Night Doll

Chapter 2

A few days later, one evening, shocking news came from the detention center: Shen Meixuan had hanged herself. It was said that when she hanged herself, a clean white sheet was wrapped around her head, and new facial features were drawn in blood around her eyes and mouth. Especially noteworthy was the crescent moon drawn on her mouth, giving the impression of a smile.

At the time, some speculated that Shin Mi-hyun committed suicide out of guilt, choosing this unusual method to avoid looking too gruesome. Others speculated that Kim In-hyun left a curse before his death, and that Shin Mi-hyun was taken by a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll symbolizing good weather). This was because Kim In-hyun was particularly fond of a small white Japanese doll, which he would hang in every room. Shin Mi-hyun's appearance before her death clearly resembled a teru teru bozu. (A teru teru bozu is a small white doll made by wrapping a ping-pong ball or cotton ball in a square handkerchief and then drawing facial features on the round ball. It's the white doll that Ikkyu sees when he misses his mother in the anime "Ikkyu-san." The Japanese believe that teru teru bozu can take the place of disasters and illnesses. There's a song that goes: "Teru teru bozu, teru teru bozu, I hope tomorrow will be a good day. If not, I'll cut off your head...") After this incident, the doll was called a "ghost doll" in the school.

Chapter 7: The Ghost Doll Returns (7)

After Shen Meixuan's death, the police quickly closed the case. The school sealed off the room where the two had lived, never opening it again, and leaving the contents untouched. For a long time, students in the dormitory were reluctant to discuss those two rooms, and everyone passing by would unconsciously quicken their pace. They were like tombs, forever off-limits and unopenable.

The girl from Japan named Yukiko also mysteriously vanished. Almost no one has ever seen her, nor does anyone know where she came from. Perhaps she was afraid of being condemned and secretly slipped back to Japan.

Recently, a well-informed source revealed that Kim In-hyeon's most cherished collectible before his death—an authentic painting by Tang Bohu from the Ming Dynasty—has gone missing, and his family has yet to find it. Some suspect it was stolen by Seol Lung-ja, but whether this is true or not, only Kim In-hyeon himself in the afterlife knows for sure.

(4)

Ever since hearing Park Eun-hee's story during the day, Song Xiaomo had been restless. Those bloody scenes seemed to keep flashing before his eyes and were deeply etched into his mind, slowly devouring his brain cells.

It was midnight, and it was pitch black outside the window.

What terrifying unknowns lurk in the darkness?

Song Xiaomo buried her head under the covers, repeatedly telling herself not to overthink and to go to sleep.

But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't fall asleep. He was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

He sat up in bed and gulped down water, the cold water making his stomach feel icy. Suddenly, he felt a renewed urge to look into the opposite room. So he jumped out of bed and slowly approached the window. Just as his gaze attempted to pierce the glass, he heard Park Eun-hee's voice: "Why is it that only you can see them?"

He was startled and looked around, but there was no one there. The room was quiet and deathly still. A night breeze kept blowing in through the cracks in the window, as if bringing an eerie atmosphere from the depths of darkness.

Song Xiaomo shivered and staggered back to the bedside.

Yes, he clearly saw something utterly terrifying, while others saw nothing. He knew perfectly well that ghosts didn't exist; they only appeared in movies and novels. In this age of rapid technological advancement, ghosts were merely a topic of casual conversation. But if that were the case, how could he explain what he had witnessed yesterday?

Could the young couple kissing be the deceased Kim In-hyun and Shin Mi-hyun?

Have they come back again?

Are they ghosts?

The continuous thinking immediately reminded Song Xiaomo of the movie "The Ring." Then, he vaguely saw a television set. On the screen appeared a well, and a female ghost in white was climbing out of the well, out of the television, and coming to his side. She brushed aside her long hair, revealing a deathly pale face. Her eyes had almost no pupils; one of her eyes had fallen out, revealing a black...

Chapter 8: The Ghost Doll Returns (8)

Song Xiaomo felt a chill run down her back, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Her entire nightgown was soaked with cold sweat.

