I'm turning off the lights in the house when I hear the noise, it's a giggle and it's coming from

Layla's room, and first I'm ready to just let it go. But then I think about the last time I heard

her giggling. I had ducked my head inside the room with a smile in my face to look at my niece,

hoping she was finally coming out of her shell. But what I saw made me think just the opposite.

She was sitting on her bed, her back to me, and hugging her doll tightly. The doll's appearance

made me step back from the door. I still hadn't gotten used to it. Its eyes were completely white,

its face cracked and distorted at the mouth, giving it a lopsided grin. And as I stepped into the room,

I noticed that Layla wasn't just hugging the doll. She was squeezing it with all her might,

her little body shaking as if she were trying to suffocate the thing. When she saw I was in the room,

she stopped, putting the doll down and looking mutely up at me. I asked if she was okay,

but she didn't answer. She hadn't spoken a word to me since her parents, my sister and brother-in-law

were killed in a car accident. But even before that, my sister had told me she thought something

was wrong with Layla. Poor girl, she's at it hard, and she's my responsibility now.

As I move up the stairs after turning off the lights, I'm not sure if I should peek into the room or

not. Maybe the doll is some sort of coping mechanism. Maybe I should let it run its course.

I tell myself if the creepy doll is getting her to giggle, it's a good thing. But I'm not so sure.

It's been only a week since the accident. An accident Layla was there for. It's a miracle she survived,

given that both her parents died in the car crash. The child psychologist I contacted told me it takes

time. We have an appointment to see her tomorrow. So I stop outside her door, which is cracked open

a couple of inches, and peer inside. I can see Layla sitting on the side of the bed or back to me.

She's looking across to the other side of the room. I can't see what she's looking at,

but Layla seems to be having a good time. She's kicking her little legs and making humming sounds.

...