I've watched too many Twilight Zones in my lifetime.

Several years ago, my great-aunt took up painting porcelain dolls, fixing their hair and making clothes for them. All of her creations are beautiful and probably worth a great deal, considering how much work went into them.

So anyway, although I was expecting nothing from her estate, my cousin asked me if I wanted any of the dolls my Aunt Margaret had made. At first, I said no, convinced they weren't my style, whatever I chose would end up in a box in my closet, why deprive someone else who would get more joy out of them? But as the weekend progressed and I had to sleep in a room surrounded by them, I began to think that maybe it would be nice to have a keepsake, something to remember my aunt by.

So I packed up what I thought was the prettiest (and least lacy and floofy) of the lot this morning and began my trek to the Bay area. On the way, I had to stop for gas and the kid who washed my window started asking me questions about my passenger (I had her seat-belted in for safety ... and maybe an extra "passenger" to help along in the carpool lanes). He made the comment that dolls like these and clowns freaked him out. It wasn't till after talking to him that I realized that dolls like these can be a little freaky, especially for those of us raised on a steady diet of "what-if" tv programs, showing terrifying visions of inanimate objects come to life to bring fear into the lives of their unsupecting owners.

I brought her into the house tonight, and spent about 5 minutes getting her dress organized and her hair set just right ... and I kept waiting for her eyes to blink, her head to turn to watch me pass, or her lips to move ... I even imagined what her voice would sound like and what she would say.

I am now thoroughly freaked out and I dread every time I have to walk by her. I'm going to find a big box for her and she's going to find a permanent spot in the closet. And I know that I'll still think about her trying to get out of there. *shiver* Damn my overactive imagination.

I watched waaaaaay too much Twilight Zone as a kid.