Elizabeth Leigh *the poem*

In a quiet town where the sunlight gleams, Lived young Elizabeth, with hopes and dreams. Eleven years old, with grades shining bright, A loving family, her future in sight. With Mary Jane close, just a step away, Their laughter would echo, brightening the day. A forest stood tall, and the lake sparkled clear, Adventures awaited, with nothing to fear. But one fateful day, as she walked from school, Her phone rang with urgency, beneath the cool. “It's Mary!” she thought, but when she answered the call, Only rustling leaves responded, silence fell like a pall. Assuming a prank, she ventured through trees, With spirits high, she moved with ease. Yet whispers grew louder, a haunting refrain, "Mary!” she called, but was met with disdain. Then out of the shadows, a hand touched her shoulder, A scream pierced the air, growing ever bolder. It was trembling Mary, eyes wide with fright, “I didn’t call you! There’s something tonight!” She spoke of strange sounds from the forest's deep heart, But Elizabeth scoffed, playing the part. Yet as they walked home, a chill filled the air, Both girls felt a presence, a weight they could bear. That night Elizabeth tossed, lost in her thoughts, An inkling of dread that wouldn't be caught. What lurked in the shadows, what watched from afar? A whisper, a rustle, beneath the bright stars. In the quiet of night, uncertainty stirred, The forest held secrets, unseen and unheard. As dreams chased the daylight, the fear lingered near, Innocence shaken, hearts gripped by sheer fear. In the stillness of night, Elizabeth lay, Startled from dreams by a noise that would sway, A scraping like nails against windowpane, Home alone, her heart raced, caught in a chain. Her mother worked nights, her dad far away, In mountains where storms had held him at bay. She dismissed it as branches in whispering trees, Yet a dark sense of dread brought her once more to freeze. Then came a knock, loud in the eerie hush, Against the front door, a rising rush. “Stay put,” she thought, “I should not reply,” Yet the silence enveloped, made her wonder why. Then her phone rang sharply, a jolt in her chest, It was Dad, his voice urgent, but something was off, “Why haven’t you opened? Come let me in quick!” But doubt chilled her spine, a cold, echoing tick. “He’s caught a cold, just tired from the climb,” She reasoned through fear, losing track of the time. “Open the door, Elizabeth, now! It’s vital!” The urgency stung, a sharp, haunting recital. With hesitation weighing, she approached the door, Undid all the locks, opened it a crack more, But the night stood empty; her heart raced anew, “Where’s Dad?” she wondered, shadows cold and askew. Now knew she shouldn’t have opened that door, Yet too late it was—what waited her more? A tap on her shoulder, she turned with a fright, And that was the last of her inky black night. In the morning light, June arrived home, To a sight that chilled her, to a place so alone. The door hung broken, the glass shards lay, Her heart raced wildly, what happened today? “Elizabeth!” she called, but silence replied, Only a doll with green eyes, where hope used to hide. A curl of brown hair, so eerily sweet, A haunting reminder of her child’s little feet. The police came swiftly, they searched high and low, With flyers and parties, the community’s glow. Yet hours turned to shadows, and fear gripped her tight, As she clung to the hope that she'd hold her once more tonight. In the silence of evening, with the house filled with dread, A knife in her hand, and thoughts in her head. Then footsteps approached, a voice filled with fright, “June, where’s Elizabeth?”—a question of night. She poured out her worries, her fears spilling fast, “David, she’s missing; I’m terrified, lost!” A doll that seemed strange, a blink caught her eye, “Just the light,” he dismissed, but she wondered why. “What if she was taken? What if she's in pain? What if she fell, and we never see her again?” David held her close, whispered words of pure grace, “We’ll find her, my love; we’ll search every place.” Then a buzz in her pocket, a text from a friend, “Dear June, I’m so sorry—together we'll mend. You’re welcome for dinner, we’ll lighten this storm, Just know that you’re loved, and hope will keep warm.” In the twilight's embrace, June felt a pull, A text from Mary Jane's mom made her heart full. Invited for dinner, she hoped for some peace, Yet the weight of unease would never quite cease. David suggested a visit to neighbors nearby, To seek out the truth ‘neath the darkening sky. As they walked through the shadows, thoughts tangled and spun, The doll, oh that doll—was it hers, or someone’s fun? At the neighbor's, surprise painted their faces, A broken door, a girl lost in dark places. Promises made to watch over the night, But dread filled the air, an instinct to fright. Dinner awaited with Taylor and Sam, June searched for the doll—it seemed lost in a jam. “David, did you move it?” she called with a frown, But silence echoed, as shadows closed down. A tap on her shoulder, she spun around wide, Expecting her husband, instead came a tide. “Who are you talking to?” David laughed, Just a trick of the light, a moment half-draft. Down a trail through the woods, headlights aglow, June felt they were watched, a presence in tow. “Is it just in my mind?” she whispered in fear, But David confessed he’d been feeling it near. Then sputtered the engine, the darkness now thick, Their hearts raced in panic, as time felt quite slick. A giggle danced softly through branches above, Sending chills through their spines, void of warmth and of love. From the shadows a figure began to take form, A small, eerie outline—an omen, a storm. The windows rolled down with a sinister ease, As fear wrapped around them like whispers in trees. In the fading light of day, Taylor turned to David, saying, “Has Samuel said a word today? They promised they'd be here, now delaying.” Worry crept into her voice so clear, “Thirty minutes late, I must call June.” But silence answered, nothing near, A sense of dread loomed like the moon. “Something's wrong, I can't just wait, If Elizabeth's in danger, I must know.” Just then, Mary Jane burst in, irate, “MOM! A sight in the woods, you should go!” Breathless, she spoke of the Brownsword’s plight, “Windows down, doors open wide, I felt eyes follow me through the night— We need to see if they’re safe inside!” “No, Mary Jane! You must stay here, If danger lurks, it’s you I fear.” With heavy hearts, they sealed their fate, To check on the Brownswords before it was late. They drove along the winding path, And there stood the car, a haunting sight, As Mary Jane had described on their behalf, A ghostly silence that felt so right. They called out names, but only the breeze, Whispered secrets in the cool twilight air, Then drew them closer with trembling knees, Inside the car, dolls sat, stark and bare. Three likenesses of those they loved most, Elizabeth, June, and David’s face, Whispers of dread, a chilling ghost, Confirmed their fears in that lonely place. Footsteps echoed, a sudden sound, They turned to find a shadow arose, What they beheld would shift the ground, A fearsome sight that nobody knows. In that moment, hearts raced and twirled, As darkness fell, unraveling their world.