1865. Adelaide Mason was a well-behaved 9-year-old girl. Her parents were very rich, and Adelaide got everything she could ever want. The Mason family lived in a mansion on Grandiose Drive, in Indianapolis. Adelaide had one older brother named Charles, who was 15 years old. 

Mrs. and Mr. Mason never believed that their daughter would ever run away. How could she? She got everything she could possibly want, and a huge house. But they thought wrong. 

On October 2nd, Adelaide Mason ran away at night. Mrs. Mason was the first to notice. The front door had slammed shut, and it woke her up. 

“What is that?” she screamed

“Probably your imagination,” replied Mr. Mason

The next morning, Mrs. Mason called Adelaide to breakfast. There was no answer. 

“Dorota, go fetch Adelaide from her room. She’s probably not awake yet,” Mrs. Mason said to one of the maids. 

Dorota came down to tell Mrs. Mason what had happened. 

“Adelaide is not in her bedroom,” Dorota told Mrs. Mason.

Everyone searched everywhere, but there was no sign of Adelaide. They searched all the nooks and crannies, and all around the Masons’ property. 

Then, Mr. Mason called the police. The police looked all around town and asked everyone on the street if they had seen a short girl with black curls and fancy clothes on. No one had seen Adelaide.

That night at dinner time, a creepy doll appeared in Adelaide’s chair. The doll looked exactly like her. Tight black curls and a pretty white lace dress on just like the one that Adelaide had. Except that the doll was not as big as her, and really creepy. The doll had a bloody face and blood all over the white lace dress. 

“What is that doll doing here?!” yelled Mrs. Mason

It seemed like the doll was trying to say something to Mrs. Mason, but it was so hard to hear, and she couldn’t make out the words. 

“Ah! Charles, did you take one of Adelaide’s dolls and put red paint on it?” asked Mr. Mason

“I didn’t do anything, I swear,” replied Charles

“Ok, get that thing out of here Dorota!” yelled Mrs. Mason again

Mrs. Mason was very upset. Someone was trying to replace her own daughter with a creepy doll. 

The next morning, everyone walked to the table feeling really tired. At first, they didn’t even realize that the doll was also walking into the kitchen. She even sat at the table. 

“Oh my goodness! What is with that doll!” screamed Mrs. Mason 

The doll was wearing a white dress with puffed-up shoulders, and a green shawl. It was the same dress and shawl that Adelaide had. That sure woke up the Mason family. 

“Dorota, go throw that thing in the garbage. It is disturbing us, and creeping us out,” said Mr. Mason

Dorota went and threw the doll in the garbage can. 

“That doll is concerning me,” said Mrs. Mason, worried.

“Yes, I don’t know what to do with it. It seems to be a doll version of Adelaide,” replied Mr. Mason

“But, but that is not possible!” stuttered Mrs. Mason

“I know it’s not, but what else could it be? It looks exactly like our daughter, and acts like her also,” said Mr. Mason, again making a point. 

“Did Adelaide have any dolls that looked like her?” asked Mr. Mason

“No, I do not believe so,” replied Mrs. Mason.

When the Mason family was done with their breakfast, Mrs. Mason decided to go up to Adelaide’s bedroom to remind herself of her daughter who she would never see again. When she walked into the bedroom, she saw the same doll Dorota had thrown away on Adelaide’s bed. 

“Where in the name of heavens did this doll come from?” screamed Mrs. Mason acting really startled. 

She decided to take the doll out to the garbage bin and hoped to never see it again. 

The same day repeated over and over again. Dorota taking the doll to the garbage, and it coming back every single day. As the same day happened over and over again, Mrs. and Mr. Mason became more aware of it. After over two weeks of the doll coming back, the Mason family agreed to not take it to the garbage anymore because it would do nothing.

The doll began to be the new Adelaide and started to do the same actions as she would take. The Mason family was getting more and more scared and creeped out.

After one week, Mrs. Mason had an idea to kill the doll. She was going to cut up her hair, and just destroy the doll. 

The next day, Mrs. and Mr. Mason got to work. They first cut off some of her hair and made it all frizzy. Then, they ripped up her dress and drew shapes all over her face. Finally, they put her in a garbage bag, tied it up, and brought it to the dump. 

After that, the doll never came back, but neither did their daughter. 

The Mason family never ever believed that they could kill their own daughter, but they just did, not realizing it. 

That night, when Mrs. Mason was in Adelaide’s room, there was a note on her bed. The note read:

You have killed your own daughter. I am the one who turned her into the doll. She was tired of being rich.

Sincerely, 

The witch Beatrix

“Oh my goodness!” Mrs. Mason weeped

She called everyone else into Adelaide’s bedroom. It was a sorrowful night. Everyone cried and had nightmares about the doll that was actually their family member. 

The next morning, Mrs. Mason went on an adventure. She went out into the woods and looked for Witch Beatrix. 

She walked about a mile, and a tall slender woman with a cloak came to her. 

“You must be Elizabeth Mason,” said Witch Beatrix.

Witch Beatrix had a deep voice and never showed her face. She always hid her face under the hood of her cloak. 

“Yes, and you are Witch Beatrix, the one who turned my daughter into that horrible doll,” replied Mrs. Mason. “But, who exactly are you, and why did you turn my poor little daughter into a dol?,”

“I did that because that is what she asked of me. She was tired of being made fun of at school because she was so rich. If I turned her into a doll, she wouldn’t have to go to school and experience it anymore,” Witch Beatrix told Mrs. Mason, “And I am witch Beatrix. I grant people wishes whenever they need me,” 

“It doesn’t seem as though you grant people their real wish,” added Mrs. Mason.

“I grant people what is needed for them,” argued Witch Beatrix. “Now go.” 

“Wait. Adelaide could have just told me. She loves me and would tell me anything,” said Mrs. Mason.

“Ahh, you thought you were a good mother giving your child everything she wants, but actually that is the wrong choice to make,” responded Witch Beatrix

Mrs. Mason went back to her home and thought about what she had done. She had killed her own daughter and didn’t even know it. 

After that, the Mason family learned their lesson. To discipline their children, and to get more information before taking action.