The cursed doll

My name is (Wad) and I thank the author for publishing my story. I hope it will be published in standard Arabic.

This experience happened to me when I was fifteen years old. We live in Cairo, and my family consists of my father, mother, sister, and me. We lead a normal life.

One day, my sister was out with my mother to get household supplies, and she brought back a doll she had found in the street. I don't know why she was so attached to it.

My sister is younger than me. I didn't feel comfortable with the doll. It was disfigured, with many pins stuck in every part of its body, its eyes gouged out, and its right hand missing.

I asked my mother why she let my sister bring it. "I don't know. Your sister liked the doll even though I tried to stop her. But don't worry, we'll put it on the shelf in the living room, and she won't play with it."

By the way, my room is close to the living room, and from my bed, I can see the shelf clearly. My sister's bed is on the other side.

The first two days were completely normal; nothing noteworthy happened. However, my sister's intense attachment to the doll was strange, especially since she usually doesn't like dolls.

At night, we each went to sleep. I kept looking at the doll, waiting for it to move. I don't know why, but I had a bad feeling.

When I fell asleep, I had a strange dream. I was standing in a very dark place, unable to see. From the darkness, I heard the sound of a musical instrument, the kind you find in a music box. You know, the box that plays beautiful music. Its sound was terrifying to me, especially in such a dark nightmare.

I looked around, but I spotted a black shadow moving quickly, as if circling me repeatedly. The music grew louder and louder.

Suddenly, black, charred hands grabbed my face. They belonged to a burnt black creature that screamed violently in my face. I woke up terrified, breathing heavily. I looked at the doll, and what scared me was that it was gone.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Indeed, it was gone. I got out of bed and moved slowly, but I stopped when I saw the black shadow circling in the living room, accompanied by the terrifying music.

It stood in front of the shelf for a few minutes and then moved, revealing the doll on it. It continued moving as if it didn't see me or didn't care about me. I was frozen in place, terrified by what was happening. Suddenly, it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I sat on my bed, watching the doll as if it were a curse that had befallen us, and sleep overcame me.

The next day, I tried to take the doll from my sister, but she had become obsessed with it and didn't want to let go. I told my mother that I wouldn't sleep while it was around, and she said we would put it on the stairs as bedtime approached.

Despite what she said, I felt that the doll was watching me closely, even though it had no eyes.

Night came, and we left the doll outside. I hadn't mentioned anything about what happened the previous night.

I went to bed but couldn't sleep, tossing and turning.

What was that sound? The sound of dishes breaking in the kitchen. The kitchen light flickered hysterically.

In the light that came and went, I saw the shadow of a human-like creature wearing a cloak, very tall, facing the living room.

When I got out of bed, everything stopped. I felt that it was over. My curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to see the kitchen and the broken dishes. But how was all this happening, and why was I the only one noticing?

I slowly approached the kitchen, very slowly, with my heartbeat quickening with each step.

As I neared the door, I was terrified by the return of the music. Suddenly, long, clawed hands grabbed the door from both sides, and the creature's head emerged, staring at me with angry black eyes. When it showed its fangs with a sinister laugh, I ran back to my room. It followed me slowly, tearing the wall with its claws. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind threw me onto the bed, and my head hit the wall hard, causing me to lose consciousness.

The next day, I found no claw marks and decided to tell my mother this time. I told her everything, and she listened intently. Then she said, "I believe you. I used to wake up at night and hear those sounds, but I tried to ignore them. Thank God you're safe, my son. Now go and get rid of it."

I took the doll from the shelf before my sister woke up and went to the trash dump, where I threw it away and left, feeling relieved.

The day went by normally, and my sister didn't even comment on the doll's disappearance. I asked her why she liked the doll, and she replied, "What doll?"

"What do you mean, the doll you brought?"

"I didn't bring a doll. I don't know what you're talking about."

I thought she was joking with me despite her serious face. I ignored it, and the day passed. At night, I woke up and checked the time on my phone; it was 1:30 AM. I left my room, drank some water, and returned to bed, but I couldn't sleep.

Suddenly, the music that made me hate all music began to play again. Yes, that music, but this time it was different. It was broken and sounded like a melodious scream. Automatically, I looked at the shelf to find the doll. But it wasn't on the shelf. It was being held—yes, held by the black shadow, which was lifting it to its chest and slowly approaching my room. This terrified me.

I tried to recite Quranic verses, but my voice wouldn't come out. I tried to move, but my body was paralyzed. Along with the music, I heard a loud sheep's bleat, which filled my heart with fear.

The shadow came closer until it was at the door of the room. Before entering, it looked around the room and then proceeded as if it were seeking permission from an unseen person standing in front of it.

It continued to enter, then turned towards me. The music and the sheep's bleat grew louder and louder. My heart raced, and my fear almost killed me. It raised its black hand, preparing to grab me.

Before it could touch my face, the room lit up, and everything disappeared. It was my mother who had turned on the light. She ran towards me when she saw the fear on my face.

She calmed me down, and I told her everything. She had been in the kitchen drinking water and came to check on me. My sister was sleeping beside me.

The next day, we found the doll on the shelf again. I quickly took it and ran to the dump. Luckily, I found people burning trash. I threw the doll into the fire and watched it burn before leaving.

Since then, the doll has not returned, and I haven't experienced any other incidents.

★★★★

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