I’ve always been fascinated with dolls, especially antiquities. My downtime consists of studying the craftsmanship of dolls, so I have a rather extensive collection of them. All of my dolls stay in the attic of my duplex, which is pretty much my safe space. I’ve never told anyone about my hobby, as people tend to be weirded out by them, and I don’t want to lose the few people I already have. Besides that, I’m just a normal person.
About three weeks ago, I came home from work, when I noticed a package on my doorstep. It was around midnight, and I was sure there were no mail delivery workers that’d been working at that hour. I also haven’t ordered anything online in about a month. Stepping closer, I eyed the package. The wrapping paper on the package seemed old and dusty, as if it were sent from centuries ago. My name was printed on the front of the paper in red ink, as well as my address and a few splotches of ink. There was no return address on the package, which I thought was weird. When I picked up the package, I felt a pair of eyes staring me down. I turned and scanned the area, but nothing was there besides the casual two to three cars driving by. After a few more seconds, I unlocked my front door and went inside.
I laid awake on my bed, fighting the urge to open the package. My mind was delirious from the lack of sleep I had recently, and I wanted to wait until the morning to open it. However, something in my head told me that maybe I should open it. Turning over, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore everything. That’s when I heard soft scratching sounds. Juno, go to bed, I said to my cat. There was no response from her, so I got up and looked out of my bedroom door. Juno was already fast asleep in her bed. The scratching noises continued as I followed in the direction of the sounds. It led me to the package.
Shakily, I picked up the package and slowly unwrapped it. It was an antique doll. Studying it, I realized the doll was most likely from the mid-1700s, as the doll’s characteristics resembled a doll that I already own. The doll’s porcelain skin had cracks in it, and its eyes were different colors. One of the eyes looked realistic, too realistic. The hair on the doll was long and knotted up, and it seemed like the doll wasn’t taken good care of. What I couldn’t figure out was why someone would bring me a doll, when I try my hardest to conceal my hobby. I decided to let my thoughts go, and put the doll in the attic with the others.
I woke to the sound of Juno meowing at something from her bed. Juno is a very chatty cat, but her meows this time sounded like something I’d never heard before. It was as if she were frightened and stressed out. Dazed, I got up and went to check out what had her so upset. Peering around the corner, I saw Juno with her ears all the way down and her back arched. Her meows progressively sounded more and more terrified. I moved into the living room and gasped at what I saw. Juno was acting this way because of the mysterious doll that appeared on my doorstep last night. She has been around my dolls before, but she never reacted this way toward any of them. Juno, she’s not going to hurt you. I swiftly picked up the doll and put it on the kitchen table. See? She’s not dangerous.
After making myself breakfast, I went up to the attic to hopefully restore the doll’s look. Hours went by, and the doll still looked the same. Everything I did to the doll seemed to rub off by the time I finished. I was starting to get aggravated, so I decided to take a break. I took Juno out for a walk, but something was off. It felt like someone or something was watching my every move. Even Juno could feel the tense atmosphere. The trip outside was offputting, as every interaction I had was weird to me. People that I’ve talked to before seemed distant and tried to rush out of the conversation. I called one of my friends and decided to spend the day with them.
At my friend’s house, I watched Juno play with my friend’s cat. I talked with my friend about the weird things that were happening, and I brought up the weird doll. Does the doll happen to have two different colored eyes? Looking up at her, I nodded my head. I asked how she knew, to which she replied, The doll’s been in your bag this whole time. My head shot over to my bag to see the doll’s head sticking out of it, just staring at us. I was on the verge of tears as I looked back at my friend. I didn’t put the doll in my bag. My friend laughed and playfully smacked my shoulder. You think I’m kidding? I stared at my friend, who now looked just as scared as me. What should we do with it? I decided to leave with Juno and take the doll to a specialist. The lady told me that the doll was now in good hands, and I hoped everything would go back to the way it was.
Since then, weirder things have been happening. I’d wake up with unusually large bruises and scratches all over my body or my alarm system going off at random times. Sometimes, I’d look outside my windows and see a dead bird or squirrel perched on the windowsill. At first, I assumed it was Juno being an excellent hunter, but they’re much bloodier than when Juno brings them to me. The last straw for me was when I came home from work and saw that Juno had been severely attacked by something. She was covered in open wounds and dirt, as if she’d attempted to fight back. I was fuming, and decided to go back to the specialist in search of answers.
When I got there, I saw the doll that I was gifted sitting in a glass case with chains wrapped all around it. I asked the specialist all my questions, and she answered them truthfully. The doll’s possessed by something far more dangerous than anything I’ve ever seen. I did my research, and this isn’t the first time this doll was bound to someone. Once you let it into your home, it won’t leave. The last person to have this doll was eventually driven to insanity. Even if the doll’s not in sight, its spirit will continue to haunt you.
Those words have stuck with me ever since. About three days ago, I came home to my poor lifeless Juno in her bed. I can still hear her sweet meows echo around the house. Since then, I’ve thrown all my dolls away and immediately stopped having any interest in them. My sanity is starting to deteriorate, and I don’t know how much longer I can deal with this before I end up like the previous doll owner. I’ve lost everything in my life, and I just don’t see the point in anything anymore. I’ve accepted my fate, and I’m just waiting for my time to come.