'True love shall lift the curse'

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"Hurry up Seto!" Mokuba skipped happily. "I want to try all the rides in here!"

"Coming." Seto muttered as he took from the vendor the sandwiches he bought for their lunch. "You have to eat first." He directed to Mokuba. "Here."

"But I hardly explored the whole park." He said as he began munching on his sandwich. "A day isn't enough here."

"We can go back here another day." Seto answered before he took a bite on his own as well.

"But when will that be?" Mokuba asked again as he ate his last bite. "You're always busy."

"Next year."

Mokuba moaned. Seto smirked. "Stop complaining." His phone suddenly rang. He picked it up lazily. "Hang on." He covered the mouthpiece and turned to Mokuba. "I thought you want to try all their rides?"

"I'll be going then." Mokuba waved happily to him as he went to the line for the roller coaster.

He went back to the phone as he walked towards a nearby bench. He sat down cross-legged. "I said I won't be back until by midnight. I already told you everything you need to now." Without any warning, he ended the line. Seto let out a sigh as he looked up in the sky and watched the cloud for a while. He looked down again and crossed his arms. He began observing his surroundings.

There were lots of people, in all walks of life, passing by. A little girl was jumping for joy as she held the balloon string on her hand. She smiled widely as she ran back to her parents and they continued on walking. Then there were a group of friends chatting happily about the thrilling rides in the park. Across the street, where the shops were lined up, there was a little boy being shushed by his mother as he pointed on the candies displayed on the window. On the next store beside it was a girl clinging on her boyfriend's arm as she pointed excitedly to a stuffed toy. Then there were also some children running around.

Amidst everything that was happening, something suddenly caught Seto's attention. A pair of sapphire eyes met his. He almost sat up in surprise but then retreated back in place as he realized what it was. "Idiot." He told himself.

When the crowd seem to clear, he saw a souvenir shop. The pair of eyes he saw belonged to a life-sized doll displayed at the shop's window. Its details were almost alive. It has long brown hair that reached until her waist, pink cheeks, cherry lips and fair skin. But most especially, its sapphire eyes that gave him some chills. Seto didn't know for what particular reason why for the second time he looked unto them, he seemed to be drawn towards it. He can't keep staring at them.

"Big brother?" Mokuba waved again at Seto's face for the third time in a row. "Are you okay?"

Seto snapped out of his trance. "W-what?"

"You've been staring blank for the whole two minutes you didn't even notice me." Mokuba tilted his head a bit. "What are you staring at anyway?"

"Nothing. I was just… thinking of something." Seto stood up. "Why? Do you need anything?"

"Actually, yes." Mokuba grabbed on Seto's hand and started pulling him. "Let's go at that souvenir shop. I think I want to buy something."

"There?" He asked as he resisted Mokuba's pull and stood still.

"Something wrong big brother?"

"Nothing. Let's go." Seto began to walk before Mokuba.

"Wait for me!"

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As soon as they got in, Mokuba began scanning every merchandise in there. The shopkeeper greeted them happily and delightedly assisted Mokuba. Meanwhile, Seto just stood by the door and closely watched Mokuba. Out of nowhere, he suddenly felt uneasy as if someone was watching him as well. But there were only the three of them in there that time. He carefully searched with his eyes around. Nothing. He heard something behind him, by the window on his left. He turned around and almost jumped in surprise. He nearly forgot that the doll he saw earlier was in there. He let out a sigh and looked back again at the doll. His eyes widened. Its eyes… they were looking at him? He shook his head trying to wear off the feeling. He blinked his eyes a couple of times before looking back at the doll. It was looking straight outside again.

'What the hell's happening in here?' he asked himself. 'Did I just saw it looking at me?'

"Excuse me sir, but is something wrong?" the shopkeeper asked him.

"H-huh?" Seto turned to the shopkeeper surprised.

"Seto I'm done!" Mokuba announced. "Shall we go now?"

"Is it about the doll?" the shopkeeper asked again.

"I-how-did…?" Seto faltered.

The shopkeeper chuckled lightly. "Everyone who comes here always tells me that the doll watches them. Creepy isn't? Sure it was when it was brought here, but I've gotten used to it anyway."

"What is he talking about Seto?" Mokuba asked curiously.

"Shh…" Seto just waved a hand at Mokuba and turned back to the shopkeeper again. "I saw it looking at me when I was still sitting there a while ago and when I was standing here." He suddenly had a spark of interest. "You said it was brought here, where did it come from?"

"It was originally belonged to the former wife of the owner of this park." The shopkeeper began. "He said she just found it one day. Since they had no child, he let his wife take it. She spent all her time taking care of the doll as if it was real. But then, one day his wife died for an unknown reason even the doctors didn't figure it out. He grieved of course. About a month later, every night the man would always hear someone crying. He investigated where it came from and eventually found out that it came from the room where he would always find his wife, where the doll was. He got scared because of it so he decided to get rid of the doll. But then, it would always come back to the room. The man thought it was a joke. He got angry to all of his maids that he fired them all. Then he decided to burn the doll. After all of what happened, he was finally able to move on and start a new family again."

"What happened to the doll?" Mokuba asked enthusiastically. He was too, like Seto, caught up in the story.

"Seven years later, and his daughter celebrated her fifth birthday. The day after her birthday, she ran to her father and thanked him happily for giving her another gift. The man wondered but he didn't show, not wanting her to be upset. His daughter took him to her room. He was both shocked and horrified to what he saw. It was the doll he burned seven years ago. And it came back to the room again, its former room actually. To cut the story short, he decided to take it away here just to keep it away from his family, most especially his only daughter. If you notice.." the shopkeeper went over to the doll and raised its long skirt a bit, enough to show its feet locked in chains. "He locked it because he thought it might com4e back again. Sure his daughter grieved for the doll. She's all grown up now and she's the one who manages this shop because of that doll." The shopkeeper went back to the register. "That's all I have to tell."

"Wow. The story's really amusing." Mokuba said. "Where's the owner's daughter?"

"Oh, madam? She just went out for lunch with her children. Do you need anything from her?"

"No." Seto answered for Mokuba. "We're leaving now." He pulled Mokuba and headed for the door.

"Okay then. Thank you sir and good day." the shopkeeper bid them and he went back sorting some key chains.

They went out hastily.

"We're going home now." Seto told Mokuba as he took out his phone and made a call.

"But… why!" Mokuba asked both surprised and dejected. "You promised me…"

"Because I said so." Seto answered him plainly. "The car's already waiting."

Mokuba frowned.

"I'm tired…" He was forced to say as an excuse. "I want to rest."

"Are you not feeling well big brother?" Mokuba asked worriedly.

Seto just nodded.

"Why didn't you say so?" he clung unto his arm. Just as they had started to walk, Mokuba suddenly stopped. "Wait!" he quickly turned around and waved his hand.

Curious, Seto turned around also. He saw it again. But this time, it was smiling at them, or him rater. And its face looked so gentle, like an angel. He looked down at Mokuba then back to the shop again. He saw the shopkeeper at the door, waving to Mokuba. He snorted and turned to go. The story of the doll must've rubbed on him. "Let's go Mokuba."

"Coming!"

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yinrei: hmmm…. well that's it for my first chapter… i have not much to tell.. please be honest with your reviews.. i'm begging you!.. hehe.. i know i have tons more improvements to make.. 'til the next chapter!..