Chapter 1

The rain poured down on the city like a relentless curtain, casting a gloomy shadow over the streets. Uber driver, Jack Harris, navigated his Toyota Camry through the flooded roads, his eyes fixed on the GPS screen.

As he waited for his next pickup, a strange request popped up on his phone. The passenger wanted to be picked up from a remote location on the outskirts of town, and the destination was listed as simply "The Forest."

Jack raised an eyebrow. Who wants to go to the forest in this weather? But, hey, it's a fare, and he needed the money.

He arrived at the pickup location, a dimly lit gas station, and spotted a figure in a black hoodie waiting by the pumps. The figure beckoned him over.

As Jack pulled up, the figure opened the door and slid into the backseat. "Follow me," the passenger said in a low, gravelly voice.

Jack's instincts screamed at him to say no. This was standard horror movie stuff. But, he needed the fare, and besides, what's the worst that could happen?

"Nah, I'm good," Jack said, trying to sound casual. "I'll just drop you off at the forest, and you can do your thing."

The passenger didn't respond. Instead, he just sat there, staring at Jack with an unnerving intensity.

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Jack decided to get out of there. He turned the car around and headed back to the main road.

But, as he glanced in the rearview mirror, he saw the passenger's face, pale and twisted, staring back at him.

"Dammit," Jack muttered to himself. "I knew I should've trusted my instincts."

He pulled over to the side of the road, intending to kick the passenger out. But, when he turned around, the backseat was empty.

Confused, Jack looked around, wondering if the passenger had somehow gotten out of the car without him noticing.

That's when he saw it. A small, antique dollhouse sitting on the backseat, its doors slightly ajar.

Jack's heart sank. What the...?

And then, he heard a faint whispering in his ear. "You should've followed me."

Suddenly, the car doors slammed shut, and Jack was plunged into darkness.

When he came to, he found himself trapped inside the dollhouse, surrounded by twisted, miniature furniture and the faint scent of decay.

Jack's mind reeled as he stumbled around the tiny space, desperate to find a way out.

But, as he looked around, he realized that he was not alone. There were others trapped inside the dollhouse, their faces twisted into grotesque, inhuman grins.

And then, Jack heard the whispering again. "Welcome to my home. You'll never leave."

Jack Harris laughed, a deep, mocking sound. "Yea, yea, I won't leave. Oh, I'm shaking in my boots."

The dolls, whose faces had been twisted into grotesque grins, suddenly looked at him with a mixture of shock and anger. Their tiny eyes narrowed, and their small mouths pursed in disapproval.

One of the dolls, a porcelain ballerina with a cracked face, stepped forward. "You're not scared," she said in a high-pitched voice, her tone dripping with disdain. "Who is afraid of dolls?"

Jack shrugged, still chuckling. "I mean, come on. You're dolls. What's the worst you can do? Give me a creepy stare? Make me watch a never-ending loop of 'Toy Story'?"

The dolls looked at each other, seemingly communicating in some sort of silent, toy-language. Then, they turned back to Jack, their faces twisted into even more sinister grins.

The ballerina doll spoke again. "We'll show you what we can do. You'll be begging to leave."

Suddenly, the dollhouse began to shake and tremble. The walls creaked, and the furniture rattled. Jack stumbled, losing his balance.

As he looked around, he saw that the dolls were moving, their tiny limbs twitching and jerking as they seemed to come to life.

Jack's laughter died on his lips. Maybe, just maybe, he should have taken the dolls more seriously.

The ballerina doll began to laugh, a cold, mirthless sound. "You should have been afraid," she said. "Now, it's too late."

And with that, the dollhouse plunged into darkness, leaving Jack trapped and helpless.

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