In a quaint town in the heart of India, resides my friend Leela, a woman well into her late 80s. The serenity of her days, however, has been disrupted by a series of unsettling occurrences. Leela, an ardent collector of antique dolls, recently acquired a plethora of these delicate treasures at an auction. These dolls, hailing from the early 1800s, hold within them a sense of history and a whisper of bygone eras.
A few nights ago, Leela was confronted by a spectral visitation. Her dolls, lovingly arranged on the dining table, served as silent witnesses to the events that would unfold. Around midnight, a peculiar noise stirred her from her slumber. Curiosity piqued, she ventured forth, cane in hand, to investigate. The sight that greeted her was both eerie and poignant: a young boy sat at her table, his visage marked by a scarred and burned side of his face. Questions tumbled from her lips, her voice carrying a mix of astonishment and apprehension. Her efforts to engage with the apparition were met with a fleeting presence, leaving her alone in the darkness.
This unsettling encounter did not stand alone. The next night, a man materialized in her den, gazing intently upon her coffee table. Leela’s calls were met with his abrupt vanishing, leaving her with the weight of the inexplicable.
But the occurrences did not cease. The following night brought yet another vision, this time of a young lady adorned in attire reminiscent of the pre-civil war era. Clutching a delicate paintbrush, she appeared to be painting the mirror that adorned Leela’s wall. As Leela’s voice pierced the silence, the ephemeral figure dissolved once again.
The climax of these encounters transpired the next morning, around 7:00 am. A young black girl, clothed in the same antiquated attire, emerged at the foot of Leela’s bed. Her gaze was cast downward, fixated on something unseen. Just as before, Leela’s fervent calls triggered the specter’s swift disappearance.
The source of these spectral visitations, it seems, may rest within the antique dolls themselves. Leela, following the sighting of the boy and the man, stored the dolls away in a secluded room. Could these apparitions be former owners of these dolls, seeking a connection with the past? While some advise attempting communication, Leela remains hesitant to bridge the gap between realms.
In a world woven with enigma, Leela’s journey serves as a testament to the intersection of history, memory, and the etherea