�Come on Carey open your last present!� Called Ellen, Carey�s mother, she had the habit of putting the best presents in the most unlikely packages so that no one would ever know if they were getting an outfit or a toy. �Okay Mommy, okay!� Carey picked up the rather large box and looked it over, hoping it wasn�t another outfit; she thrashed the wrapping paper to pieces and then opened the box. When she lifted the top her eyes grew wide as they beheld the most beautiful doll she had ever seen. It was made of porcelain; its dress was blue with a blue ribbon running through lace, which trailed the edgings of the dress. The doll had blue eyes and long brown hair that came down in spirals. Carey picked up the doll and hugged it, �Oh thank you Mommy!!� She said, and held the doll to her heart all day long.
That night after a long day of playing with her beloved doll she began to get ready for bed. Carey put on her white lace nightgown, and then went to the mirror to brush her long brown hair. Then she held up her doll and looked in the mirror at them both, �I think I will name you�Cynthia! Yes Cynthia.� She said proudly, and spoke to her new companion, �Look Cynthia, we almost look alike.� And they did but with an exception that Carey�s hair was a little lighter brown then Cynthia�s hair. She held the doll face level with her own as she tried to mimic the porcelain smile on Cynthia�s face as she looked in the mirror. Cynthia blinked her eyes and smiled back at their reflection. Carey gasped, she ran with Cynthia to her mother and fathers room calling out, �Mommy, mommy!� She burst into their room, �My dolly blinked and smiled at me!!�
�Oh what? Oh that�s nice dear.� Ellen said sleepily, �Go back to bed honey, it�s late.� No one seemed to enjoy her excitement, and it seemed like her mother didn�t believe her. So she ambled back to her bedroom, crawled into bed and under the covers with her doll tucked under her arm, she fell asleep.
In the wee hours a prowler was stalking through the neighbor hood, he entered the home of Ellen and Bill Mathews, through a low hung window and searched the darkened downstairs rooms one by one, shining his light as he looked for valuables. He found Ellen�s purse in the kitchen, he turned it upside down dumping the contents on the floor, and then pocketed the money and some jewelry. Next he went up the steps, slowly, pausing, as a creak would sound here and there among the steps. He reached the landing and turned right, holding onto the banister. He opened the door directly in front of him, peeked his head inside and shined his light on the contents of the room, no one was inside, and he quietly went through the things in the computer desk, finding more petty cash. He closed the door behind him, moved along the wall and slowly opened the next door and shined his light inside.
There was a little girl sleeping in her bed, a shadow moved out of sight of the light, he tried to follow it as he guided the light down to the floor and spotted a porcelain doll sitting by the foot of the bed. The prowler smiled then entered the room as he kept the light still on the doll, and as he bent down to pick it up, the doll turned its head up to him and grinned an evil smile then jumped to its feet and tore into the would be predator as he fell back, kicking the doll away and scrambled out of the room, falling down the steps then crawling to his feet he left the same way he came in.
Ellen, who had been fast asleep was suddenly awakened by what she thought was a loud noise from down stairs. �Bill, Bill wake up!� she shook her husbands arm and he turned over, �What is it?� She listened intently then whispered, �I thought I heard something?� They listened quietly then heard the distant sounds of the trash collectors working their way up and down the back alleys. Ellen sighed, and let go of her husbands arm, he rubbed her shoulder and told her to go back to sleep, �I will in a minute.� She got out of bed, put on her silk robe and went out to the hallway in the direction of Carey�s room, opening the door she saw her daughter sleeping soundly.
Ellen went in and pulled the covers up over Carey�s shoulders and caressed her hair as she smiled down at her then noticed Cynthia lying beside her. She caressed the little doll�s face then lifted her up and found a small black material clutched in the dolls hand, she pulled it out then tucked her under Carey�s arm and kissed them both on their foreheads. Ellen felt reassured seeing Cynthia in her arms, especially after that frightful dream. She took one last look at them before closing the door and going back to bed. Cynthia opened her eyes and smiled then snuggled up against her newfound friend and pretended to sleep as she kept guard over her through out the rest of the night.
