The Evil Eye

         Carol stared around the room with horror but tried her best to hide it.  “I’ve never been here before, have I?”
         “Now you see why, huh?” Perry wouldn’t meet her gaze.  “If I would have had more notice, I would have put them away.”
         “No, really, it’s nice.  I just wasn’t expecting this.”
         “I know a lot of people think that it’s odd, but I think it really helps,” Perry replied, sipping at his green tea.  “With the loss, I mean.”
         Carol forced a smile on her face.  “No, I don’t think it’s odd at all.  Kind of… endearing, actually.”
         Perry’s face lit up.  “I’m glad I finally found someone who feels the same way.  That’s why I like you, Carol.”
         Carol was touched, but she shivered involuntarily at the same time.  What was she getting herself into?  She stood up and pointed at the one closest to her.  “So, what one is this?”
         “That’s Cali.  She was my first.  I still miss her a lot, but she is still right here with me.”  Perry grinned.  “Go on and touch her.  She’s still soft.”
         Terrified, Carol reached out her shaking hand and stroked it.  It wasn’t that bad.  But those two empty eyes stared at her like something unearthly. Carol flinched.  Did they just blink at her?
         “You don’t like it, do you?” Perry frowned.
         “Of course I do,” Carol sputtered.  “I was just kind of shocked by the… beauty of it.”
         Perry’s eyes had a faraway look to them.  “She is pretty, isn’t she?  The markings above the eyes were my favorite.  Kinda reminds you of a raccoon, eh?”
         Carol didn’t want to look near the eyes.  This was all too odd for her liking.
         “She still almost looks alive, doesn’t she?”
         Carol shuddered.  “Yes.  Yes she does.”
         Perry put a hand on her shoulder.  “Shall I introduce you to the others?”
         The young woman swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded nervously.  Perry was a very nice man, and if this was the only thing odd about him, then it wasn’t so bad.  But Carol had a feeling of impending doom rising in the pit of her stomach as he led her to the living room.  She nearly jumped as she looked above the fireplace.
         “I see you’ve met Jack,” Perry smiled.  “We used to hunt a lot together back when I lived in Pennsylvania.  Cute, isn’t he?”
         “Er… He kind of looks like a hunting trophy,” Carol managed to say.  “I didn’t know that you could have that done.”
         “Does it bother you?” Perry’s brown eyes saddened.
         Carol frowned.  “I suppose it just surprised me.”
         Perry smiled up at the severed head.  “See?  She likes you, Jack, old buddy.”
         Carol sat on the couch and stared at the coffee table.  “Who is this one?” She asked politely.
         “Heh, oh yes.  That’s Toodles.  She was a cutie.  Just like you!” Perry laughed, setting his mug on the table next to Toodles.
         “Thanks.” Carol wasn’t sure whether or not to be flattered for being compared to a dead ferret.  She stared around the room, trying her best to change the topic to something more pleasant.  However, glassy eyes stared at her from all directions.  Carol watched as Perry lit the fireplace.  Perry noticed her, turned around, and smiled.
         “Just setting up a more cozy mood.”
         Carol smiled hesitantly.  She still wasn’t quite sure what to think of the young man.  And how cozy could she possibly get with all of these dead animals staring at her?  Carol wasn’t sure if she wanted to get comfortable at all in this strange house.
         “Hey, I just remembered I found something for you,” Perry grinned.  “It’s in my room.  I’ll be right back.”  He gave Carol a swift kiss on the cheek and hurried into the other room.
         Carol stared blankly in front of her at the dead ferret.  It was so odd.  Carol reached her hand out to touch it.  It had an artificial feel to it.  Relieved by this, Carol picked up the small creature.
         Toodles was in a simple position, standing rigidly on all fours.  The little paws looked so delicate.  Carol touched one and immediately regretted it.  The whole paw snapped off in her hand.  Panicking, she tried to stick it back on the animal, only to knock off one of the claws.  Carol whimpered and stared around the room.  Stuffed cats, dogs, and rabbits all glared at her accusingly.  The mounted head of the basset hound on the wall seemed the angriest of all, features lit up by the flames of the fireplace.
         “I know it’s in here somewhere,” Perry chuckled from the other room.
         Carol gasped, remembering that Perry was right next door.  The fire crackled.  Carol jumped.  The room began to spin.  The animals stared at her mockingly, menacingly, dangerously.  Carol’s heart began to pound with terror.
         The walls were closing in.  The animals’ eyes followed her movements.  The ferret in her hand hissed at her as she dropped it on the floor, shrieking.  The room was now rocking violently like a boat in a storm.  The flames in the fireplace rose, reflecting off of the dog’s eyes.  Clutching the arm of the couch, Carol tried her best to straighten herself up.  The fingers of the paw in the palm of her hand twitched.  The young woman hurled the dried up claw across the room as she squeezed her eyes shut and screamed at the top of her lungs.
         “Carol? Carol, are you alright?” Perry ran into the room to see his girlfriend sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, staring about the room in horror. 
         “Carol?  Carol, say something!” Perry knelt next to her, shaking her shoulder.
         Carol jumped, falling backward.  “Don’t touch me!” She squealed, eyes whirling about madly.
         “Carol… what’s wrong?” Perry was terrified.
         “I gotta get out of here!” Carol cried, sweat rolling down her face.  She stood up and headed for the door.
         “Is it the animals?” Perry looked around the room, confused.
         Carol just continued to sob.  “Home.  I just want to go home!”
         “Shall I drive you home?”
         Carol shook her head as she snatched her sweater from the back of a chair and rushed out the door.  Perry watched the young woman scramble away from his house.  He shook his head.
         “What an odd one.”