text: Children tend to be neglectful of these toys. Some leave them on the floor while others set them in dark boxes or closets never playing with them at all. Most of the toys in a child's bedroom are safe getting treated that way, but there are some toys who will not stand for it. How do I know this you ask? Well, I lived it and now I'm typing this to share the story with you. May it serve to keep you from making the same mistakes I made in my youth. As a child, I like many others, had a lot of toys. Now electronics in my day hadn't quite become nearly so big as they are now. Computers ran Windows 98, people had CD's but most kids still had tape players, TVs had commercials and there wasn't a tablet or DS in sight. The Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega, and Game boy did exist, but they were fairly expensive. VHS players were generally kept in the living room and only there was the TV. Children read books, played with toys and outside on bikes, roller skates, skateboards, and an odd Pogo stick or two. To most kids in this time I'm sure I sound old, but technology grew so fast. Being a child growing up in a quickly booming technological world was a marvel to watch, but as with all things magnificent there are consequences. My problem started with the day my parents surprised me with a TV and Super Nintendo for my room. Until then I spent a good deal of time playing with my action figures, dolls, marbles, coloring books, puzzles, etc. but after I began to play Super Mario, Zelda, Star Fox, and many others I left my non-electronic toys behind. First I would still play with them a little, but as I lost interest I stuck them into a Rubbermaid tub and put them in my closet. Three months after I put the toys away I began to have nightmares of the toys coming to get me, and I'd wake up screaming which drew my parents to the room. They would calm down, say it was just a dream, and tell me if I picked my toys off the floor perhaps I wouldn't have bad dreams anymore. I tried to tell them I had picked my toys up but they were on the floor and I was an imaginative child so I can understand why they didn't believe me. I was terrified so I went to the library to see if I could find anything that might help with possessed toys. Back then there was a card catalog system which isn't as effective as the computer system there is today. That being said, I spent hours searching but to no avail; however, just as I was about to give up I noticed a sign in for one of three computer the library owned. There were one hour blocks marked off and a free computer so I signed up and received the pass-code to sign in. I looked for the next hour I was allotted, but it came up with storied of other people being possessed or of objects being possessed. I even tried looking up hauntings but nothing stuck so I went home. That night I had to put a chair against the closet door just to get to sleep, but it didn't help for when I awoke I found the toys spread all about the room with the closet door wide open. It was still dark outside but the clock said 630 am so I knew the sun would rise soon. I was afraid to leave my bed until it did but as it turned out I didn't have to because, as though it knew I was awake, I felt a tugging on my blankets. Turning I saw Emily right before I closed my eyes to pretend to sleep. The moving stopped for a time then a soft voice whispered in my mind, “I know you're awake.” I screamed once again calling my parents to my room tripping over toys only to find me in my bed alone save for Emily. They were good about it and told me it was okay to be scared, but I really needed to pick up my toys from now on. Then we all went downstairs and my mom started making breakfast. Emily was a doll with ginger hair wearing a green and white stripped dress with white stockings and blackish boots. I had gotten her one Christmas a bout a year ago. My family had went on a vacation of sorts. We had taken off at the beginning of the holidays and traveled to all of our relatives houses. It was special because they lived far enough away we didn't see them very often. I remember I met my cousin Leo at Aunt Cheryl's for the first time, but other than driving and a lot of legs and waists I don't remember much. There had been presents at every house but none of them had been Emily. I received her once we finally got home. The night we arrived back home my parents said it was too late to open presents so we went to bed and I remember counting mine to satisfy my curiosity. The strange thing was the next day when we opened them I noticed in the light one of my presents was wrapped in black paper. I had mistook it for red the night before but young as I was it didn't stop me from ripping there wrapping off to find Emily inside. Her name was written on a card taped to her dress. My dad asked who sent the present as I generally opened first and asked questions l;later, but there wasn't a name on the gift just my name written on the outside. Mom and dad just smiled looking a little confused, but there were other presents so I just kept going and didn't even remember the incident until today. “I wish I had never opened Emily's box,” I said aloud. “What? Emily?,” my Mom called from the kitchen, “Why?” “I'm not sure,” I said,”I just don't like her. I think somethings wrong with her.” “Well if she bothers you that much we can drop her at the Caring Hands place for