Just then, the telephone rang urgently.

With trembling hands, Song Xiaomo picked up the phone and gasped, "Hello?"

The other party did not speak.

"Hello, please speak, who is this?" he asked somewhat anxiously.

"Are you Song Xiaomo?" A woman's voice came softly from the receiver.

"It's me. May I ask who you are?"

The other person paused slightly, then slowly uttered three words: "Ghost—doll—doll—"

“A ghost doll…a ghost doll…” Song Xiaomo was suddenly startled. That was the kind of white Japanese rag doll that the deceased Kim In-hyun liked the most, and Shin Mi-hyun was dressed up as a ghost doll when she died.

Why did she say the little doll's name? Was it a prank or...?

"Who...who are you? How do you know my name?" Song Xiaomo's hand holding the phone began to tremble; he could no longer calm himself down.

"They all call me Shen Meixuan, is that my name?" Her voice sounded like it came from a dark, ghostly realm, carrying a chilling coldness.

"Shen...no!" Song Xiaomo felt a wave of dizziness, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. At this moment, nothing was more terrifying than hearing that name. That woman had been dead for two years. For a moment, he seemed to see again that bloodshot eyeball with a chopstick stuck in its right eye...

"I want to see you. I'll tell you the exact location tomorrow. You must come, otherwise..."

The sound stopped abruptly. Song Xiaomo said "hello" a few more times, but the other party had already hung up, and the dial tone sounded hollow.

He stared blankly at the receiver, then collapsed onto the bed in despair. The unfinished words of "her" were clearly a warning, or perhaps a vicious curse.

What should I do? What does "she" want with me? Is she taking me away? Will I die? Song Xiaomo asked himself softly, as if he had lost his soul. Such a terrible thing had naturally made him restless, and the slightest sound would make his heart pound.

At one in the morning, Song Xiaomo knocked on Park Eun-hee's door next door. At this point, he had no choice but to turn to this new friend for help.

Park Eun-hee opened the door, rubbing her sleepy eyes. When she saw Song Xiaomo covered in sweat, she opened her eyes wide in surprise and asked, "Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?"

Song Xiaomo's heart was still pounding, and after a long while, he managed to utter, "Do you believe in ghosts?" The fear that flashed in his eyes sent a chill down Park Eun-hee's spine.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Song Xiaomo repeated.

"Modern science has long denied the existence of ghosts, so I think that's your hallucination. Besides, isn't there a saying in China: 'If you haven't done anything wrong, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking at your door in the middle of the night.'"

Chapter 9: The Ghost Doll Returns (9)

“Actually, I don’t believe it either, but she just talked to me… She’s back, she’s back… She said I’ve seen her before. She must be the woman I saw the night before last, yes, it must be her, it’s her… It must be because I saw something I shouldn’t have seen, so she’s taking revenge on me… Help me…” Song Xiaomo grabbed Park Eun-hee’s wrist excitedly, muttering to herself.

"Xiao Mo, calm down. This is all your hallucination. You're too stressed. Maybe what I told you the night before last unintentionally became a suggestion, causing a negative psychological reaction in your brain. It's just a psychological phenomenon. As for ghosts and stuff, those are all negative psychological reactions. For example, 'false pregnancy' refers to a situation where some women, after marriage, desperately want to get pregnant. When they find their period is late and they start experiencing loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a craving for spicy foods, they think they are pregnant and go to the hospital. However, after examination and tests, the doctor finds that they are not pregnant. This is because the strong desire to get pregnant and the psychological factor of anxiety disrupt the normal functioning of the body's endocrine system, especially affecting the regulation of ovarian function by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, causing an increase in progesterone and inhibiting ovulation, resulting in temporary amenorrhea..." Park Eun-hee, as expected of someone who studies psychology, spoke fluently and vividly about theoretical knowledge.

Song Xiaomo didn't hear a word he said. He realized that Park Eun-hee couldn't possibly believe him. If this continued, he'd start to think he was delusional. It seemed he had to resolve all his questions himself. He decided to wait for "her" call and keep the appointment tomorrow.

