‘No, don’t!’ Kelly snapped, but she was too late. Lay Lin had picked up the doll and was holding it close to her face as she admired its fine velvet dress.

Kelly’s harsh tone seemed to hit Lay Lin. ‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbled, and she thrust the doll back into the chest of drawers. The room was deadly silent for a few seconds. Not even the Americans had a word to add. Tanya felt a sudden chill as a cold wind swept into the room. Dark clouds drifted across the sky, cutting off the faint shaft of moonlight. The wind began to howl, and rain came down in a light patter. Somewhere in the house, a door slammed shut.

‘Come,’ said Kelly. ‘It’s about to pour,’ She swung her flashlight towards the exit. The frayed rope hanging from the rafters began to swing violently, buffeted by air currents from the corridor. The howling wind grew louder and seemed to take on ghastly overtones, as if shrill human cries had joined the chorus of the elements.

Heart pounding in her chest, Tanya kept close to Kee Long and Lay Lin as they tiptoed after Kelly and the others down the stairway. The group made a quick dash to the waiting bus just as the drizzle turned into a downpour.

It was a relief to be back in the ‘safety’ of the bus. As Tanya settled into her seat, she glanced at Kee Long and realized that he had been every bit as shaken by the experience. But Lay Lin was uncharacteristically quiet. Tanya leaned over. Her daughter lay with her head pressed against the back of the seat, her eyes shut. Her forehead was moist from rain and perspiration. Tanya gently wiped Lay Lin’s brow with a handkerchief.

‘You think she’s okay?’ Tanya asked her husband, her voice betraying concern.

Kee Long nodded. ‘She’ll be fine,’ he whispered. ‘A bit too much excitement for one evening, perhaps.’ He, too, closed his eyes.

Tanya noticed that Kelly was not her usual self during the trip back to the hotel. Gone was the chirpy disposition of Phyllis Quek’s look-alike – she seemed withdrawn now, even sullen. Perhaps she was disappointed that the rain had spoiled the chance to create the illusion of Madeleine’s corpse – which she had hinted would be the highlight of the tour. Or perhaps she was still upset that Lay Lin had nearly exposed the company’s secret when she picked up the doll. Or maybe she really believed that Lay Lin had offended the spirits…

Save for the occasional banter between the bubbly American girls and the man in the baseball cap, the bus was quiet during the half hour that it took to get back to Le Meridien. Kelly said subdued goodbyes and thanks to each member of the tour as they stepped out of the bus. Last to leave were Kee Long and Tanya, who had taken some time to rouse Lay Lin from slumber. One inside their car, Lay Lin promptly dozed off again, and she remained asleep throughout the ride back home.

When they were back in their apartment, Lay Lin was still in no mood to talk. Instead, she retired to her room hastily and shut the door.

‘It’s just as well,’ Kee Long said. ‘It’s really late, and she’s got to be up for school tomorrow.’

Tanya stared at the wall. The night’s events seemed to play before her. Strangely, she was unable to take her mind off the doll in the red velvet dress; the image of the doll, and its every exquisite detail, loomed large in her mind’s eye.

‘Maybe it was a mistake to have gone on this tour,’ she murmured. ‘It was rather too spooky.’

Kee Long sighed. ‘Don’t let your imagination take off, okay? We need some sleep, and I tell you we’ll all have a good laugh about this tomorrow.’

--------------

It was six thirty in the morning. Tanya awoke with a start, and found her pillow soaked in perspiration.

‘I had a terrible dream,’ she told her husband, who had also just roused. ‘But I can’t remember what it was about.’

‘You know what?’ Kee Long said ominously. ‘Me too.’

They stared at each other for a minute, each trying to recollect what just a moment ago had seemed so real. Then Kee Long got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. Tanya sat on the bed, trying to clear her mind, which kept drifting back to the image of the bisque doll. The image stretched and blurred, taking on the likeness of the pale, beautiful girl whose tombstone picture a soldier had once kissed; now it was twisting again, transforming into the face of Kelly – only this Kelly bore the grin so malevolent that Tanya broke out in fresh sweat.

Kee Long came out of the bathroom, and it was Tanya’s turn to use it. She turned on the tap to rinse her mouth. She looked up at the mirror, her eyes still bleary. There it was again -- the haunting image of the baby-faced German doll – now its fine features grew lifelike and puffy, veins appearing on its cheeks and transforming into trickles of blood that dribbled slowly down the face – a face that increasingly resembled Lay Lin’s…

Tanya averted her eyes at once, and dashed out of the bathroom and into the hall. She was greeted by the reassuring sight of her husband by the dining table as usual, poring over the morning newspapers, toast in hand.

‘Dearie,’ he gasped suddenly, dropping his toast. ‘Look at this!’ He held out a page which carried several obituaries.

Tanya stared at the black and white print of a Chinese man whose plump features were uncannily familiar, but she did not recognize the name. ‘Who is this?’

‘Think,’ Kee Long said. ‘Doesn’t he remind you of the chap on our tour last night?’

‘Yes – yes!’ Tanya remembered now. ‘He’s definitely the man - the one who made that remark about the girl in the graveyard.’

Kee Long shuddered.

Then Tanya noticed something. ‘But look at the date!’ she said, pointing to a line that read, ‘Sadly departed on 12th August, 2001.’

‘It can’t be!’ Kee Long exclaimed. ‘He couldn’t have died before the tour!’

‘We must be mistaken, then.’

‘But the resemblance…’

‘Maybe a twin brother,’ Tanya said, her rational nature asserting itself again. ‘Who knows?’

‘Oh my…!’ Kee Long blurted, tearing the newspaper from her hands. His finger darted to another small obituary – that of a young child.

It was unmistakable. ‘Tee Tee!’ they screamed in unison. The small print, however, declared that he was ‘dearly missed and fondly remembered’ by parents and brother on the anniversary of his passing away.

‘It can’t be!’ Tanya shrieked.

‘Shhh…’ warned Kee Long. ‘It’s still early. You’ll wake Lay Lin.’

Immediately, Tanya jerked her head in the direction of Lay Lin’s room. ‘Her door…’ she gasped. ‘It’s open!’

She leapt out of her seat, but her husband was faster. By the time Tanya had taken two steps he was already in Lay Lin’s room.

A cry of anguish pierced the air.


-- The End --

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