Chapter 1

One night, when I was alone, the only time I was ever by myself at home. My parents were called to the pizza shop they owned. There had been a problem and they left me sleeping, I was twelve at the time. So, they decided to just go and take care of the shop. My father‘s English wasn’t good. My mother translated for him.

I had woken up to a noise, it sounded like something rolling on the floor. But, when I woke up, I stared at my doll that was next to me. I swore I left her in the cradle. It was a lifelike baby doll. My mother and I got it from Red Cross. There was no way I left her next to me. But, I couldn’t be sure. So, I got up, because I had to use the washroom, and after a couple of minutes, while I was sitting on the toilet, I could hear this tapping sound coming from outside the door, scurrying down the hall. The tapping became louder.

It stopped outside of the bathroom door. There wasn’t any sound. Just a silent pressure that popped my eardrum. The stillness was shattered by a light tap at the door. Then, another faint tap. The tapping became a slow steady sound. It sounded like water drops from a leaky faucet hitting the metal drain.

I stayed quiet. Even if I could scream, “leave me alone,” I couldn’t.

The tapping stopped. For a moment, a sense of relief washed over me before my nerves began racing. I could feel them vibrating under my skin, scratching me as if they were wrapped in barbed wire. A voice, soft and innocent called out, “mommy.”

My eyes stretched opened. They were so wide, my pupils so dilated, that I could see a speck of dirt, magnified in between the tiles on the wall. The hairs on my arms rose. My legs started shaking. But, my body was completely paralyzed, except for the tremors controlling my limbs.

Right away, I looked at the bathroom door.

The door was unlocked. Then, I saw the knob slowly turn. I shot up and flicked the lock on the doorknob and sat with my back pressed against the door until the next morning.

I woke up to my mom and dad yelling for me. As soon as I heard their voices, I raced out of that bathroom and ran down the stairs and wrapped my arms around my mother and told her what happened.

She said it was just my imagination. Although, later that day, when I went to my room. My doll was on the floor. When I went to pick her up. I noticed under my bed, there was a purple screwdriver lying on the floor, right next to her.

To this day. Whenever I tell someone my experience. They claim it was a dream, or that my mind was still half asleep. But, following that night. I kept having strange things happen. Cold random chills. Faint voices. Everything stopped after I grew out of my doll.