0:01
The haunted toy. It started with an
0:04
innocent gift. A simple secondhand
0:07
stuffed bear, worn but still in good
0:09
shape. Found at a thrift store by a
0:11
father, WF Joy. The first night,
0:15
everything was normal. Emma named the
0:17
bear Benny and insisted on sleeping with
0:20
it. Her father, Mark, kissed her good
0:23
night, turned off the lights, and left
0:27
The house was silent except for the soft
0:30
creeks that old houses often made.
0:34
The next morning, Emma was different. At
0:37
breakfast, she hummed a tune Mark hadn't
0:39
heard before. When he asked where she
0:41
learned it, she smiled. Benny taught me.
0:45
Mark chuckled. Oh, your teddy bear knows
0:48
songs. Emma just nodded, happily eating
0:51
her cereal. As days passed, Emma spent
0:54
more time talking to Benny. At first,
0:57
Mark thought it was adorable. Every
0:59
child had an imaginary friend at some
1:01
point. But soon, the things Emma said
1:04
began to unsettle him. Benny says, "He
1:07
knows you, Daddy. He knows when you were
1:09
little." Mark raised an eyebrow. "Oh,
1:13
what does he know?" Emma giggled. He
1:17
knows you used to hide in the closet
1:19
when you were scared and you had a dog
1:23
Mark froze. He had never told Emma about
1:27
Rusty. The dog had died when Mark was
1:30
only eight. It wasn't something that
1:32
came up in conversations.
1:35
"Who told you about Rusty?" he asked,
1:38
forcing a smile. "Benny did," she
1:42
replied, swinging her legs under the
1:46
Mark tried to shake it off.
1:48
Maybe she overheard something from his
1:50
parents or an old photo sparked her
1:52
curiosity. But deep down, an uneasy
1:56
feeling started to grow.
1:59
That night, as Mark passed by Emma's
2:01
room, he heard her whispering. Curious,
2:04
he leaned against the door, listening.
2:08
"Okay, Benny, I'll ask him tomorrow."
2:12
"Ask me what?" Mark wondered. He peeked
2:16
inside. Emma sat on her bed, facing the
2:19
bear, nodding as if listening to someone
2:22
speak. The room was dimly lit by her
2:24
nightlight, casting eerie shadows on the
2:27
walls. Mark stepped in. "Sweetheart, who
2:30
are you talking to?" Emma looked up, her
2:33
innocent eyes meeting his Benny. Daddy,
2:37
he says you had a brother, but you don't
2:43
Mark's breath caught in his throat, his
2:46
heart pounded. What? Your brother? The
2:51
one who fell. Benny says it wasn't your
2:56
Mark stumbled back, gripping the door
2:59
Nobody knew. Nobody. He had never spoken
3:03
about it. Never told anyone how his
3:06
younger brother Daniel had fallen from
3:08
the treehouse when they were kids. The
3:11
guilt had followed him all his life, but
3:14
there was no way, no possible way Emma
3:18
or anyone else could have known.
3:21
The air in the room felt heavy. The bear
3:23
sat motionless in Emma's arms. Its
3:26
stitched black eyes, staring blankly.
3:29
"Emma," Mark said, trying to keep his
3:32
voice steady. "Where did Benny come
3:34
from?" She shrugged. "You gave him to
3:40
But before that, did Benny tell you
3:45
Emma blinked. He said he had another
3:48
friend before me, but they didn't like
3:50
him anymore. So, he waited and waited,
3:57
A shiver ran down Mark's spine. He
4:00
couldn't do this. He needed to clear his
4:03
head. Time for bed, sweetheart. We'll
4:08
That night, Mark barely slept. His mind
4:12
raced, replaying old memories he had
4:16
The next morning, he made a decision.
4:21
After Emma left for school, Mark took
4:23
the bear and placed it in a trash bag.
4:26
He drove to the farthest dumpster he
4:28
could find and threw it in. The weight
4:30
on his chest lifted slightly. He told
4:32
himself it was just a coincidence, just
4:35
a child's imagination. But deep down he
4:40
That evening, Emma came home and went
4:42
straight to her room. Mark braced
4:45
himself for the tears, the questions,
4:48
but there was nothing, just silence. He
4:51
peeked into her room.
4:54
Emma sat on her bed, her hands resting
4:56
on her lap and in her arms was Benny.
5:01
Mark's stomach dropped. Emma,
5:05
where did you get that?
5:07
She smiled, stroking the bear's fur. He
5:11
came back. Daddy, he missed me. The room
5:14
felt colder. Mark swallowed hard. Emma,
5:18
I need you to listen. Benny isn't. The
5:21
lights flickered. A soft whisper almost
5:24
too low to hear echoed in the room.
5:27
Don't take me away again, Mark. Mark's
5:30
breath caught. The voice wasn't Emma's.
5:33
It wasn't his own. As they reached the
5:36
front door, a loud thud echoed behind
5:38
them. Mark turned. Benny lay on the
5:42
floor, staring up at them. The air felt
5:45
thick, almost suffocating.
5:47
He slammed the door behind them and
5:49
drove. He didn't know where, just away,
5:52
far away. Days passed. They stayed at a
5:56
motel trying to figure out what to do
5:58
next. Emma asked about Benny at first,
6:02
but Mark refused to answer. Eventually,
6:07
One night, as Emma slept beside him,
6:10
Mark sat in silence, his mind restless.
6:13
Then, his phone buzzed, a notification.
6:17
One new picture. He clicked it. It was a
6:20
photo of his house, the living room, and
6:23
sitting in the middle of the floor was
6:26
Mark's hands shook. Then another
6:29
notification. A message came. You can't
6:33
leave me, Mark. I won't let you. A chill
6:36
crawled up his spine. He turned off the
6:39
phone, pulled Emma closer, and
6:41
whispered, "I'm so sorry." Outside, the
6:44
wind howled, and in the darkness
6:46
somewhere far, or maybe closer than he
6:50
thought, something watched and waited.