"Okay, I feel better now. I'm so sorry to have disturbed your rest... Goodbye." Song Xiaomo walked out the door with a face full of apology.

"Okay, stop overthinking. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep. There's nothing to worry about," Park Eun-hee comforted her.

He nodded.

"Remember, don't look across the street anymore."

Back in his room, Song Xiaomo turned on all the lights. He was somewhat afraid of the dark, a darkness as dark as a tomb. Every time he closed his eyes, he would recall the events of the night before last. All signs pointed to the head he had seen that night being a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll shaped like a teru bozu). But who could be sure that what was wrapped in the white cloth wasn't a real head? For a moment, he felt as if the teru teru bozu was right in front of him. When he gently untied the square white cloth, he saw a bloody head roll out, and the head belonged to—himself!

"No!" Song Xiaomo screamed uncontrollably, sitting up like a corpse. He opened his eyes; it was still pitch black outside, and the wind howled in his ears. He couldn't sleep anymore. He threw off the covers, walked to the window, and looked towards the room opposite.

(5)

In a girls' dormitory in Building 14, two young police officers were busy questioning someone, completely unaware that a small white doll was hanging from the light blue curtains. That cute little thing had a lovely name—a teru teru bozu (Sunny Doll).

Chapter 10: The Ghost Doll Returns (10)

"He Zhiying, why didn't you call the police last night?" a tall policeman asked.

“It’s too late, and I’m worried about disturbing your sweet dreams. Besides… there doesn’t seem to be anything valuable in this next room,” the girl named He Zhiying replied calmly.

"Why do you say that? Have you been in this room?" another shorter policeman asked.

"Of course...of course not, I was just guessing. Officers, think about it, this room hasn't been lived in for a long time, what valuable things could it possibly contain?"

"Alright, tell me about what happened last night." The policeman frowned and picked up his pen.

“It was around midnight. I got up to get a drink of water and suddenly heard strange noises coming from next door. At first, I thought it was the sound of mice gnawing on a book, but upon closer listening, it sounded like something being rummaged through, mixed with light footsteps. So I concluded that a thief must have broken in. So, I quietly put on my clothes, grabbed a broom from behind the door, and resolved to catch the scoundrel. This should have been such a glorious and exciting operation, but…” He Zhiying paused deliberately, revealing a mysterious expression.

"Hurry up and say it, don't waste time," the tall policeman urged impatiently.

"But when I gently pushed open the door, a white shadow suddenly flashed before my eyes, like a ghost. I immediately thought of scenes from horror movies, and my head spun. When I came to my senses, the shadow had vanished without a trace. Next, I discovered that the lock on the door next door was intact, showing no signs of being pried open. I listened to the inside through the door, but there was nothing. It was really strange, like seeing a ghost. Considering it was already too late, I didn't call the police."

Are you sure he's the thief?

"Yes, sneaking around in the middle of the night, could it be a ghost?"

The tall policeman put down his pen, walked to the balcony, stood still and observed for a while. He concluded that the aluminum alloy security window was closed well, the outer iron bars were not damaged, and it was impossible for a thief to climb in through the window.

"Are you sure you heard me clearly? Was there really a thief inside? You know, the consequences of making a false report and deceiving the police are very serious. There are three possibilities: first, the thief has a key, possibly someone from around your dormitory; second, the thief knows how to pick the lock, stole the items, and then locked the door again; third, you're lying, and there was no thief at all." The two policemen's faces were clouded with worry. They had received He Zhiying's report early that morning and rushed over without even having breakfast. Who knew they would be assigned such a trivial case? They couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"I really didn't lie to you. The thief left behind important evidence when he fled. Look for yourself." In her haste, He Zhiying took down the teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll-shaped ornament) from the curtains.

"What? This thing? Haha, that's ridiculous!" The two policemen laughed incredulously. In the cases they knew, there were thefts of gold and silver jewelry, women's underwear, and even human organs, but they had never heard of anyone stealing such a small item. Could the thief be a mischievous child?

