The Mortician

Dolls

By: Christy Tanner

Dolls were her passion. Her momma once told her, “Emma, put those dolls down people are gonna think your dumb.” Why would she be dumb, she was only eight it was normal for her to play with dolls? She could see momma’s point if she was older at the time, but what the heck was momma thinking? But she didn’t see it, so she kept playing with them. She took them everywhere her family went. If they went out to dinner, Emma had her dolls, two of them at that time. And they had to have their own seats or Emma would burst out crying.

“Damn it Jane, why’d you ever buy her those.” She’d heard her papa ask one night.

“She loved them when we saw them.”

“When’s she gonna go and get some real friends, and put them away though.”

“I don’t know Howard, one day.”

Emma told her dolls not to worry she wouldn’t get friends and leave them. She loved them only, and her parents too.

Around age ten, her momma told her she should put the dolls away. “You’re getting to old for those. Go out and get some friends in the neighborhood. I see girls all over.”

“Momma I don’t want to though.” Emma cried.

Her momma wasn’t one for confrontation, so she let it go. Emma’s dolls got mad at Emma’s mother, but Emma told them it was ok. Her momma hadn’t made her do it. Emma hugged her dolls tight. All was good, until her papa would come home. She wasn’t sure when that would be, but she had a feeling he’d take her dolls from her. She didn’t tell them that though, they’d be upset at him then.

Her papa came home about two weeks later, she remembered hearing him pull in. “Where’s my little Emma!”

He was always happy when he came home, but it didn’t last too long. Maybe a day, sometimes less then he’d be mean again. “Papa.” She came running from her room, knowing if she didn’t she’d get in bad trouble.

“How’s my little girl? You got some new friends?”

“Fine papa.” Emma didn’t want to answer the other question. She knew he’d be upset she hadn’t gotten some.

“Emma, don’t you go out? What about your school, isn’t there girls there?”

“Papa, their all mean girls. I don’t want to be their friend.” It was always Emma’s excuse, the dolls had told her to use it.

“Emma, you gotta try too.” He sent her off, with nothing more being said. She was happy about that. When she went to her room her dolls wanted to know what happened. She told them they were safe. They were happy.

Two days later it all changed, papa was in a mean mood. Emma heard him yelling at her momma. Emma cried, holding her dolls closer. She heard the telltale slap, of his hand going across momma’s face. “I told you Jane, you mind me.” Emma heard him yell.

His footsteps were coming closer to her room, please Emma thought. Please don’t let him come in she squeezed her dolls. But even they couldn’t stop him from coming in.

“Emma, you still playing with those damn dolls?” He asked. Emma shook her head; she didn’t want to talk to him. He was mean.

“Your too old for those damn dolls, get rid of them.” He grabbed for her dolls and ripped them from her hands.

“No.” She screamed out. “Give them back.”

He slapped her then, just like her momma always got. It hurt a lot, this wasn’t the first time he’d done it either. “Your just like your momma, you don’t want to listen either.”

Emma sobs got louder.

“Stop your crying. These aren’t nothing but stuffing.” He pulled one apart, ripping the insides open. She screamed. “See nothing but fluff.” He threw it against the wall, it was all distorted and pulled apart. He walked out of her room throwing the other doll on the floor as he left.

Emma ran to the doll that was ok first, picking it up. She went to the other, sitting down and holding it in her arms. “Sh, it’s ok baby.” The tears were running down her face, why had he done this. The other doll said he was evil. The dying one agreed, with it’s last breath.

Emma buried the doll the next day in the back yard and held a ceremony for it. She felt lost; she was missing a friend now.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.” She sat talking to her one doll that was left. The doll told her it was ok; he had surprised them when he came in. “What if I can’t protect you?” We’ll make sure you can, don’t worry. The doll whispered into Emma’s ear, a smile tore open on Emma’s face. “Yes, that could work.” Emma agreed.

That night her papa wasn’t screaming, and never bothered Emma once. Her momma came to tuck her in for bed. “Emma you need to get rid of that doll.”

“Momma, I don’t want to.” Her momma didn’t feel like fighting so she kissed her daughter good night.

Emma didn’t go to sleep that night, she lay awake listening, and she heard her papa go to bed finally. She waited for another hour to make sure he was asleep. Slipping out of her room she went to the kitchen, and grabbed the biggest knife she could find. Her doll told her it was the perfect one. That will do perfectly. She headed to her parents room, and opened the door. She walked to papa and looked at him, the doll told her she should wake him first.

“Papa.” Emma shook him.

“What? Emma what do you want?” He was wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

Emma held up her doll to him. The doll had the knife in its hand. The last thing papa saw was the dolls pretty hand bringing the knife down into his chest.