Kelsey and Lacey loved their new mother very much. Their birth mother had died just after Lacey was born, and all of the women in town had been trying to “bag” the “handsome loner father” for a long time. A string of dead wives had deemed them to have a sort of curse, so it was quite a feat to be brave enough to marry into the family. Their new mother was called Delilah, and she was very kind and witty and said that she loved the two girls and their father very much. She played with them, and went on walks with her new husband, and did all of the things that a good wife should do. Every night their father cooked a big meal to celebrate the new marriage, and the family was as happy as a family could be. One day while the girls were playing in their room, there was a rustling at the door. When Kelsey turned to look, she saw a shadow in the hall. But when she tapped Lacey on the shoulder to get her attention, it had disappeared. The same thing happened the next day, but this time instead of the shadow disappearing, it transformed into Delilah, holding a set of new dolls for the girls. Kelsey was suspicious, as there was something off about them that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Lacey paid no mind to her warnings and played with the dolls anyway. There continued to be little things throughout the week that Kelsey noticed, little scratches here and there, or strange sounds at night. Once, she thought she heard her father shout from the basement, but the next day he was at breakfast, looking the same as ever. Kelsey finally built up got the courage to tell her father about her worries. He took her up onto his knee and told her not to worry. “Don't fret, my sweet girl. Everything is alright,. The scratches are probably squirrels,” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “But papa, I'm worried. What if something happens to us?” she said. “Don't worry. I'll even make us a special dinner tomorrow, how does that sound?” he said, setting her back down. Kelsey just nodded. “Now,” he said, “go play with your sister.” So she did, but still, she worried, checking behind her at every turn, and keeping the lights on in every room. The scratches kept going, going, going, digging into her brain. There were even times when she thought she heard something, just to realize it was only her imagination. The next night, Lacey was ecstatic about the surprise dinner. Their father had been in the kitchen with Delilah since lunch and finally came out to present their creation. “Ladies,” he said, with a devilish gleam in his eye. Lacey giggled. Kelsey sat nervously in her chair. Her father still didn't look quite right. He was too loose, too nervously joyful. She could see him almost shaking. “Your new mother and I have been working very hard on this most special dinner for a while now,” he said, delving into the kitchen. “and now, may I present… Your dinner.” Her father returned wheeling a cart, on top of which was several covered platters. He smiled generously and whipped off the covers of the dishes with a flourish. The girls both squealed with delight. On the platters lay a beautiful dish, presented on beautiful lettuce. Kelsey recognized the meat as the body of Mrs. Delilah, recently deceased. She realized now why her father had been acting strange. He was just excited to add another body to his collection. After the wonderful meal, the girls cleaned up the dishes and threw the bones to the dogs next door. Kelsey then cut out a photo of Delilah from the mantle and added it to a small, growing collection of portraits in the attic.