Naughty Little Girl

Lisa is a naughty little girl. Every night, she walks barefoot around the yard to slap mud on her tiny little feet and then she runs back to the house, smearing filth all over the living room rug.


When caught by her Nanny, Lisa would run even faster and scream loud enough to shake the whole house awake.


"What a naughty little girl you are!" Nanny would call out, huffing and puffing after her.


One night, Lisa walked around the yard yet again without her shoes on. She stomped on brown sludge in glee, humming a little song to herself as she does so. Lisa then ran back to the house as usual, smearing filth all over the living room rug. She made sure to jump and shout so her Nanny would hear.


Lisa waited but her Nanny did not call out. Perplexed, she stopped and looked behind her.


There were no filthy footprints on the living room rug. Not a single trace of her tiny little feet. She stomped and walked and jumped, but no footprint left a mark.


Lisa opened her mouth wide and started to cry. "Nanny!" she called out. Nanny would know what to do. Nanny would make it all better. Lisa ran upstairs looking for her Nanny.


Through the gap of Lisa's bedroom door, Nanny's silhouette stood unmoving.


"Nanny!" Lisa called but the tired old lady did not turn to look.


Lisa walked towards her bedroom; her tiny little feet made no sound and made no mark on the cold, wooden floor as she approached her own bed.


There was someone on the bed. Lisa peered and saw tiny little feet, very much like hers but smeared not with mud but with deep, red blood. Nanny was holding a knife where more blood dripped. Lisa took a step back.


Nanny's head creaked as it tilted towards Lisa now; the Lisa standing in shock; The Lisa whose feet bear no footprints; The Lisa whose voice has no sound; the ghostly Lisa.


"What a naughty little girl you are!" Nanny smiled.