The Puppeteer

         It truly was sad to see the girl like this.

         Her eyes were glassy and muddy yet her expression could not have been any clearer. Love was etched into her face as if someone had carved it there. Her body was hunched over and her hair was spread as if someone had gone to great lengths to make it look perfectly tousled.

         The statue had been there for years, but her eyes seemed to pierce whoever looked into them.

         On the statue was engraved: THIS IS THE INEVITABLE FATE OF A PUPPET. BEWARE OF THE PUPPETEER.

         She was far too naïve to understand what she had gotten herself into, what fate had in store for her. She was an innocent led astray into the arms of the devil. A rabbit led into the den of a wolf.

         This was the tragic story of Willow Ashburton.

Many Years Ago…

         It was cold, the wind burned her cheeks and feet, but she had to find someone to help her. She left a trail of red on the fresh snow. She was injured and at this rate, she wasn’t going to make it.

         “Hello little girl, what’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?”

         His voice made her heart race and her throat constrict, but she didn’t know what that meant.

         She didn’t know that she was afraid.

         “Come here, I’ll take good care of you.”

         She looked up at him, his face made her nervous, but she didn’t know that was a bad thing. She didn’t know that that meant she should run for her life.

         She didn’t know that this man would kill her.

         She walked up to him and smiled, “Thank you.”

         He smiled and pulled the knife from his pocket.

         “Come closer, little one.”

         She walked closer and felt a sharp pull in her stomach, but she didn’t know that meant run.
He raised the knife and swung forward, reveling in the sound of the knife hitting skin. That is until he realized it wasn’t his knife, and it wasn’t the girl who was stabbed.

         It was himself.

         “You disgust me, preying on innocent children. You should burn in the fiery pits of hell.”

         The man crumpled and the girl looked up at her savior. “Why did you hurt him?”

         He kneeled in front of her. “He was going to kill you, little one.”

         She tilted her head, “Kill?”

         She had heard the word before but she didn’t know what it was.

         “Little one, why didn’t you run from him?”

         “I was supposed to run? Why?”

         All the man did was smile, “Come with me, little one.”

         After that, the man took the girl into his home and raised her like his own child. She later learned his name was Seraphin. She didn’t know at the time that his name meant serpent. When he asked her what her name was, she couldn’t answer him.

         “I think I will call you Willow then, Willow Ashburton.”

Eleven Years Later…

         Willow couldn’t have been happier. She was turning sixteen and Seraphin was throwing her a big party to celebrate. She loved him so much and he always treated her so well. She ran through the house with enthusiasm, completely innocent and pure. She was so oblivious to her surroundings that she ran into someone.

         “Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

         “Ah Willow,” was all she heard. She knew that voice better than her own. She immediately kneeled before him and kissed the hand that was offered to her.

         “Forgive me, Master.”

         He smiled, “You are forgiven, my dear. Why were you running so carelessly through the house?”

         She lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “I was excited about my sixteenth birthday. I was rushing to thank you for being so nice to me.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He began caressing her cheek as he spoke.

         “Willow, do you know what is going to happen after your sixteenth birthday?”

         Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought. She had no idea how childish it made her appear.

         “No Master, I don’t know.”

         He pulled her close and brushed her hair out of her face.

         “After your birthday, Willow, you will become my bride.”

         Willow felt the same strange feeling she felt when she was approached by that strange man so many years ago, but she thought nothing of it. Master would never hurt her.

         He smiled inwardly. She had no idea how many men wished to have her as a wife. Willow was the epitome of beauty. Large doe eyes a brilliant shade of aquamarine with hair that looked like spilled ink. Her figure was petite but womanly and her skin rivaled the finest marble. Yes, she would make a wonderful wife.

         She frowned, “Is that really necessary Master?”

         He hid his scowl, “Of course, my dear, I saved you from your death. Surely asking for your hand isn’t too much?”

         She felt a stab of guilt. He had saved her from sure death and gave her a warm home, clothes on her back, and anything she could ever want, and all she was doing was questioning him. He knew what was best for her and if he said they should wed, then it shall come to pass. She would do anything he wished, for he had given her life. Her life belonged to him.

         “Of course not, Master, I did not wish to question your intentions, forgive me for my lack of gratitude. I will not disobey you again.”

         He smiled, “You are forgiven, my dear.”

         She was so impressionable. He never thought he would meet another girl like the one he had lost, but Willow was perfect.

One Year Later…

         Willow couldn’t have been happier. She closed her eyes in bliss as sleep began to make her eyelids heavy. She married Seraphin a week after her sixteenth birthday and the ceremony was beautiful. He was taking such good care of her. She looked around the room and couldn’t stop the smile from coming. Everything was perfect. Seraphin was perfect.

         He was the perfect husband. He was sweet, sensitive, affectionate, and hard working, and he made sure she was happy at all times. She loved him so much it hurt. He saved her life and now he has offered to spend the rest of his life trying to make her happy. He had said,

         “No wife of mine will have a frown mar her face.”

         She smiled at the thought. He had kept true to his promise. She has been in a state of pure bliss since he placed the ring on her finger. She heard footsteps coming closer and her stomach tightened in response.

         He was home. He came back to her.

         He opened the door with a smile, “Where’s my girl?”

         She ran to him and jumped into his arms. After he spun them around, she placed her head on his chest.

         “I missed you.”

         He kissed her hair, “And I, you Willow.”

Two Months Later

         It wasn’t long after that that he became angry. Every night he would come home drunk and if she tried to help him, spoke out of turn, or even walked into the same room with him, he beat her mercilessly. Willow was too naïve to know that this was not supposed to happen. She didn’t know that a normal husband, a good husband wouldn’t do this to her.

