolled his eyes, before taking out his phone. "Look, I'll stay here with you until the cops get here. Maybe you can tell your story to them."

About an hour later, Alice found herself sitting in one of those interrogation rooms she always saw in cop shows, sitting across from a police officer and drinking a hot cup of cocoa.

"So, let me get this straight-" The cop started, rubbing her temples. "You came home, dropped your stuff off by the door, and found your doll on the table, sitting upright and talking to you?"

"Yes, and he told me to close his eyes because he wanted to play 'hide the soul'!" Alice continued. "Then he started saying something, and I saw my grandma with a bag over her head. Chucky got mad, so he hit me, and he started stabbing grandma!"

"Kid, you know Chucky's not real, right?" The officer asked. "I've heard of five different cases around the country, all claiming a doll just got up and began killing people."

"But Chucky is real!" Alice said.

"And I'm guessing he told you his real name is Charles Lee Ray, who has been dead for twenty five years?" The cop yawned.

"Who's Charles Lee Ray?" Alice asked, frowning. She was met by a frown from the cop as well. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because children like you always claim your toys are alive." The officer told her in a condescending manner. "And you're starting to sound like a kid named Andy Barclay…"

"Who's Andy Barclay?" Alice asked.

"Barclay was one messed up kid." The cop informed. "Twenty five years ago, he claimed his doll was Charles Lee Ray, and went on a killing spree way over in Chicago. Look kid, do you have any relatives at all?"

"No, Chucky killed them all…" Alice looked at the table.

"Okay, enough of this crap." The cop declared, standing up. "Since you don't have relatives, aside from the one in the looney bin, you'll have to be put into foster care." Alice clenched her teeth, knowing that arguing would get her nowhere, and followed the police officer out of the department.

One way or another, I will help you, Aunty Nica. Alice promised to herself. You tried to save me. Now, it's my turn to save you. But Alice couldn't help her aunt just yet. First, she needed to find all she could about Chucky, who he had killed over the years, and who survived and got away. Starting with Andy Barclay…