MY DREAM DOLL Chapter 11 The Hidden History

The next morning, Ruby felt different—drained, but determined. The encounter with the ghostly girl left her with a lingering sense of urgency, and she knew she had to dig deeper into the mystery of the doll. Whatever secrets it held were tied to her family’s past, to Munin ‘s untimely death, and maybe even to the strange dreams she had been having since the doll first came into her life.

At breakfast, she told her parents she wanted to visit the town’s local history library. They seemed relieved that she was showing interest in something other than the doll and quickly agreed, offering to drop her off after school.

The library was a quiet, dusty building filled with old books and records, the kind of place where history lingered in the shadows. Ruby approached the librarian, a kind elderly woman with silver hair, and asked if there were any records about her family, especially about Munin Smith.

The librarian’s expression darkened when Ruby mentioned Munin ‘s name, and she hesitated before leading her to a small back room filled with local records and newspaper archives. “You might find what you’re looking for here,” the librarian said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But some things are better left buried, dear.”

Ruby thanked her and started digging through the records. Hours passed, and just when she thought she’d found nothing, she stumbled upon an old, faded newspaper clipping from 1894. The headline sent a chill down her spine:

“Tragic Death of Young Munin Smith: Mysterious Circumstances Baffle Authorities.”

Her hands shook as she read the article. Munin had been found in her bedroom, lifeless, clutching a porcelain doll to her chest. The cause of death was never determined; there were no signs of illness or injury. The only clue was a note found tucked inside the doll’s dress, written in Munin ‘s childish handwriting:

“She is here. She won’t let me go.”

Ruby’s breath caught. The note, the whispers, the dreams—it all seemed to fit together, but she still didn’t understand why it was happening to her. She turned the page and found another article, a follow-up written several months after Munin ‘s death. It mentioned that the Turner family had moved away shortly after the tragedy, and the house where they had lived had been sold and abandoned for years before being torn down.