It Started with the Doll… Then Stayed | After Midnight

It started with something small—easy to overlook and even easier to explain away. A doll from a thrift store, nothing unusual at first, just another toy added to a room that was always shifting slightly from day to day.

For a while, it blended in. Then the changes started to stand out. Not in obvious ways, and not all at once, but just enough that she began to question whether she was remembering things correctly. The more she paid attention, the harder it became to ignore.

At first, the answer felt simple. Get rid of...