When Mary was six, Aunt Martha came to her house, after spending two years in Africa. She had done some well-known researches on voodoo magic and evil paranormal influences in the lives of people. She had even won an award or two for her efforts. She was on a two-month long vacation, after finishing her thesis. Even before she came, Mary’s mother and father used to discuss the strange subject she had chosen to research and Mary got rather afraid of things they used to say about her.

Mary's father said that Aunt Martha was strange, even as a child, and used to scream through nights and throw her books and playthings around, for no apparent reason. Next day, Mary's grandmother used to make her pick up her things and she always insisted that she was not the one to throw things and always blamed it all on her doll. When she was around 10, Aunt Martha suddenly declared that she wanted to go and study in a boarding school. Mary's grandmother agreed to send her to a boarding school.

Just before she was leaving for the school, Martha said to Mary's grandmother, “Mom, I know you never believed me. But I never did anything wrong. It was my doll. I have thrown her in the river now, but I am still afraid that she will seek vengeance on me for the act. So, I am leaving. If something happens to me, please believe me for once.” Then, she went off for school and since then, she always found excuses to avoid coming back to the place. Mary's family still lived in the grandmother’s house and nothing had ever happened to them.

When Aunt Martha came, Mary was reluctant to talk to her, but she soon found out that her aunt was very sweet and nice. She brought many presents for Mary and looked quite sane. Then, one night, Mary brought out the topic of the scary doll and Aunt Martha suddenly grew pale. She told Mary that she still maintains that it was not she who threw the things, but it was her evil doll. She had tried to lock it in the cabinet, throw it in the dustbin, cut it to pieces and even burn it, but it always managed to somehow come back on her dresser, with an evil grin on her face, challenging Martha to get rid of it.

Aunt Martha also said that it was the doll that used to throw things and even scream in her voice, while she used to hide herself in the blanket and sob silently, until someone came in to lash at her. Mary listened to her with a skeptic’s heart. Aunt Martha’s room was now being used as the family room and at the place, where her dresser was kept, was now the fireplace. Aunt Martha was still thinking about her previous days and Mary was trying to decide whether to believe her or not

Suddenly, Mary heard a loud piercing scream. She naturally looked at Aunt Martha, who was dead white, her lips pursed tightly together and two tears about to roll from the corner of her eyes. She was staring at something. Mary looked where she was looking and her eyes fell on an old rag doll, with an evil grin, on the fireplace, staring directly at Aunt Martha. It was definitely not there a moment before. The very next day, Aunt Martha went back, though she had promised to stay 20 more days. Mary never saw the doll again and she never even wanted to.