Something Was Rocking in the Nursery

Hi Buddies, I am from Indonesia. My real story...

I thought the babysitting job would be easy. The parents told me the baby usually sleeps through the night, so I brought my headphones, expecting a quiet shift.

Around midnight, the house felt… different. Too quiet. The kind of silence that makes you notice every little sound. That’s when I heard it—a soft lullaby coming from the nursery.

At first I smiled, thinking maybe the baby had one of those musical toys. But then I remembered… the parents never mentioned anything like that. And the door to the nursery was still closed.

I stood there for a moment, just listening. The lullaby sounded slow… almost off, like it wasn’t meant to comfort anyone. My chest started to feel tight, but I told myself I was just overthinking.

I grabbed my phone and walked toward the door. My hand hesitated on the handle before I slowly pushed it open. The room was dark except for the faint light from the window. The baby was still asleep in the crib.

But the rocking chair in the corner was moving.

Not gently. Not like someone had just gotten up. It was rocking in a steady rhythm… back and forth… back and forth…

I raised my phone light and pointed it toward the chair.

That’s when I saw it.

The porcelain doll sitting on the chair… moving with it. Its head slightly tilted, its glassy eyes catching the light. For a second, I swear it felt like it was looking straight at me.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think. The lullaby stopped the moment the light hit it. The chair slowed… then went completely still.

I don’t remember backing out of the room, but I know I did. I stayed in the hallway for a long time, just staring at that door, trying to convince myself I imagined it.

I didn’t go back inside.