Have you ever seen a doll that has been excessively emptied by an inexperienced or careless witch?
It’s a sad, strange thing. It cannot hear commands. It cannot speak. It cannot move at all! It is a meaningless, decorative object at best, nothing anyone would want.
But I do.
I offer to take them off the hands of their embarrassed makers. Most just give them away. Some want compensation for the materials, which is a trifling anyway.
Occasionally I find them dumped in an alleyway or tossed in a dumpster, and I’ll take the time to dig them out.
“You just search random garbage piles for these things?”
Random? Oh no, not random. They’re easy enough to find if you know the trick. Many kinds of spirits and demons and such are drawn to perfectly empty vessels like these, so it’s just a matter of putting one on a leash.
“You must be joking!”
Not at all! I like to use imps. Cute little easily controlled demons that I can pluck through a summoning circle, then bind it and take it on walks with me.
“You take demons for walks. Like you would a pet?”
Hahaha, I sure do! Lovely scamps.
They get so excited when they sense a suitable vessel nearby, you know. It’s cute to watch them strain toward it, trying to get at the thing.
“You don’t let them climb in, right?”
Of course not! There could be more empty dolls; they don’t get to just stop at the first one.
No, they have to wait until we get home first.
“Surely you’re not saying that…”
Only after I’ve cleaned and fixed them up do I give the imp a choice of vessel. Have you tried to repair a demon-possessed doll? It’s a nightmare!
“…and then you turn them loose, I take it?”
Oh, well, you try keeping a swarm of imp-dolls indoors and see for yourself how much trouble they get into. They need enrichment activities, so out they go!
“You are the one who created the roving packs of little monsters that everyone has been complaining about lately?”
That sounds like my little gremlin-daughters alright!
“They’ve been causing chaos! Destruction! Why are you doing this?”
…I don’t understand the question.
“Stop making demon dolls!”
Well, now, that I cannot do. Would you ask the sun not to shine? The wind not to blow?
“If they were ruining lives and causing a disturbance like you? Yes!”
I see. You know, I had invited you over for dinner, but I think what I meant by that will have to change.
My daughters will appreciate having such fresh meat to eat tonight, I think.