House of Dolls

Anna

Anna, an eighteen-year-old beauty from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, had been Nathan's obsession. Her slim frame, sleek brown hair, and blue eyes made her peers envious. Others would follow Anna wherever she went, and Nathan was no exception. Anna had been the only person Nathan had felt he could trust since the beginning. Most people would have ignored Nathan's presence; he had been a strange young man, but Anna never seemed to mind. Even as they grew older and spent less time together, Nathan harbored an unbreakable affection for her, believing she was his soulmate.

She came from a modest family, with a mother named Debbie who was a schoolteacher, and a father named Darren who worked on the Hickey Farm. Anna would accompany her father to the farm on occasion, allowing her and Nathan to get to know one another. He felt that his time with her had been the most liberating. There was no one to pass judgment on him, no one to look down on him, no one to make him feel less than human. She listened intently as he told her about his problems in life. He opened up in ways he had never done before with anyone else. He confided in her his darkest secrets.

Anna was also someone Nathan would never consider harming. His life's only goal had been to one day have her all to himself. His daydreams of having her for always would hopefully one day be his reality. He was hesitant to make any moves before turning eighteen because, while he trusted Anna, he feared heartbreaking rejection.

That night, when Officer Stanley asked if he had a place for him to stay, Nathan immediately thought of her. He was already aware that her family would gladly accept him. Officer Stanley granted Nathan's request and dialed the Cox family's number. No one answered the phone the first few times he tried to call the house. He dialed three more times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" A drained male voice spoke on the other end. Darren had just been jarred awake from the repetitive phone calls.

"Hi Darren, sorry to wake you," Officer Stanley stated.

"I'm sorry; who's this?" Darren had been confused as to who was speaking to him on the other end.

"Darren, it's Officer Stanley; we have a situation at the Hickey Farm. Would you be able to meet me here?" Darren could sense the urgency in Officer Stanley's voice.

"What is this about, Officer Stanley?" Darren then asked.

"Well, sir, there's been a fire at the Hickey Farm; both Warren and Shari didn't make it out. Nathan is here, and I asked if there was a place he could stay for the night, and he gave me Anna's name. He said he has no immediate family here that could take him in." Officer Stanley didn't want to go into too many details, so he requested Darren to come as soon as he could.

"Oh my God, are you serious? Yeah, I'll be right there. Tell Nathan we're coming." Immediately Darren and Anna hopped into her father's truck and made the fifteen-minute drive to the Hickey Farm.

Nathan needed to keep up his act. He paced back and forth, crying fake tears of grief, wanting everyone to see how broken he was. In his deviant mind, all he could think about was how Anna would rush up to comfort him in his hour of need. He imagined the scenario in his head as he awaited their arrival. He caught himself smirking at the thought, but quickly shifted into the role of the bereaved child.

After a short while, Darren and Anna accelerated up the long driveway. While they were parking, not giving her father the time to stop, Anna jumped out of her father's old work truck and ran toward Nathan. Following close behind, Darren approached Officer Stanley where he stood.

"Oh my God, Nathan, are you OK?" Anna did what Nathan had hoped. She jumped into his arms to comfort him as she told him it would be OK.

"My parents are gone, Anna! I don't know what I'm going to do without them Nathan persuaded Anna that he was a sorrowful son who had recently lost his parents in a tragic accident. At the time, everyone seemed to think that was the case. He thought to himself as he embraced Anna that he had planned and executed the perfect murder.

"Everything will be OK, Nathan. My dad told me on the way over that you stay as long as you need." Anna continued to comfort Nathan in what she thought was his time of need.

"Thank you, Anna that means the world to me." Nathan had been elated that he would be able to stay with Anna.

"Of course, what are friends for?" Nathan tried to compose himself as she called him a friend. He wanted more from Anna, to be her one and only, the one who would belong to him forever.

Darren spoke with the officer for a few minutes longer, and shortly after, Officer Stanley requested that they meet him at the station the following day.

"Why, what for?" Nathan asked. He tried to make it seem as if it were no big deal, but he felt the nerves start to set in.

Officer Stanley replied, "To get your formal statement about the evening is all son, standard procedure. You've had a rough night. Just try and get some rest and come see me in the morning."

As Officer Stanley spoke, Nathan tried to remain calm. He was concerned about speaking with him in private because he knew he wouldn't have the same audience he had earlier that night. Nathan told himself that if he kept his cool and pretended to be the bereaved son, everyone would believe him. "OK, I'll see you tomorrow."

Nathan, Darren, and Anna then walked back to Darren's truck. Darren reassured Nathan that everything would be fine as they drove away, giving him the option to stay as long as he needed. Debbie, Anna's mother, was patiently waiting at the door to greet them as they entered the Cox's home. She was a petite woman with graying wild bushy curls and a slim build. She quickly embraced Nathan and sobbed alongside him.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. You poor, poor boy. You stay as long as you need." Nathan clung to Debbie as he whimpered in her arms. He was determined that everyone who came into contact with him could attest to his anguish over his parents' deaths.

Darren led Nathan to the finished basement where Nathan would rest after a brief conversation with Debbie. His bed would be a pull-out sofa with a plain white sheet, an intricately sewn handmade quilt, and a soft feather pillow. "Go, get some sleep, son. We'll see you in the morning," Darren stated.

"Thank you, Mr. Cox." Nathan started down the basement steps, glanced back at Anna, and gave her a soft smile. "Goodnight, Anna, and thanks again for everything."

"Goodnight, Nathan, try and get some sleep." Anna moved down to the step above Nathan and hugged him.

He inhaled her scent as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Nathan had been seduced by her sweet-smelling fragrance. All he could think about was Anna and how he could have her all to himself. Nathan grinned from ear to ear as he continued to the basement after their embrace. He sat on the edge of the neatly constructed pull-out sofa, taking in what he had just done. That was a proud moment for him, with no remorse, just pure satisfaction. Nathan was well aware that his performance had been well received. As he lay down, hands on his chest, gazing at the ceiling, he reflected on his most notable accomplishment. Only two thoughts had entered his mind, Anna and having it all.