Cursed Marionette

I was doing a mukbang stream in my dorm room, working through two giant bowls of food.

Then messages popped up, "Stop eating, or you'll make money but won't live long enough to enjoy it."

We were all just joking around.

The streamer I was matched with for a live battle suddenly said, "The doll behind you is watching. If you don't want to die, throw it away."

1

I stopped chewing, annoyed.

Before I could respond, my chat blew up.

"Who even says stuff like that? We're just messing around, dude, don't be nasty."

"That doll has been with Davina since she started streaming. It's her lucky charm! Don't talk nonsense."

"If you can't win the stream battle, just say that. No need to bring bad vibes to our stream!"

"Oh, a 'mystic' streamer, huh? Trying to steal viewers? Let's report him!"

The guy was Ethan-a young, good-looking fortune-teller I'd randomly matched with.

His boy-next-door charm had drawn in quite a few of my viewers, which, understandably, annoyed my regulars.

Curious, I checked his profile.

Ethan-Fortune-telling stream. Send a high-tier gift for a reading. Full refund if I'm wrong.

The top-tier gift on this platform costs $400 each.

So he was here to farm new followers.

I was about to end the stream and block him when he suddenly spoke up, his voice urgent. "The doll behind you is a man-eater. Get rid of it now, or it'll be too late!"

Anything with the word "man-eater" sounded terrifying.

My hand froze.

I glanced at the doll. Its round, glossy eyes stared back at me, a wide grin stretched across its face. It had delicate, almost human-like features, even carrying a hint of warmth.

Didn't look dangerous at all.

I frowned. "This doll was a gift from my best friend. Don't make stuff up-you might ruin our friendship."

Messages popped up in the chat. "LMAO, a man-eating doll? What's next, a man-eating plant?"

"No way people are actually falling for this, right?"

"Davina, just cut the stream already. Don't let him leech off your audience!"

Viewers flooded the chat, urging me to end the call. My cursor hovered over the exit button.

Then, as if a thought had just struck him, he asked, "Do you live alone? Or did your roommate give you that doll?"

I froze.

After graduation, I'd fallen into every trap possible-scammed by shady landlords, cheated by bad roommates.

Then I met my current roommate. Kind, beautiful, and generous, she took me in when I had nowhere to go.

Chat caught on to my hesitation. "Judging by Davina's face, he might be onto something."

"That's not a big deal. Her roommate's been on stream before. Guessing she has one isn't exactly impressive."

I exhaled.

Right. My roommate had appeared on my streams before.

She was a great cook, always making me food for my mukbangs.

But... I'd never mentioned that the doll was a gift from her.

A chill ran down my spine.

Ethan's expression darkened.

"Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?"

I nodded.

Insomnia had been killing me for two weeks-I couldn't fall asleep until 3 AM.

I thought it was just the stress of streaming.

"The place where that doll is sitting? It's a major energy drain. That's why you can't sleep."

Before I could react, he asked, "Does your roommate come into your room late at night? Around midnight? Stays for about half an hour?"

My eyes widened, then I nodded again.

My viewership shot past 20, 000.

Some commented, "Damn, I came here for food, not a horror movie."

"That's normal. I'm in college, my roommate checks on me too. Not a big deal."

Others said, "Does she do it every night, though?"

"If you think that's normal, I hope all your future roommates are just like that."

"Dude... her roommate sounds kinda creepy."

"A normal roommate wouldn't invade someone's space like that. Take notes, ladies."

Mukbang streamers often have health issues- stomachaches, sore throats, digestion problems.

Unfortunately, I had them all.

I usually streamed until 11:50 PM, spending the rest of the night dealing with my body falling apart.

Every time I went to the bathroom, she would come in, saying she was cleaning up my trash.

By the time I came back, my room was spotless. I was too exhausted to clean myself, so I let her.

But her timing was... eerily precise.

One night, with a big audience and some generous supporters, I decided to push my stream to 12:30. More time, more money.

At exactly midnight, my door creaked open. She stood there, surprised.

She told me not to stay up so late, that I should take care of my health. That she had to wake up early to prep ingredients for the next day.

I was touched.

I ended the stream immediately.

Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts. "The doll is male. And when she gave it to you... it wasn't whole, was it?"

My heart pounded.

When she first gave me the doll, there was a stitched-up tear on its back.

She told me not to worry about it-some kid in her family had ripped it open to play with the stuffing, so she sewed it back up.

I suddenly felt cold all over.

2

Ethan's voice dropped lower. "Your roommate is keeping something in that doll. It's her boyfriend. And when you turn into a doll, it'll be his turn to return to life."

Silence. Some viewers spammed laughing emojis. Others... weren't so sure.

"Just toss it, Davina. Better safe than sorry."

"Yeah, what's the harm in throwing it out?"

"Bruh, he's just trying to scare you."

I clenched my hands. My mind was spinning. Half my chat was urging me to get rid of it. The other half was eating up the drama.

"Do it. Now."

Ethan's tone was sharp.

Apologizing to my roommate in my head, I reached for the doll.

Huh?

It was heavier than I remembered.

I headed for the door. Before I could touch the handle-

The door swung open.

She stood there. "Davina, I brought you some food."

Her gaze flickered to my hands. Her smile froze. "Why did you move it?"

Before I could answer, she stepped forward, took the doll from my grip, and placed it back where it was.

"Didn't I tell you? Keeping it there brings luck to your career." She looked at me. Steady. Unblinking.

I suddenly felt guilty.

I graduated from a less prestigious college. My job applications went nowhere.

Rejection after rejection.

She was the one who encouraged me to stream.

But the streaming world was brutal. Newcomers barely stood a chance.

On my first day, I had exactly one viewer.

Then she gave me that doll.

She said it had brought her luck for years. That meeting me was fate, so she was passing it on.

I believed her.

I placed the doll facing my desk as she suggested.

And the next day, my stream exploded.

Within a month, I had over two million followers.

"Keep going, Davina. Earn enough, and we can relax together." Her voice was warm. Reassuring.

I sat back down. Fried chicken sat on my desk, still steaming.

How could I doubt her?

She was the only person who had ever truly cared for me after my graduation.

It was wrong to squander her kindness for a stranger's words.

After she left the room, I reached for a drumstick. Just as I took a bite, Ethan spoke.

His voice was eerily calm. "Are you sure you want to eat that? The fried chicken leg... mixed with ashes?"