Quick Tales

The old doll sat on a dusty shelf in the back room of Antiquities & Oddities, its porcelain face chipped and eyes clouded with age. Thomas, the store's owner, had inherited it from his late uncle, who swore it was haunted. Thomas scoffed at the idea, attributing the eerie atmosphere to the doll's antiquated design. He dusted off the shelf and turned to leave when he noticed a young woman standing by the door, her eyes fixed on the doll.

"It's quite something, isn't it?" Thomas said, stepping towards her. "Name's Thomas. You're new in town, aren't you?"

The woman nodded. "Eva. I just moved here for a fresh start." Her gaze remained locked on the doll.

Thomas smiled. "Well, Eva, welcome to our little corner of the world. What brings you to my humble shop?"

Eva hesitated before speaking. "I was drawn to this place... and that doll. There's something about it."

Thomas chuckled. "It's just an old doll, nothing special." He reached for it, but Eva's hand shot out, stopping him.

"Please," she said softly, "let me have it."

Intrigued by her insistence, Thomas agreed. As Eva walked away with the doll tucked under her arm, he couldn't shake off a sense of unease.

Eva returned to her small apartment, cradling the doll like a precious treasure. She placed it on her bedside table and sat down, staring at it intently. The doll seemed to stare back, its eyes reflecting Eva's troubled soul. She reached out, touching its cold porcelain cheek, and suddenly, she was no longer in her room.

She found herself standing in a dimly lit hallway, the air thick with despair. A door creaked open at the end of the corridor, revealing a dark figure hunched over a desk. It was her father, his head buried in his hands as he sobbed quietly. Eva crept closer, her heart pounding in her chest. She peeked into the room and saw stacks of unpaid bills scattered across the desk. Her mother lay on the bed, motionless, her eyes glassy and lifeless.

Eva gasped, snapping back to reality. The doll's eyes glowed menacingly, reflecting the scene she had just witnessed. She tried to push away the memory, but it was too late. The doll had already latched onto her darkest moment—the night her mother died from an overdose, leaving Eva and her father to grapple with their grief alone.

Over the next few days, Eva found herself reliving that horrible night repeatedly. Each time she touched the doll, she was transported back to her childhood home, forced to witness her mother's tragic end. She tried to resist, but the doll's grip on her was unbreakable. Her nights became filled with screams and tears, her days a haze of exhaustion and dread.

Desperate for help, Eva turned to Thomas. He listened intently as she recounted her experiences, his expression growing more concerned with each passing minute. When she finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"I've heard stories about this doll," he admitted. "My uncle believed it possessed some kind of dark power, that it could tap into people's deepest fears and force them to confront their past."

Eva's eyes widened in horror. "What do I do? How can I stop it?"

Thomas sighed. "I don't know if you can. But maybe... just maybe, facing your fears will help you find some peace."

With newfound determination, Eva returned home and held the doll tightly. She braced herself for another trip down memory lane, but instead of her mother's lifeless body, she found herself in a familiar kitchen. Her father sat at the table, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. He looked up as Eva entered, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Morning, sweetheart," he said softly. "Sleep well?"

Eva nodded, her eyes filling with tears. This was how she remembered him—kind, loving, always there for her. She walked over to the table and sat down across from him. They shared a quiet breakfast together, their conversation filled with laughter and warmth. It felt like a dream, but Eva knew it was real.

As the days passed, Eva continued to hold the doll, each time finding herself in different moments from her past. She watched as her father taught her how to ride a bike, saw them decorate Christmas trees together, even witnessed their first family vacation by the beach. With every memory, she felt a piece of her heart mending itself back together.

One evening, Eva found herself standing outside her old house. It looked different now—the paint was chipped, the garden overgrown with weeds. She walked up to the front door and knocked gently. Her father answered, his eyes filled with surprise and joy.

"Eva," he whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace. "My little girl."

They spent hours talking about old times, their laughter echoing through the empty house. As they sat on the porch swing, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and pink, Eva felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over her. She knew then that she had finally made amends with her past.

The next morning, Eva woke up to find the doll lying beside her, its eyes no longer glowing menacingly but instead reflecting the soft sunlight streaming through the window. She picked it up, cradling it in her arms as tears streamed down her cheeks. For the first time since she had brought it home, she felt at ease.

She walked over to her desk and placed the doll gently on top of a pile of papers. As she turned away, she heard a soft whisper behind her.

"Thank you," it said.

Eva froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked back at the doll, but its eyes were once again clouded with age. Slowly, she reached out and touched its cheek one last time before turning away for good.

That afternoon, Eva returned to Antiquities & Oddities with the doll tucked safely under her arm. Thomas looked up as she entered, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"How are you doing?" he asked softly.

Eva smiled back at him. "I'm better now," she said, holding out the doll. "Thank you for your help."

Thomas took the doll from her and placed it carefully on the shelf where Eva had first found it. As he dusted off its surface, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. He knew that the doll would remain there, undisturbed, until someone else came along and felt drawn to its mysterious allure. But for now, both Eva and the haunted doll had found some semblance of peace.