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The Doll

It’s Always Watching

By Brandon CorlinPublished about a year ago 6 min read
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As a child, Sarah loved nothing more than spending her weekends at the antique shop with her grandmother. The dusty old store was filled with treasures from decades gone by, and Sarah was fascinated by the stories her grandmother would tell her about the items they came across. But there was one item in particular that always caught her eye - a ventriloquist doll perched on a high shelf, its glassy eyes staring down at her.

Years went by and Sarah grew up, but her fascination with the doll never waned. Eventually, she found herself back in her hometown for a visit, and couldn't resist stopping by the antique shop to take a look at the doll once again. To her surprise, the doll was still there, seemingly untouched by time. Sarah couldn't resist the urge to purchase the doll, and so she did, taking it back to her apartment with her.

At first, Sarah was thrilled to have the doll in her possession. She would often practice her ventriloquism skills with it, and even began performing for small crowds at local events. But soon, strange things began to happen.

Sarah would wake up in the middle of the night to find the doll sitting upright on her bed, its mouth agape in a grotesque smile. Other times, she would catch glimpses of the doll moving on its own, its eyes following her around the room.

Sarah tried to ignore the strange occurrences, chalking them up to her overactive imagination. But one night, she woke up to find the doll standing at the foot of her bed, its head tilted to the side as if studying her.

It was then that Sarah realized that something was very wrong with the doll. She tried to get rid of it, but it always seemed to find its way back to her, no matter how far she tried to throw it.

As the weeks went on, the doll's behavior became increasingly erratic. It would move on its own, even when Sarah wasn't practicing her ventriloquism, and sometimes its voice would sound almost...inhuman.

One night, as Sarah sat in her apartment, she heard the doll's voice coming from the other room. It was speaking in a language she didn't understand, and she could feel a cold, prickling sensation creeping up her spine.

That was the last straw. Sarah grabbed the doll and ran out of her apartment, tossing it into the dumpster outside. She didn't stop to look back, just kept running until she was a safe distance away.

But as she sat in her car, trying to catch her breath, she heard a soft tapping at the window. And there was the doll, its glassy eyes staring at her once again.

It was then that Sarah realized that the doll was cursed, and there was no getting rid of it. She was stuck with it for eternity, or until she could find a way to break the curse.

In the days and weeks that followed, Sarah became increasingly isolated. She was too afraid to leave her apartment, too afraid of what might happen if she did. The doll's presence was suffocating, and she could feel it watching her every move.

One night, as Sarah sat in her apartment, she heard a low, guttural growling coming from the other room. She could hear the doll's wooden joints creaking, as if it was moving on its own. And then, there was silence.

For a moment, Sarah sat frozen in fear. And then, there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of glass breaking. She could hear the doll's voice, whispering something she couldn't understand.

Sarah knew then that it was only a matter of time before the doll came for her. She could feel the curse closing in around her, tightening like a strangling grip. She knew she had to act fast if she wanted to survive.

Frantically, Sarah began searching the internet for any information she could find about the cursed ventriloquist doll. She scoured old forums and blog posts, hoping to find some clue that would help her break the curse.

Finally, after hours of searching, she found a message board where someone had posted about a similar doll. The post was old, but the information seemed promising. According to the user, the curse could be broken by finding the doll's original owner and returning it to them.

Without hesitation, Sarah packed a bag and set out on a mission to find the doll's original owner. She spent weeks traveling across the country, asking antique dealers and collectors if they had any information about the doll's past.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she found an old woman who claimed to have once owned the doll. The woman told Sarah a story about a ventriloquist who had used the doll in his act, only to have it become possessed by an evil spirit.

The woman gave Sarah a small wooden box and told her that inside was an ancient talisman that could break the curse. Sarah was skeptical, but desperate, so she took the box and returned home.

With shaking hands, she opened the box and took out the talisman. It was a small, intricately carved wooden figure, with eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. Sarah wasn't sure what to do next, but she knew she had to act quickly.

She took the talisman and approached the doll, holding it out in front of her like a weapon. The doll's eyes flickered, and for a moment, Sarah thought she saw a glimmer of recognition in them.

Slowly, she reached out and touched the talisman to the doll's forehead. There was a blinding flash of light, and then...nothing.

For a long moment, Sarah sat there, staring at the doll. It looked exactly the same, but somehow different. The curse was broken, she could feel it.

Trembling with relief, Sarah gathered up the doll and its belongings, and left her apartment for the last time. She drove to a remote location and buried the doll deep in the ground, hoping that it would never be found again.

As she walked away, Sarah felt a sense of freedom she hadn't felt in months. The cursed ventriloquist doll was no longer a part of her life, and she could finally move on.

But deep down, she knew that the memory of the doll would always haunt her. The fear, the terror, the feeling of being watched...they would never truly go away. But for now, Sarah was just grateful to be alive, and to have broken the curse of the cursed ventriloquist doll.

Short StoryHorror
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