My family and I were excited about moving into our new home
after spending time in shelters and staying with family and
friends. It had been a long journey, and finally, it felt as though life
was giving us a fresh start.
My husband worked while I stayed home caring for our two
children our six-year-old daughter, Kimberly, and our eight-year-
old son.
Kimberly loved dolls. For months she had been asking for a
particular one, but we simply couldn’t afford it.
While packing for the move, we came across an old toy box tucked
away in the attic. Inside was a beautiful, unusual doll.
It didn’t look brand new, but it wasn’t worn either.
It looked… preserved.
Kimberly’s eyes lit up.
“Mommy, can I keep her?”
I hesitated.
JASMINE: EVIL NEVER LETS GO 2Something about the doll made me pause, but I couldn’t explain
why. I knew how badly she wanted one. After thinking about it for
a moment, I told her yes but first I wanted to ask my roommate,
Romi.
When Romi came home, we showed her the doll and told her how
much Kimberly loved it.
She smiled.
“That’s fine,” she said. “It belonged to a former tenant who lived
here years ago.”
Then she added something that stayed with me.
“It’s a pretty creepy-looking doll,” she said with a laugh. “So be
careful with her.”
Creepy?
I laughed it off, but the word lingered in my mind longer than it
should have.