The sound of Ajax's keys in the front door sent a wave of relief through Linda's body. She hadn't realized how tightly she'd been holding herself until now. When he stepped inside, grinning and a little disheveled from work, she almost melted against him.
"There's my favorite girl," he said, kissing her cheek before lowering his hand to her belly. "And my second favorite."
Linda laughed softly, clinging to him longer than usual. "You're late."
"Yeah, sorry. Traffic was hell." He pulled off his jacket, hanging it by the door, then noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head quickly. "I just… it's silly. I kept thinking I heard things today."
Ajax's brow furrowed, but he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Hormones and empty houses. Worst combination." He kissed her forehead, then added with a grin: "So let's fill it with noise. Movie night?"
Her lips curved. "I was hoping you'd say that."
---
Half an hour later, they were curled up on the couch, a blanket over their legs, the glow of the TV casting soft light over their faces. Linda rested her head against Ajax's shoulder, letting the hum of dialogue and the warmth of his body settle her nerves.
They laughed together at the cheesy parts, whispered silly commentary, and kissed during the quiet stretches. For a little while, it felt normal again — like the world had shrunk to the two of them, safe inside their bubble.
When Linda nudged him and said, "Popcorn would make this perfect," Ajax grinned, kissed her nose, and hopped up. "On it. Don't move. I'll spoil you."
She smiled as he disappeared into the kitchen, the sounds of cupboards and rattling pans drifting back.
Then, with no warning, the bulb above the living room flickered once. Twice.
Linda sat up straighter, frowning. "Ajax?"
Before he could answer, the bulb blinked violently, light strobing across the room, shadows snapping long and short with each pulse. Then, with a sharp pop, the bulb blew out, leaving the room in sudden darkness.
"Damn it," Ajax called from the kitchen. "I'll check it in a sec—"
"No, it's fine," Linda said quickly, forcing her voice to sound calm. "I'll grab a spare from the basement."
She stood, clutching her phone as a makeshift light, and opened the basement door. The air that rose up was cooler, damp with the faint smell of concrete and dust. She hesitated, then descended carefully, one hand skimming the railing.
---
The basement always unsettled her, even in daylight. Now, the thin beam of her phone only deepened the shadows, turning boxes and storage bins into hunched figures.
As she reached the bottom step, a sound froze her mid-step.
Footsteps.
Quick, pattering across the basement floor — like a child running.
Linda's chest tightened. Her mind scrambled for logic. Mice. Just mice. Maybe raccoons got in. Nothing more.
She forced her legs to move, each step heavier than the last, until she reached the old electrical box.
She knelt, balancing her phone against a shelf so it lit the panel dimly. The metal creaked as she opened it. Inside, wires twisted like veins.
Muttering to herself, she reached in blindly for the spare fuses she knew Ajax kept there.
Her fingers brushed something warm.
Not a wire.
A hand.
Linda squeaked and yanked her hand back, stumbling so fast she nearly dropped the phone. The beam of light jittered wildly across the basement wall before swinging to the corner.
And there it was.
The doll.
Sitting primly by the electrical box, its blonde hair matted, its porcelain cheeks smudged with grime. Its glassy blue eyes reflected the light, staring straight at her.
Linda's scream tore from her throat before she could stop it.
---
Ajax thundered down the basement stairs, two at a time. "Linda? Baby, what happened?"
He found her pale and shaking, pressed against the wall, her finger pointed at the doll.
Ajax's stomach dropped.
"I told you," Linda said, voice trembling. "I told you I didn't want this thing in the house. Why would you put it in the basement?"
"I…" Ajax froze, words sticking. He knew he had tossed the doll outside the doll and there was a very slim chance that the doll come into the house again that too into the basement's electrical box
He finds .. this. Is . Not. Coincidence ...
But there it sat, as solid and real as the concrete beneath it.
Linda's wide eyes searched his face. He couldn't let her see the doubt crawling into his chest, the cold prickle down his spine.
So he forced a laugh. Shrugged like it was nothing. "Yeah. You're right. Must've been me. I probably just chucked it down here and forgot. Sorry, babe."
She sagged, relief in her eyes, though fear still clung to her features. She leaned into him, and he wrapped an arm around her tightly, pressing his lips to her hair.
But his own gaze remained fixed on the doll.
Unblinking. Waiting.
And for the first time, Ajax didn't feel so certain of his own reality.
PLEASE SUPPORT .. OR I'LL HAUNT YOU
CREEPY VIBES FROM ,
THE DOLL.