Chapter 11: The Ghost Doll Returns (11)

Hearing the police's mockery, He Zhiying pouted and muttered, "But that's the truth! If you want to know the truth, why don't you ask the building manager to open the door and go in to take a look?"

"Yeah, how could we be so confused today?" The tall policeman slapped his forehead hard, then told his partner to go find the administrator.

A barely perceptible smile played on He Zhiying's lips, and she felt her heart inexplicably quicken. From the first day she moved in, she sensed something unusual about the room next door. More than half a month had passed, and she still hadn't seen her female neighbor. Several times, she had inquired with her classmates in the surrounding dormitories, but they either didn't know or avoided the question evasively. All of this fueled her growing curiosity. She desperately wanted to see what was inside this mysterious room. It was like Pandora's box, drawing her in. Finally, the opportunity she had been waiting for arrived.

About five minutes later, the short policeman arrived with a plump female building manager. She was nearly fifty years old, with a face full of wrinkles, small eyes, and a small black mole near the corner of her eye.

"Hello, we'd like to ask what you were doing after midnight last night?" the tall man asked after showing his identification.

"Is there a problem? I locked the dormitory building's main gate at 11 p.m. last night and turned off the lights to rest. What happened? Why are you here?" The female manager looked surprised and uneasy.

"No, please don't worry, we just want to check if anything in this room has been stolen."

"It's impossible for a thief to have been in this room, absolutely impossible!" the female manager assured her confidently.

"But we received a report from the girl that someone had been in this room."

“Yes, Auntie, I even found some things left behind by the thief,” He Zhiying said, holding up a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll).

The female administrator froze on the spot, as if she had been greatly frightened, and couldn't utter a word for a long time. He Zhiying looked at the trembling woman with suspicion, and suddenly felt a sense of fear as well.

What exactly does a Teru Teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll symbolizing sunshine) mean? Why does it terrify her so much?

“Please open the door and let us in to take a look. That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?” the short policeman said.

"No, no. I'm afraid you'll disturb her." The female administrator shook her head frantically.

"Who is she? Is there someone inside?" He Zhiying's expression was somewhat surprised. The two policemen were also speechless.

"Sigh." The female administrator sighed softly and said, "This door hasn't been opened for two years. Nothing will be stolen. You should leave and not dwell on this matter anymore."

"I'm so sorry, but we have official business to attend to. We won't leave until we understand the situation. It's our duty as police officers, and we hope you can cooperate with us." The tall policeman immediately became alert. He felt that the female building manager was somewhat suspicious, and there must be some secret hidden in the room.

“That’s right, we’re just taking a quick look, it won’t take up much of your time,” He Zhiying said.

Chapter 12: The Ghost Doll Returns (12)

"No, that's not a place for you guys."

"What? Is there something unusual hidden in this room, or some unspeakable secret?" the tall man asked, staring intently into her eyes.

Seeing that the three people showed no sign of leaving, the female caretaker had no choice but to take out her key and say helplessly, "You probably don't know, but the girl who lived in this room was named Shen Meixuan, and she has been dead for two years. If you don't mind, you can go in and take a look."

"What? Dead for two years?" He Zhiying's mouth dropped open, unable to believe her ears. Just last night, she had found a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll made of teru teru bozu), and remembered that on the bottom corner of the white handkerchief were three words: Shen Meixuan. She had taken a liking to the little thing at first glance, and even slept with it in her arms all night, never imagining it was someone else's keepsake. Now, thinking about it, she felt incredibly frightened.

The door creaked open.

The room exuded a musty, decaying smell.

He Zhiying's eyelids twitched suddenly, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Her heart leaped into her throat.

My God, this is actually a funeral hall.

In the center of the room was a memorial tablet, and in something that looked like a shrine, Shen Meixuan's portrait and memorial tablet were enshrined.

He Zhiying was a naturally bold girl. She rushed ahead of the police and went to Shen Meixuan's memorial tablet. From the black and white portrait, one could see how beautiful Shen Meixuan must have been in life. A full oval face, clear, watery eyes, and long, slender eyebrows like crescent moons... He Zhiying felt a vague sense of jealousy.