needy kids,” my dad said, “ Why don't you go get her?” I ran up the stairs relieved to my room only to fall with a thump on the floor. I sat up to see an old teddy bear I must have tripped over so I kicked it. “Stupid bear!,” I said turning towards the bed and starting to get up yet as I raised myself I froze in terror. Emily was right in front of me. She reached out and touched me on the head and I heard the voice again, “Silly creature, lose me and you will lose your life. I am more than you could ever know. Perhaps you should visit Gretel Chambers if you don't believe me.” I fell dazed to the ground as Emily strode to the bed and climbed up to the mattress. I went downstairs and told my parents I couldn't find her, which they accepted. Then after breakfast I went out to the library to find a Gretel Chambers. The phone book was helpful only there were a lot of G. Chambers so I looked online. After an hour I found a nursing home address not too far away, but before I could close the internet out a librarian came over to let me know my time was past up. I apologized, left, and made my way to the Sunnydale Retirement Home to visit Gretel. They let me in, I think, because they were happy to have someone of the younger generation come to visit. Soon after I found myself across from an old lady around 80 or so with white hair, deep wrinkles, and dark blue eyes. “Mrs. Chambers,” I started, “ I have a question.” “Yes?,” she said in a curious tone. “It's about a doll I received for Christmas last year,” I said. “Was it a female with ginger hair dressed in a green and white stripped dress with white stockings and black shoes?,” she asked concerned. “Yes, do you know..” my breath caught in my throat. “It came in a black box with no label save your name on the outside?,” she suggested. “Well,yes but..,” I began but she interrupted. “It's cursed.” “What?!,”I exclaimed. “It's cursed,” she repeated, “ Listen, a long time ago when I was but a child I received the doll myself. I loved it, you know, but I grew up. In those days we had the radio and I would play with Emily while listening to the broadcasts, but then along came television. The more shows it had the less attention I paid to her, but it was not only that, I also had a bit of a wild streak. I'd sneak out at night, leave my room a mess, and wouldn't do my school assignments. It wasn't long till I began to hear the voice in the night telling me to behave, and saying to take care of my toys. I didn't sleep so well after that but I was stubborn, refusing to change. Then I began to grow weaker and weaker wasting away while the affliction began to age me. How old would you say I am?” “80 maybe 90,” I replied. “I just turned 45 this month,” she said dryly. I paused, shocked and she continued, “ I eventually drug myself from my bed and picked up my things. I couldn't do much at a time, but I guess what I could do was enough because I quit hearing the voice and began to grow stronger. I was still afraid so I decided after I was caught up on my schoolwork to get rid of all of my toys. Unfortunately I succeeded and that night she returned. She told me to check on Beatrice Summers for if I removed her again she would kill me. As it was she laid a curse upon me one year is two she said. I found Beatrice who told me a similar story to that I'm telling you only she was to speak to Bella Constance and Bella was to speak to Agatha and Agatha to Katarina from Katarina to Sarabeth and so on. I knew one day a girl would come to hear my tale just as one will come one day to you. Now, listen closely, this is what she is. Ages past a witch was a toy maker in the village, both of which names are lost, she always gave toys out to the children until one day when the hunt came. The great witch hunt, and the children sold her out which eventually caused her death yet before she died she sent her essence out in a spell to every toy she had ever made. These toys are very special for they cannot be destroyed. They feed on your very life force, but only if you're bad, and they only leave you once you become a teenager or once you mature enough to make the right choices whichever happens first. If she is with you now all I can say is listen and behave. Don't give her cause or she will suck up your life force and you will end up like me,” she coughed weakly and blood flew from her mouth into a tissue she tried to raise in time. I got a nurse, thanked her for her time, and went home only it was too late. As I entered the house my parents told me they had gotten Emily a better home. I cried bitter tears as they tried to comfort me, but couldn't. Finally I fell asleep and woke to Emily standing on my bed a dark look on her face. “One for two,” she said simply and since then it has been so. I think the life these toys take keep them alive somehow but I still don't know how they choose their victims, and I don't suppose I ever will. I am currently 23 and I look around 36, which although bad isn't what concerns me. What keeps me up at night all these years since she left is this. How much of my life did she take? How many years exactly? Gretel looked twice her age and I only look ten years over mine. Does that mean I'm going to die soon? If I do who will warn the next child? I typed this in case I do, and all I hope is someone reads it and understands. Someone who knows, as I know, how real it is before they make the same mistake I made.