Ritual for a Restful Sleep

By I.R. Sullen

Before bed each night, little Delaney Moore decapitated her dolls, inspecting the insides of their tiny vinyl heads (to make sure nothing was there) before storing them in a lockbox, which she then placed under a loose floorboard. Their bodies she arranged in the closet under a heavy stack of wool blankets. She shut the creaking door slow, watching the pile for signs of movement.

Satisfied, she reached up to turn off the big light, knowing that the darkness would be eased by a projection of stars overhead.

But she made sure to sleep with her eyes open, just in case.