Warning: Descriptions of murder

Charlotte Emily was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Almost like Snow White, hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood. Her innocence was captivating and she laughed at nearly everything. Her laughter was contagious and lovely. It almost sounded like bells.

She liked me, I know she did. She laughed when I joked with her, she climbed up and sat on my lap and giggled when I took money out from behind her ears. She even called me uncle - the highest honour she could bestow.

As far as I was concerned I was being normal, managing to hide my obsession with her. I'd played it off as just wishing I had a daughter, and at that point it was true. Michael was 7 and Evan was 5. Id always wanted a girl, but my wife wasn't keen on having another child. A pity.

However, Henry wasn't stupid and clearly thought something was off. He made that hideous creature - called it 'The Marionette'. It looked like something fresh out of a horror film, but for some reason kids loved it. Maybe it was because it leapt out of its box like a jack-in-a-box and waved its arms around like one of those weird things you get outside of garages.

Michael thought it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen and told everyone who would listen. Evan liked it, liked listening to the music, although he shied away when it came anywhere near him. Now, Charlotte, Charlotte loved it. It could move freely when out of the box and she often danced with it in the middle of the floor. Maybe it was because of how much she loved it that Henry came up with his next big idea.

"Ta-da!" He showed the green bracelet to me. A massive chunky thing that looked hideous.

I was unimpressed. "What's it meant to do?" I asked, because I knew Henry never made these things without a purpose. The idea itself was quite clever. There were two bracelets, linked to each other. One would remain on The Marionette and the other would be given to the birthday boy or girl. When The Marionette came out of its box it would go over to the birthday child and dance with them for about five minutes before getting back into its box.

"It also has a protective feature." Henry said, proudly. "It's linked to the bracelet, you see, and the bracelet is linked to all the other rooms, except the bathroom. It knows exactly where the birthday child is at all times - and the best thing, it even knows when the birthday child had gone outside!"

I frowned. "They're not meant to go outside." I pointed out.

Henry beamed. "Exactly. They'll give us the bracelet back at the end of the party, but if the birthday child should end up outside for any reason, the Marionette will know and will go and find them. It'll just jump up out of its box and go."

Personally I found the while thing intriguing. I suggested allowing the Marionette and the others to be linked up to criminal databases so that known criminals couldn't get in. Henry thought that was a brilliant idea, though it would take a couple of years. "You see this-" Henry waved the pen around like it was a wand. "This is why we work so well together, William."

We tested it quite a few times. Charlotte was more than happy to help us. Every room she went in The Marionette found her. Except the bathroom, that was quite amusing, it glitched somewhat. It could get to just outside the door, but couldn't get inside - because the room wasn't registered on its system - so it just kept walking up and down past the door while Charlotte giggled inside.

Eventually she came out and hugged The Marionette so it could calm down and find her. I noted its reaction to the room and filed it away for further use.

This persisted for a few months up until Evans birthday. Most people think it was Charlottes birthday, but it wasn't, it was Evan's. Honestly, setting up the event was like pulling teeth. He didn't want his party at Freddy's, but I made him, pointing out that it wasn't like we had loads of money for a venue. Then he didn't want to invite his classmates. So Michael invited his. Well, we had to fill the hall somehow. And then lovely Charlotte came as well, obviously. Not only because she's Henrys daughter, but because she's only a year older than Evan. Evan refused to wear the bracelet - he didn't want The Marionette coming anywhere near him - so Charlotte took it.

It was chaos. Michael and his friends went mad, running round the room , hyper on chocolate. One of them knocked over the table of snacks and Evan got upset., so I was sent out for more supplies. It was only later I pieced together what happened. Michael and his friends decided to mess with The Marionette, sitting on its box so it couldn't spring up.

Charlotte got upset, started begging for them to stop. Michael got annoyed and grabbed her, throwing her outside to 'teach her a lesson'. You may be wondering why Henry didn't see anything - 40 kids all running round hyperly and he was the only adult in charge. Charlotte's always been a good girl, so he tends to leave her to her own devices.

His fatal flaw.

I came back via the back - where the staff car park is - and saw her, banging on the door, yelling to be let in, tears streaming down her face.

Perfect.

It was ridiculously easy really, she was pleased to see me and I said if she just nipped in the car with me, I'd park up then let her back in.

I still have no idea why she didn't trust me - maybe I wasn't smiling enough, who knows - but she said no. Lovely little Charlotte - who never said boo to a goose - said no. To me.

I lunged forward and strangled her, my fingers going into her small windpipe, I could feel her struggling for breath in my hands and it sent a shudder of excitement down my spine, so I squeezed harder. The last thing I remember concretely is her eyes - wide and unseeing - staring up at me.

I ket her go and her body hit the floor with a thump. I debated what to do now. I needed to go back in, if I was any longer it'd be suspicious. So I jumped in the car and headed to the car park. In my rear-view I saw the back door open and The Marionette poke its head round.

So much for the body not being found. Next time I would need to be more careful.