Anna replied still guiding the children toward the window hoping to somehow throw them out and down the 15 stories to the dirty street below. For the first time Anna appreciated being on the top floor assuring her that if she could pitch them out the window they could not return.
“Oh we can see how well you are doing in this dump Anna.” Ian’s doll said following the words with laughter that was wicked and mocked her. Anna stopped moving the children for a moment thinking about what the dolls were saying. Clearly they were evil but Anna had been doing the right thing all her life and she thought about where it had gotten her. Living in a dump, scraping along while it seemed all those who were doing wrong were doing so well. Anna considering further, decided to ask them what they wanted and what they would be willing to give in return. Not only were her children sick of soup, so was she. “Well what would I have to do for you dolls and what would we get in return?” Anna asked hesitantly.
“That a girl Anna now you are being smart. It’s not hard what we need, just a little thing really. “ Ian’s doll spoke again. Katcha’s doll was now smiling wickedly at Anna and laughing as if they had won. ‘Ok so what is it then? Tell me now!” Anna commanded trying to not show fear. “We want the souls of children Anna. They don’t have to be your children. Any two children will do. You just have to bring them here. We want to live again!” Katcha’s doll said. “That’s horrible I can’t do that! I can’t harm children!” Anna said starting to move the children again towards the window. “Wait a minute Anna how about those two rich brats you slave after every day while they throw you pennies that you can’t even feed your children with? Why care about them? They won’t die exactly, we will just take over their souls and be able to live again.” the little soldier doll said. Anna thought about the two children, spoiled and disrespectful to her and everyone else. She often thought they would grow up to be tyrants. ‘What would we get in return?” she asked. “Oh my you will have riches well beyond theirs and you and your children will never go hungry again! You will never have to eat soup for weeks! You will live in a rich penthouse and not be thrown into the streets, which is what is going to happen to you or worse if you don’t do what we want. Or we can just take your children!” Katcha’s doll said. Anna felt sweat drip down her brow as she looked at her children still frozen in fear so slight in frame and pale from living so hard, considering how wonderful it would be to give them a better life and how terrible those rich brats really were. “Ok I’ll do it!” she said the words leaving her lips and she instantly felt dread.
The dolls did not let go of their clutch on her children until the next morning when Anna headed to work. Once the children were dropped at daycare, they released their grips and jumped into her day bag. Anna thought about throwing the bag in one of the many street trashcans as she walked uptown to her job, but she feared that they would then take her children in retaliation. By the time she reached the front door to the building she was in such a panic that the doorman stopped her briefly, though he never did before in the last 5 years that she had this thankless job. “Good morning Anna, are you ok?” he said. Anna could not look at him feeling guilt for what she was about to do. “Yes sir, I am fine.” She said quickly not looking at him and rushing into the building. “Ok then have a nice day.” He responded but she barely heard his words as she rushed to the elevator.
The high speed elevator in the building now seemed to operate slowly as Anna kept her head down in guilt not wanting to look at anyone as she road up to the penthouse. “Anna you are doing just fine. Just remember how bad those children are. They don’t deserve what they have and you and your children deserve a better life.” She heard the little voice from the bag prodding her on to the terrible deed. When the elevator doors opened to the penthouse she froze. “Anna you stupid cow! What’s wrong with you?” Deadra the 10 year old said staring at her with her hand on her hip mocking her as she always did. Anna awoke, as if lifted from her trance and felt sudden vigor to get the deed done. “Oh Deadra I am here, I am here, ok, yes, let’s get to this.” Anna responded walking into the home that rivaled any French palace of old in its lush decorative style. “You’re late Anna, Mom will be angry with you!” Deadra said. Just then 9-year-old Andrew came walking out, “Anna you need to go clean my room right now. I had some friends over and they made quite a mess in there. It might take you all day and I want it clean when I come home today!” He said as both children began laughing.
Anna felt like she had reached the end of her rope on their disrespect and responded this time, for the first time. “Children I have a gift for both of you that you will surely love! Let’s all go in Andrew’s room and Andrew you can show me what a mess it is and I can give you the gift.” Anna said smiling and suddenly feeling happy. “What could you possibly have that we would want?” Deadra said mockingly. Once again Deadra and Andrew laughed but nonetheless as Anna walked towards Andrew’s room they both followed. When Anna stepped into the room she could clearly see that the mess created was created for her, but she did not react. Her days of slaving after these mean children were now coming to an end and she could tolerate it now like she never could before knowing it was at its end. Anna opened her bag as both children watched her smirking at her while they waited for their gift. Anna pulled out the dolls and both children began wildly laughing. “Oh wow! These dolls are really stupid Anna! “ Deadra said with Andrew joining in “C’mon Anna why did you think we would even like these dreadful stupid dolls?” “Oh no children they are great dolls! Really, here take them.” Anna said holding a doll out for each of them.
The dolls jumped one onto Deadra and one onto Andrew and clutched them tightly as they began chanting in a language too old to be understood by any of them. “What the hell is this?” Andrew shouted for help as Anna ran to shut the door to the room. The children pulled at the dolls but they could not get them off. Deadra began crying as Andrew continued to struggle to pull the doll off until finally they both stopped. Andrew spoke “Nice job Anna now go home and wait and your reward will come.” Deadra was smiling and added “We will always be grateful to you Anna for giving us life again!” Anna knew that the deed was done, as this was the first time that any nice words ever came out of Deadra or Andrews’s mouth to her.
The same day that Anna received her notice that her housing subsidy was cut off she went to the bank and found out a fifty million dollars had been deposited into her bank account. The banker that never knew her name greeted her when she walked in and congratulated her on her recent inheritance.
Years went by as she watched her children grow up happy and healthy, not thinking often about those terrible dolls and what she had to do to save her children and herself. The children never mentioned the dolls either and she believed they had forgotten what had occurred and was grateful for it. None of them ever spoke of the dolls again.
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