The Dollmaker

Samantha loved dolls. Ever since she was a little girl, she had collected them, cherishing each one as if it were a living being. As she grew older, she began to make her own dolls, meticulously crafting them from scraps of fabric and bits of wood.

But Samantha's dolls were different. They seemed to have a life of their own, with eyes that followed you and limbs that moved on their own. Some even seemed to speak, whispering eerie words in the dead of night.

People in town began to whisper about Samantha and her dolls, saying that she had a strange power over them. But Samantha didn't care. She was happy in her little cottage, surrounded by her beloved creations.

One day, a man came to Samantha's door. He was a tall, imposing figure, with sharp features and dark, brooding eyes. He introduced himself as Mr. Blackwood, a collector of rare and unique objects.

Samantha was hesitant at first, but Mr. Blackwood was persuasive. He offered to pay a handsome sum for one of her dolls, promising to display it in his private collection for all to see.

Samantha finally relented and sold Mr. Blackwood one of her favorite dolls, a porcelain beauty with long, flowing hair and delicate features. But as soon as Mr. Blackwood left her cottage, Samantha felt a sense of unease.

Days passed, and Samantha heard nothing from Mr. Blackwood. She began to worry that her beloved doll was lost or damaged in transit. But then, one night, she heard a knock at her door.

It was Mr. Blackwood, but he looked different somehow. His eyes were sunken and dark, and his skin was ashen. He was holding the doll in his arms, but something was off about it. Its eyes seemed to glimmer with a malevolent light, and its once-smooth porcelain skin was now marred with cracks and blemishes.

Samantha tried to take the doll back, but Mr. Blackwood refused. He claimed that the doll was cursed, that it had brought him nothing but misfortune since he had acquired it. He begged Samantha to take it back, to rid him of its evil presence.

Samantha hesitated. She had never heard of her dolls being cursed before, but there was something about the doll's eyes that made her heart race with fear. In the end, she took it back, hoping to put an end to the strange events.

But things only got worse from there. The doll seemed to grow more malevolent with each passing day, its eyes glowing with a sinister light as it whispered dark secrets in Samantha's ear. It moved on its own, its tiny limbs creaking and groaning with each motion.

Samantha tried to destroy the doll, burning it and throwing it in the river, but it always returned, more menacing than ever. She began to feel as if she were losing her mind, as if the doll was taking control of her thoughts and actions.

One night, Samantha awoke to find the doll standing at the foot of her bed, its eyes glowing like hot coals. It spoke to her, in a voice that sounded like death itself.

"Your time has come," it said. "You belong to me now."

Samantha screamed, but it was too late. The doll had already claimed her soul, and she was lost to the world forever.

Years later, people would talk about Samantha and her strange dolls, warning others never to dabble in the dark arts of dollmaking. But some say that if you listen closely, on quiet nights when the wind howls and the moon is full, you can still hear