The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

The Porcelain Nightmare

The trees seemed to close in around Veronica as she stepped out of her car and onto the crumbling asphalt of the abandoned asylum's parking lot. The once-grand building loomed before her, its windows like empty eyes staring back. She shivered, despite the sweltering summer heat, and gazed out at the forest that surrounded the asylum. The trees seemed to lean in as if they were trying to listen to her every thought.

Veronica had always been drawn to the supernatural and the occult. As a paranormal investigator, she had explored countless haunted mansions, abandoned hospitals, and creepy cemeteries. But there was something about this place that felt different. Something that drew her in like a moth to a flame.

She grabbed her equipment bag from the trunk of her car and slung it over her shoulder. The weight of the cameras, audio recorders, and EMF meters was reassuring, a reminder that she was here to do a job.

As she entered the asylum, a chill ran down her spine. The air inside was thick with the scent of rot and decay. She fumbled in her bag for a flashlight and turned it on, casting flickering shadows across the walls.

Veronica began to explore, her footsteps echoing off the walls. She started in the main hall, where the reception desk still sat, covered in dust and cobwebs. She snapped photos and took readings with her EMF meter, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

As she made her way deeper into the asylum, she stumbled upon a door that seemed out of place. It was smaller than the others, with a sign that read "Play Therapy" in faded letters. Veronica's heart skipped a beat as she pushed the door open.

Inside, she found a room filled with old toys and games. There were dolls, action figures, and puzzles scattered across the shelves. But one thing caught her eye: a small, porcelain doll with a cracked face and a missing eye. It sat on a shelf, staring at her with an unblinking gaze.

Veronica felt a shiver run down her spine. Something was unsettling about the doll. She reached out a hand to touch it, and as she did, she swore she heard a faint whisper in her ear. "Don't touch me."

She spun around, but she was alone in the room. The whisper seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the walls. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched the doll.

As soon as she did, the lights in the room began to flicker. The air seemed to grow colder, and Veronica felt a presence around her. She turned to leave, but it was too late.

The doll's face began to change. Its cracked face seemed to heal, and its missing eye appeared, staring at her with an unblinking gaze. The doll's mouth twisted into a cruel smile, and Veronica felt a jolt of fear.

The doll began to move, its limbs twitching and jerking as it climbed off the shelf. Veronica stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet. She fell to the ground, her equipment bag flying out of her hands.

As she looked up, she saw the doll standing over her, its smile growing wider. Veronica scrambled to her feet, but the doll was too fast. It reached out and touched her face, and Veronica felt a wave of darkness wash over her.

When she came to, she was lying on the floor, her head throbbing with pain. The doll was nowhere to be found, but the room was in disarray. Toys and games were scattered across the floor, and the shelves were knocked over.

Veronica stumbled to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. She grabbed her equipment bag and ran from the room, not stopping until she was back in her car, speeding away from the asylum.

As she looked in the rearview mirror, she saw the doll standing in the parking lot, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. Veronica knew she had to get as far away from that place as possible. She floored it, the trees blurring together as she sped away from the haunted asylum.

But as she drove, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced in the rearview mirror, and for a moment, she could have sworn she saw the doll sitting in the backseat, its eyes fixed on her.

Veronica's heart skipped a beat as she realized that she might not have escaped the asylum after all. The doll might have followed her, and now it was coming for her.

She drove for hours, her mind racing with fear. Finally, she saw a sign for a gas station up ahead. She pulled in, her hands shaking as she filled up the tank.

As she paid for her gas, the attendant looked at her with concern. "You okay, miss? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Veronica hesitated, unsure of what to say. But as she looked out at the car, she saw the doll sitting in the backseat, its eyes fixed on her. She knew she wasn't safe.

"No," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not okay. I think I'm being followed."

The attendant's expression changed from concern to alarm. "By whom?" he asked, but Veronica just shook her head.

"Not who," she said. "What."

As she drove away from the gas station, Veronica knew that she would never be able to shake the feeling of being watched. The doll was out there, waiting for her, and it would never let her go.

Epilogue

The next morning, the police found Veronica's car abandoned on the side of the road. The engine was still running, and the headlights were still on. But Veronica was never seen again.

The police searched for her, scouring the woods and the asylum, but there was no sign of her. The case went cold, and the asylum was left to stand as a testament to the horrors that had occurred within its walls.

But some say that on quiet nights, you can still hear a car driving away from the asylum, the headlights fading into the distance. And if you listen closely, you can hear a doll's laughter, echoing through the trees.