The house
was long gone, but the land was still there—a thick, tangled patch of woods
that had been left to grow wild over the years. Ruby felt a strange pull as she
made her way to the edge of the forest, the wind cold and biting against her
skin. The sky was overcast, gray clouds heavy with the threat of rain.
She
clutched the journal tightly as she stepped into the woods, feeling the oppressive
silence close around her like a suffocating blanket. She followed the old path
described in the newspaper, her steps echoing in the stillness, until she came
to a small clearing overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. A single, crumbling
stone foundation was all that remained of the house that had once stood there.
Ruby’s
gaze was drawn to the center of the foundation, where a circle of stones formed
what looked like the remnants of an old fireplace. She knelt down, brushing
away the dirt and debris, and found a hidden compartment beneath one of the
stones. Her fingers trembled as she opened it, revealing a small, weathered
box—similar to the one she had found in the garden.
Inside
was another doll, smaller than the one she owned but unmistakably similar. This
one was broken, the face shattered and barely held together by the remnants of
decaying fabric. Beneath the doll was a stack of letters, tied together with a
faded ribbon.
She
opened the first letter and began to read. They were from Elizabeth, written to
an unknown friend she called “Annabelle.” The letters spoke of friendship,
loneliness, and strange happenings that Munin believed only Annabelle could
understand. The later letters became more desperate, filled with mentions of
the doll talking to her, whispering secrets that no one else could hear.
The final
letter was the most disturbing. Munin wrote about a game the doll wanted to
play—a game of hide and seek that would never end, a promise that they would be
together forever if Munin would only follow the doll’s instructions.
Ruby
dropped the letters, her eyes wide with horror. Munin had been lured, just as
she was being lured now, and whatever was inside the doll wanted her too.
The wind
picked up, howling through the trees, and she suddenly felt a presence behind
her. She spun around, expecting to see the ghostly girl, but there was
nothing—only the shadow of the forest growing darker as the storm clouds
thickened.
She grabbed the letters and the broken doll,
stuffing them into her backpack, and ran.
