This is my ghost story. The incident occurred in the same city where this true ghost story took place. I was nine years old back then. Every Christmas time, me and my family (along with my relatives) would spend a week or so out of town in a city where the scent of Pine trees gave off the most lovely, crisp scent and where the air is pleasantly cold. I remember one afternoon very, very well for reasons that I have nothing to smile about…
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I was sprawled out in one of the beds, thrilled with one of the Christmas gifts I’ve received: a sketch set of Barbie with fashion templates. I was all alone in the room, content and busy with my new toy. As I was outlining and drawing, a sound broke the stillness of the room. Surprised but not alarmed nor scared, I looked up at no one and nothing in particular. The sound was gone and there was no one else in the room but me. Dismissing it as a part of my imagination, I went back to what I was doing. No sooner than I did, the sound started again. This time, when I looked up, my gaze went directly to the toy perched on the bed my parents occupied. It was my sister’s toy, the little electric piano where there were different animals attached to it. You press on an animal and it will make a sound. Press a sheep and it will bleat. Press a cow and it will moo. The piano came with nursery songs as well and at that moment, it was playing “Old McDonald.”
Thinking that someone left it turned on and that the toy was broken, I scrambled out of my bed, crossed the room and grabbed the toy. I looked for the switch and true enough, it was turned on. Satisfied that I had fixed the problem, I went back to my own bed and went about to continue my creation. Only…
Only to have that toy start playing on its own again. I sat up then and there, gaping at the toy sitting on my parents’ bed. My nine year-old mind could not soak in what was happening quickly enough. And so I sat there frozen in surprise mixed with fear this time. I waited for it to stop playing but it went on and on.
My imagination kicked in and I thought with fresh terror that soon I would see the ghost playing with that toy. Finding my voice, I let out a childish scream and then ran out of the room. I went straight to the room across the hall, where our housekeepers and my barely a year-old sister were. The housekeepers were laughing and talking but when they saw my face, they abruptly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” One of the asked me, concerned.
My mouth opened but no words came out. Finally, I managed to choke out, “Our room… The toy…” I gestured at our room and one of them started to go to the room I’ve been in a few seconds ago. I followed her, scared but thinking maybe now that I’m no longer alone then the ghost would stop playing.
I tailed after our housekeeper and as she peeked inside our room, I could still hear the toy playing by itself. I dared not look again inside, but then I then screamed out, “The toy! No one is playing with it! I turned it off but it’s still playing!”
Our housekeeper must’ve seen the same thing because she shut the door with a scream and then told our other housekeeper to get out of their room. With my baby sister perched in her arm, our other housekeeper went with us and all four of us ran down the stairs and out of the house, panic-stricken and out of breath.
—
I forgot what happened after that. However, until this day I can still remember that moment — how the silence was broken by that toy, how I went over to it to turn it off only to witness it play by itself not even a full minute after turning it off.
Horror Spot 