Bill Hyde, applied the final strokes of the fine tipped brush upon his newest creation. He admired the smiling wooden doll through caring eyes. He eyed every inch of the expertly crafted piece for imperfections. He saw none.

“You are perfect!” Bill said, the pride was clear in his voice. Like the pride of a father seeing his newborn baby for the first time.

Bill placed the doll on the worktable, and went to the cupboard to see, Louise. He unlocked the door, revealing a frightened young girl sitting in the corner.

“Hello my dear,” Bill said, cheerfully.

Louise remained silent. She watched with a look of fear and uncertainty. Her cheeks glistened with tears.

Her fear was understandable. The poor girl was from a broken home, her father liked to smack her around. Bill had witnessed it through his binoculars, as he watched the house. He made sure the father suffered before he abducted Louise. His screams had almost alerted the neighbors.

Out of all the children Bill had saved through the years, no one shined quite like Louise. She had a kind face. A face that had seen so much cruelty.

Bill sat down next to Louise on the floor…

“It’s ok kiddo. You don’t have to be frightened anymore,” Bill said, then smiled widely.

Louise shook with fear, as she looked into Bills eyes and nervously said…

“Are you going to kill me?”

Bill looked shocked by her response…

“Kill you? Absolutely not! I save children from the nasty people that hurt them. I take them away, and I give them immortality. An eternity of happiness. Would you like that, Louise?”

“I guess.”

Bill chuckled…

“I have a surprise for you. Come with me,” Bill said, helping Louise up onto her feet.

They went into the workshop, and Louise’s eyes met the wooden doll on the workshop table.

“She’s yours. I made her just for you,” Bill said, gesturing towards the doll.

Louise approached the doll, and when she picked it up, her eyes lit up with appreciation. The only present she ever received from her father had been the buckle end of a belt.

Her eyes so glued to the doll, that she did not see Bill approaching her from behind with a knife in his hand.

Before she could react, he sliced her from ear to ear. She dropped to the ground. The bloodstained doll in her hands now absorbed the blood into the wood like a sponge.

The doll blinked. And the smile turned to a frown.

In the children’s room, shelves lined the walls, displaying hundreds of wooden dolls, each one unique. They all had sad faces. Bill had originally gave them smiles, but they always ended up turning to a sad frown.

“Hello my children,” Bill said, as he entered the room.

The dolls eyes all turned towards him…

“I want you all to meet your new sister, Louise,” Bill said, as he held the sad doll into the air proudly.