The Forbidden Paper Doll

Lu Zhi learned to make paper figures from her grandmother, who always said, “Never draw eyes on a paper figure. If you do, it’ll come to life.” After her grandmother died, Lu Zhi found a paper figure with eyes while sorting through her belongings. The words “Save me” were written on its back, and it wore the exact same clothes her grandmother had worn when she died.

The village elders told her, “Your grandmother made a paper figure out of her own soul to save you when you were gravely ill. Now the paper figure is about to disappear.” Following their instructions, Lu Zhi found a lock of her grandmother’s hair inside the figure. She tried drawing new clothes on it, and the paper figure slowly grew warm. That night, it opened its eyes and spoke in her grandmother’s voice: “Don’t learn the art of making paper figures. It costs you your life.” Then came the sound of paper figures moving outside the window. Only then did Lu Zhi realize that the paper figures throughout the village were slowly opening their eyes.