         And in turn, a piece of her died every time he raised his hand to her.

         But she dealt with it. She was much too naïve to realize that marriage was not supposed to happen this way; she was supposed to be happy.

         She winced as she pressed ice against her newest bruise. She had tried to help him off the floor after he fell in a drunken stupor. He didn’t take too kindly to it. She looked into the mirror with a wan smile.

         She didn’t realize that the life and vitality her eyes used to hold was completely gone.

         She was merely a puppet.

One Year Later

         She was terrified.

         One wrong placement of her foot and she would surely die.

         Six months after Seraphin became a drunk, Willow finally realized her marriage was not normal. She realized that she wanted out. She waited until he left on errands and packed a duffel bag and began sneaking through the massive front yard of the mansion. She loved Seraphin with all of her heart, but she could no longer be with him. It wasn’t good for her. She hopped down from the stone wall and sprinted across the front yard. Halfway across, she tripped and fell in a heap. She cringed as the sprinklers turned on and she was soaked in water. She stood up and began her trek across the yard. She didn’t know that Seraphin had a butler go on his errands. She didn’t know that he was watching her from the bedroom window smiling. She didn’t know that he had an irreversible hold on her. She didn’t know that he had left his mark on her.

         Seraphin smiled devilishly, not worried in the least that his wife was trying to escape.

         She would be back.

         Three Months Later

         Willow had returned to Seraphin when she found out she was pregnant with his child. She had expected a beating, but he took her in with open arms. He promised to never lay a hand on her again, that he didn’t know what came over him. She relented for the sake of the child and because she truly believed that he would keep true to his promise to treat her well. And he did. He pampered her like a princess and every time he stared at her, love and adoration filled his eyes.

         She awoke to him rubbing her belly with the gentlest of strokes while cooing softly to the child growing inside of her.

         He smiled up at her, “How are you feeling, my love?”

         She ran her fingers through his lustrous hair and smiled, “I feel perfect.”
Willow felt happier than ever. Seraphin was back to the man she had married and she was proud to have him. She was proud to be having his child. She was happy.

Two Months Later

         Willow couldn’t believe her ears.

         “I’m sorry ma’am but you miscarried.”

         She didn’t bother fighting the tears in her eyes. She wanted that baby more than anything. It was her bundle of joy and she had decorated the nursery because she was too impatient to wait closer to the birth date.

         Now it was gone.

         She looked up at Seraphin and almost winced at the expression she saw. She was expecting sadness or his mask of indifference he wears when something goes wrong but what she saw was much worse.

         He was furious.

         She reached for his hand but he ripped it away and stormed out of the room.

         He had every right to be angry. She killed his child. It was all her fault.

         She felt miserable.

         But she didn’t know that he had made her miscarry. She didn’t know that this was all part of the plan.

One Month Later

         Willow has never felt more miserable in her entire life. Seraphin has been ignoring her since he heard of her miscarriage. She begged him to try again, to let her bear one of his children. He refused. She had no idea how to cheer him up, how to make him smile again. She felt like a monster. Only a monster was capable of killing an innocent and defenseless child.

         She walked around the house in a daze, no noticing anything going on around her. Seraphin stayed out of the house as much as possible now, so she was home alone more often than not. When Seraphin was home, he ignored her or reminded her it was her fault the child did not make it. She was a monster.

One Month Later

         “I want a divorce.”

         Willow couldn’t believe her ears, she knew he was angry with her but, she did not expect him to want to end their marriage. She stared at him in shock.

         “W-why?”

         His face was devoid of emotion as he stared down at her.

         “I’m going to be a father.”

         Willow was confused, “but I’m not pregnant.”

         He smiled, “I know, Esther is.”

         “Who’s Esther?”

         “The woman I have been sleeping with for the past ten months.”

         Tears began to burn behind Willow’s eyes. How could he do this to her? Then it clicked in her mind. He had gotten her pregnant ten months ago. He had been cheating on her since she became pregnant. While she was depressed about losing her baby he had been sleeping with another woman.

         No. She would not stand for this.

         She looked up at him with eyes of steel.

         “You may have gotten another woman pregnant, but I will not agree to a divorce. How dare you sleep with another woman while I was pregnant with your child!”

         He laughed humorlessly, “You killed my child.”

         His words were like a slap in the face. Her voice was barely a whisper now. “I won’t agree to a divorce.”

         His words were sinister, “I’ll be free of you Willow, one way or another.”

         With that, he left.

         The words sent a chill down her spine. She had never had a reason to be afraid of her husband.

         But she was definitely afraid now.

         “What happens next sir? What happens to the woman?”

         The man’s face became somber, for he knew this story had no happy ending.

         “She died.”

         The little girl’s head tilted in confusion, “How?”

         “Seraphin killed her.”

         “Why?”

         “She confronted him about his infidelity and he told her the real reason he saved her when she was a child. He was supposed to marry her, impregnate her, kill the unborn child, feed off of her misery, and then leave her to her sorrow when the time was right, hoping she would kill herself. You see young child, he has done this to hundreds of girls throughout his life and he will continue to do so with every girl he catches in his grasps. Seraphin is the puppeteer; he finds weak minded girls and uses their weakness against them for his own gain. The only way one can tell when they are in the presence of one of his puppets is by a young girl’s name. He gives each of his puppets the name of the first girl he corrupted. May I ask what your name is young one?”

         The small child smiled, “Of course, my name is Willow Ashburton.”