13-Year-old contortionist Arshiya scares and amazes America's Got Talent judges

Simon Cowell and fellow AGT judges left spellbound by Arshiya's performance in season 19's dramatic opener.

Tuesday night's season 19 premiere of "America's Got Talent" introduced audiences to a thrilling and chilling performance by 13-year-old contestant Arshiya, who traveled all the way from India to showcase her unique blend of dance, gymnastics, and contortion.

Before her performance began, judge Heidi Klum expressed enthusiasm for the unexpected, stating, "Well, you said your dance was different... We love different around here, so we're very excited to see what you've got." 

Little did the judges know, they were in for a haunting display that would leave them speechless.

Arshiya's act started with a dramatic flair as crew members wheeled out a small wooden house adorned with old dolls.

 Emerging with faux blood smeared across her, Arshiya moved eerily to a creepy soundtrack, quickly transforming the stage into a scene straight out of a horror film. 

Simon Cowell reacted with surprise, noting, "God, she's changed."

The performance escalated as Arshiya, donning a blood-stained dress with cracked teeth and chilling contact lenses, contorted her body in ways that seemed to defy physics.

 The audience reacted with screams, some even turning away in fright, while Sofia Vergara admitted, "I don't like this."

Describing the performance, Cowell likened it to "The Exorcist," and as Arshiya concluded her act with a spine-chilling backward landing flat across the stage, the judges, including Klum, Cowell, Vergara, and Howie Mandel, couldn't help but stand and applaud the young performer's daring and skill.

Reflecting on the unexpected transformation, Klum said, "When you said you were gonna leave to change [before the performance], I thought you were gonna come back with a pretty dress." She also praised Arshiya as "one of the best contortionists we've ever seen."

Cowell, equally impressed, commented on the stark contrast between Arshiya's sweet introduction and her terrifying performance: "She had been so sweet, Cowell said, that he thought she was going to do 'a Disney routine or something' but, instead, 'you come back as Linda Blair,' star of 1973's The Exorcist. 'It was just so unexpected and frightening and brilliant at the same time.'"

Ending on a lighter note, Cowell humorously described the transformation, "The Chihuahua turned into a werewolf," as he gave his vote, concluding with a unanimous "four yeses" from the judges.

Offstage, a proud yet shockingly calm Arshiya promised host Terry Crews and the audience that her next performance would be equally surprising.