Categories > Original > Horror
How did I get in this situation?
This isn’t how I imagined my halloween to go. I thought that I’d hand out candy to the kids, not go to a party because I’m too depressed and also because I don’t have any friends to invite me to one, and flop down on my bed to go wallow in self-misery. Ever since my parents died…
No. Don’t think like that, Jesse.
But I was not expecting to have a staring contest with a doll that gets closer every time I blink.
I’ll back up.
On wednesday morning, my day was pretty average. Wake up, go to work, get abused by customers, and then come home and make some ramen before I become dead to the world. When I woke up, though, the doll was on the back of the couch, watching me. I had absolutely no idea where I got it from. I could have turned up from the depths of hell for all I know, summoned from a witch’s magic circle to terrorize this world.
Actually, looking back on it now, that seems pretty accurate.
It’s not even a good-looking doll. It’s all sewn and patched up, its purple colour faded over the steady march of time. It’s missing one of its eyes, with an x over where it should be. But it’s strangely familiar. I’m trying to figure out why, when–
I blink.
When I open my eyes from a tenth of second of darkness, the doll has closed nearly half the distance between us.
Fuck.
Let me finish my story, though.
Thursday was more or less the same. Work, yelling, ramen, couch. Wake up to find the doll watching me again. Now how did you get down here again? I could have sworn I had tossed it in the attic after the last time, where all the other creepy junk goes. Maybe it was just my addled, overworked brain playing tricks on me. Yeah, that was it. Definitely not a creepy ghost-possessed magic doll stalking me, right?
So wrong.
I picked up the doll, threw it my attic, and locked the door. Then I opened the attic door, picked up the doll again, put it in a random safe I found lying around, locked the safe, and then locked the attic behind me.
There. Let’s see it stalk me again from in there.
Yeah, it most assuredly can.
On thursday night, I had a nightmare. I don’t remember much from it, but there was definitely darkness, glowing eyes, and an overwhelming sense of being forgotten. I can’t help but think that doll gave it to me somehow. I don’t know why.
…
Hold on…
This was my doll.
It was my old doll from when I was little that I found in the vegetable patch behind the house. I would go everywhere with that doll. I loved it. And then, when I was older, I cast it aside, having outgrown it. And now it’s back. And apparently sentient? Ambulatory, at least.
Why is it back? Is it looking for revenge against the person who abandoned it, or does it just want to be loved again? I realize i’m tearing up. I blink-
Oops.
Suddenly the doll is right up in my grill. Just… floating. In mid air. I try to back up, but there’s a wall in the way.
I’m cornered.
I reach out and push on it, gently. It doesn’t move an inch, anchored to the sky. I can’t go under it without looking away, and I can’t go around it.
Is this the end for me?
Oh well.
I hug my old doll, and everything goes black.
…
…
.
“Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!”
I race over to my mommy from the vegetable patch holding up a faded purple doll. It has an eye missing, but I don’t care. I’m practically glowing with excitement. Even the doll to be really happy. Like it’s home! With an old friend! It’s happy! I’m happy!
“I see”, she says with a smile on her face. “Do you know what you’re going to name it?”
“Nope! Imm’a go and think about it. And play with it!”
“Have fun!”, she calls after me, as I take off. And then, just on the cusp of my hearing-
“I love you, Jesse.”
This isn’t how I imagined my halloween to go. I thought that I’d hand out candy to the kids, not go to a party because I’m too depressed and also because I don’t have any friends to invite me to one, and flop down on my bed to go wallow in self-misery. Ever since my parents died…
No. Don’t think like that, Jesse.
But I was not expecting to have a staring contest with a doll that gets closer every time I blink.
I’ll back up.
On wednesday morning, my day was pretty average. Wake up, go to work, get abused by customers, and then come home and make some ramen before I become dead to the world. When I woke up, though, the doll was on the back of the couch, watching me. I had absolutely no idea where I got it from. I could have turned up from the depths of hell for all I know, summoned from a witch’s magic circle to terrorize this world.
Actually, looking back on it now, that seems pretty accurate.
It’s not even a good-looking doll. It’s all sewn and patched up, its purple colour faded over the steady march of time. It’s missing one of its eyes, with an x over where it should be. But it’s strangely familiar. I’m trying to figure out why, when–
I blink.
When I open my eyes from a tenth of second of darkness, the doll has closed nearly half the distance between us.
Fuck.
Let me finish my story, though.
Thursday was more or less the same. Work, yelling, ramen, couch. Wake up to find the doll watching me again. Now how did you get down here again? I could have sworn I had tossed it in the attic after the last time, where all the other creepy junk goes. Maybe it was just my addled, overworked brain playing tricks on me. Yeah, that was it. Definitely not a creepy ghost-possessed magic doll stalking me, right?
So wrong.
I picked up the doll, threw it my attic, and locked the door. Then I opened the attic door, picked up the doll again, put it in a random safe I found lying around, locked the safe, and then locked the attic behind me.
There. Let’s see it stalk me again from in there.
Yeah, it most assuredly can.
On thursday night, I had a nightmare. I don’t remember much from it, but there was definitely darkness, glowing eyes, and an overwhelming sense of being forgotten. I can’t help but think that doll gave it to me somehow. I don’t know why.
…
Hold on…
This was my doll.
It was my old doll from when I was little that I found in the vegetable patch behind the house. I would go everywhere with that doll. I loved it. And then, when I was older, I cast it aside, having outgrown it. And now it’s back. And apparently sentient? Ambulatory, at least.
Why is it back? Is it looking for revenge against the person who abandoned it, or does it just want to be loved again? I realize i’m tearing up. I blink-
Oops.
Suddenly the doll is right up in my grill. Just… floating. In mid air. I try to back up, but there’s a wall in the way.
I’m cornered.
I reach out and push on it, gently. It doesn’t move an inch, anchored to the sky. I can’t go under it without looking away, and I can’t go around it.
Is this the end for me?
Oh well.
I hug my old doll, and everything goes black.
…
…
.
“Mommy! Mommy! Look what I found!”
I race over to my mommy from the vegetable patch holding up a faded purple doll. It has an eye missing, but I don’t care. I’m practically glowing with excitement. Even the doll to be really happy. Like it’s home! With an old friend! It’s happy! I’m happy!
“I see”, she says with a smile on her face. “Do you know what you’re going to name it?”
“Nope! Imm’a go and think about it. And play with it!”
“Have fun!”, she calls after me, as I take off. And then, just on the cusp of my hearing-
“I love you, Jesse.”
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