John opened the door to the abandoned storage room in the asylum, a creak echoing through the room. The chief resident had sent him up to clean it out, preparing it for new patients being transferred. However, the rumors of its haunting, stemming from a child’s death ten years ago, made him dread the task.

Stepping inside, John surveyed the room. He was grateful for the daylight hours, as the eerie atmosphere would be unsettling at night. Dusty windows, cobwebbed corners, and tables covered in plywood littered the space. Animal droppings and dust adorned the floor, and a putrid smell of decaying animals hung heavy in the air.

Donning a dust mask and pulling a cleaning cart into the room, John plugged in his earbuds and began the task of cleaning as quickly as possible. Starting from the front, he made his way to the far corner when he spotted something on one of the tables. As he approached, he discovered a doll—a sight that sent shivers down his spine.

Determined to finish cleaning, John decided to wait until the end to retrieve the doll and dispose of it. The cleaning progressed smoothly, and he had completed half of the room when he decided to take a break and have lunch. Pulling out his lunch pack, he sat down at one of the tables he had cleaned and glanced over to where the doll had been. To his astonishment, it was nowhere to be found.

Confused, John searched the room, only to find the doll sitting on one of the tables he had already cleaned. How could this be?

He approached the doll and noticed a slight smile on its face. Despite being stained with soot and having frizzy hair, its eyes seemed to radiate a bright smile. Entranced, he hesitated, knowing he should throw it away, and went back to finish his lunch.

After lunch, he began cleaning the other side of the room and was almost done when he glanced back over his shoulder and saw the doll gone. He walked over to where he had placed it and found it lying on the floor. Drawn to it, he picked it up and looked into its crystal blue eyes. He felt lightheaded and passed out.

John’s eyes fluttered open to the loud ringing of the fire alarm. He coughed as smoke filled the room, and flames rose towards the ceiling. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked from the outside, impossible since there was only one key, which he had. He screamed for help and dropped to the floor, but it was too late. The smoke and flames engulfed him.

The next day, the chief resident visited John’s room because he hadn’t heard from him. Concerned, he checked on him. He found the door locked and went to the office to retrieve the master key. Upon entering, he discovered the room as filthy as ever. Sitting on one of the tables was a doll with a wide grin on its face, and the faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.