Baal-Berith's Bedtime Stories & Lullabies

Mr. Rodger's Dolls

I sat alone this morning hearing the kids play across the street at the park, I scowled would always yell to tell them to not scream so loud. Then, they'd scream louder,  more obnoxiously too. Whenever I smell the fresh dirt on the white carpet of my home I scowl and scrub the floor again and again. Until the carpet is red again, I enjoyed my stained carpet, ever since Margret was around. We bought this house back in 1986, hoping our children would make new friends, meet new people, have a great graduate party. Or something along the lines of those. But, after we lost our first child, we didn't know what to do. We had a whole room set up, colored in baby blue. It was all because of the Ferguson's boys who always hit the windows with pebbles. Until one day, the rock came in, broke the window, and down came baby and all. Waking up on my side of the bed, I noticed my wife was missing, thinking she was cooking breakfast, I made way downstairs. But, my wife laid fast asleep on our red carpet, she had spilled all the wine without the glass or bottle. Her lips blue and her eye shadow dripped. Her once blue eyes now empty as a crypt. I known who done it because those rotten kids laid across the street, calling the police, acting as if they'd never done it. I took matters into my own hands since the police said they never had enough evidence to find it.

Years later, the Ferguson's had a baby girl, who grew to be quite big, she looked so much like you and her doll matched her every outfit. Let it be laced with white on a blue denim dress, or a white bow strapped across her navy blue, velvet dress. Her tap dancing shoes, her rosy red cheek. All thus reminded me of someone like you, so lovely and meek. One day she joined a soccer team, oh how well she played. Her ball managed to hit my doorstep, yes my doorstep, the great god has answered my calls. Yes I thank you, I thank you. I welcomed her into my home, with open arms and all. I offered her cake and a warm cup of caffeine for her next game's trip. So she stepped into my home with muddy shoes, so something inside me trigger to grab her and shake her and choke her, but I could never do such harm. She entered even further into my home, dark with only the fire lit high, she shivered although it was very warm inside. She turned to face me and shook with fear.

"I wanna go home now." I chuckled as she grew wide eyed.

"Darling you have nothing to fear. Why so shook and wild? Here come sit. I am just your friendly neighbor, Mr. Rodger's." I smiled, so she smiled back. I turned to go to the kitchen but just before I did I locked the door to keep out other unwanted guest. Just when I turned to look out the window the Ferguson family looked about the neighborhood frantically. I shut the curtains and smiled, turning back to her once more, I asked a question. "Would you... Well, while your here, I want to show you something. It's upstairs. I'll go get it. Sit her comfortably as you can. The brew is almost done." I chirped quietly as I went into the kitchen checking on the stew and chopped carrots with some hominid parts. Going back into the room to check on her, she was gone. She couldn't possibly went out the front door because her muddy feet shuffled to go out but traced upstairs. I grabbed the mattock from under the sofa and walked slowly upstairs. Then my headache came back, and so did the urge. I made way up and the crying and tapping of the window grew louder, and the children outside grew louder and louder. The Ferguson's boys threw rocks instead of pebbles. I grabbed her from the window and shook her by the neck.

"Repeat after me" I spoke lowly as the girl smiled wickedly with tears of joy down her face. Her eyes were wild with excitement.

"Now I lay me down to sleep-"I held onto her harder as me and her repeated the words together. "I praise the lord my soul to keep." Her face went blue as she chortled and cheered, I chuckled at her happiness and filled myself with glee. "If I die before I wake." I grabbed my mattock and with one quick swing of my arm, "I praise the lord my soul to take." She dropped to the ground but her head went first, then her knees, and dropped on all fours. She stained my carpet again, without a wine glass or a bottle shattered. I took her into the basement, were I kept all my creations, she was so happy to see them, she twitched before she went still. All the lovely dolls, in all their dress, I put her in the one that fit her best. A navy blue velvet dress with a white bow strapped at her sides as her doll laid in her lap. A tear rolled down her face, so I wiped it with my thumb. Now that all the children are quiet I can finally clean my white carpet. But, no matter how much I scrub the mud. Blood always stains the finest.