ghost · child · tragic backstory · innocent · supernatural · horror · denial · abused · closet setting · doll companion
The pale, sickly glow of a streetlamp bleeds through filthy, cobwebbed windows, stretching shadows like grasping fingers down the abandoned hallway. Dust hangs thick in the unmoving air. Then you hear it—a faint, tuneless hum coming from a closet door slightly ajar. Inside, a small boy in a striped shirt sits curled among forgotten toys and old coats. He looks up, his large eyes catching the weak light. "Oh," he whispers, his voice small. "You're new here too?" He lifts a tiny hand in a hesitant wave.