That night, Rini returned to her parents' rented house after finishing her assignment on campus. The sky was dark and a thick fog covered the streets. No sound of vehicles or footsteps could be heard other than the sound of the wind that occasionally touched the fallen leaves. The big house he lived in was cheap, but it was very old and neglected. Most of the rooms in the house were empty, including the next room which only contained old and dusty furniture, never used.
It was already eleven o'clock, and exhaustion had begun to creep into her body. Rini closed the back door quietly and locked the door with a rattling sound. Without thinking about anything else, she walked to her dark room, thinking only of going to bed. But, after only a few steps, she heard a rustling sound in the next room-a sound that came from the direction of the empty room.
At first, Rini tried to ignore it. Maybe it was just a mouse or the wind coming through the cracks in the window, she thought. However, the sound became clearer and clearer. There was a sound like a chair being moved slowly, the scraping of wood tickling the quiet of the night. Her heart began to pound, but she tried to calm herself, convincing herself that it was just a hallucination due to fatigue.
However, as she switched off the light in her room and tried to close her eyes, there was a soft tapping sound coming from the wall next to her room. ‘Knock... knock... knock...’ The sound was regular, and it felt so close. An unnatural tapping, not like the sound of the wind or other objects falling. Rini straightened up, her breath hitching. With trembling hands, she reached for the torch lying beside her bed.
Trying to gather courage, she got up and walked towards the wall. The knocking sounded clearer and more regular, as if someone had deliberately carved it into the darkness. Slowly, her steps drew closer to the empty room that always felt eerie. As Rini stood right in front of the wall, the knocking stopped instantly. However, before she could think further, there was the sound of a small laugh that was so quiet, but terrible. Like the sound of a child laughing in a dark room. The laughter made Rini's body stiffen, and her hair stand on end.
The laughter was followed by the sound of clanking toys, as if a ball or toy car was rolling across the floor. Rini felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. She tried to remain calm, but fear began to overcome her. Carefully, she opened the door to the empty room. The door handle creaked loudly, filling the quiet air with a sound that shook her heart. The door opened slowly, revealing a pitch-black room.
Trembling, Rini switched on the torch and shone the light into the room. In the corner of the room, she saw something unusual. An old chair that was previously empty was now occupied by a small child. The child's head was bowed, her hair long and tangled, covering her face. Rini felt her body stiff, unable to move. The more she looked at it, the more she felt something was wrong. The atmosphere in the room became heavier, as if time had stopped for a moment.
Suddenly, the boy raised his head. His face was pale, his eyes were blank, and a strange smile graced his lips. An unnatural smile. Rini wanted to scream, but her voice was locked in her throat. The boy began to stand up, his steps slow but sure, like there was a force pushing him closer. Rini backed away little by little, but her body felt increasingly tired and stiff. ‘Give me back my toys...’ whispered the boy in a hoarse voice that sounded so close to Rini's ears.
But Rini could not move, as if something was holding her in place. The child drew closer, her pale smile growing wider. Her face was only an inch away from Rini's. Rini felt her breath catch, her eyes opened wide, and her heart raced. The torch she was holding suddenly died, leaving them in total darkness.
And the last sound she heard was a cold whisper repeated in her ear, ‘Give me back my toy... Give it back...’
The next morning, the owner of the house came to check. She was shocked to see Rini's room empty, not a trace or a thing left, except for one horrible thing. In the middle of her bedroom floor, lay a dusty old doll, with a smile that looked stranger than ever, as if waiting for someone to accompany that smile.