The Amber alert said a six year old little girl was abducted from the Old Hickory Mall at five o'clock yesterday afternoon. The description of the little girl I don't recognize. The picture of the man walking away with her, I swear is my next door neighbor, Mr. Nelson.

"He's a strange little man." Dad always said. When he was around. Mr. Nelson always keeps to himself and his yard is perfectly manicured. No blade of grass is out of place. My buddy Jack, who's eleven, the same age I am. Says that Mr. Nelson was married once. They had a daughter. After she turned six, Mrs. Nelson just left him one day. Never came back and nobody ever knew why. That's what his mom told him anyway.

The only thing that bothers me is the hat the man is wearing in the picture. I've only seen one person with DELMARC on his hat. The only person I've seen who wears his hat cocked to the left is Mr. Nelson. Something ain't right.

I'm sitting on my bed looking out my window. Staring at Mr. Nelson's strange green window. I always thought it was funny. Why would anybody paint the whole window green? Glass and all. I want to ask mom about it. She's never sober enough after work. Especially this late in the day. At least she does her drinking at home.

I'd ask my dad but he left along time ago. Not because of the drinking. It was after my older sister disappeared when she was six. They never found a trace of her. I guess they stopped loving each after that. He must have forgot about me , too.

This all fits together somehow. I've got to see behind that green window. I know Mr. Nelson leaves for work about five in the morning. He gets home about four. If I can just see what's behind that window.

The next day I'm awake early, it's not quite daylight yet. I'm watching Mr. Nelson leave from my window. I hear mom up getting her caffeine and nicotine coughing in the kitchen. I'm in bed planning how to steal a look in that green window. It's just bugging the crap out of me. Wonder if it's painted on the inside or outside? If it's on the outside? I can just scrape a little paint off with a flat head screwdriver. Then look in the window. Need to grow about two feet though. That's easy enough. Just grab a couple of cinder blocks from the backyard. They're left over from when dad lived with us. Think he was going to build a grill or something.

Mom's taking her shower before she goes to work. She usually leaves about six-thirty. Since school is out. She's been letting me stay home to keep from paying a babysitter. So long as I don't get into any trouble and nobody comes into the house. Hearing our car start I get up and watch her pull out of the driveway then turn left. Got to see what's behind that green window. I quickly get dressed.

I'm standing at the back door scanning the neighborhood, it's quiet. Picking up the first block I slowly take it to the green window. Man these things are heavy. Still need another one to stand on. I look over the whole neighborhood before putting the last on under the window. Stepping up I look closely at the glass. He did paint it on the outside. There's the brush marks. I get the flat head screwdriver out of my pocket and begin to scrape a little paint. I try to look in the small hole but it still ain't big enough. Need to scrape a little more to make it bigger. Not to big though. Don't want Mr. Nelson to know I've been here. That ought to do.

Can't believe my eyes. I almost fall off the blocks because she there she is. Just like they said. Long red hair and blue eyes. All she's got on is her underwear. She's tied to an old chair and there's something stuffed in her mouth. She sees me looking in the window. The ray of light is hitting her cheek. Her eyes are begging me to help her. Tears begin to fall down her face.

Somehow, I have to save her. Mom once dated Doug, one of the policemen in town. He's a great guy and I like him a lot. Doug will help me. Jumping off the blocks I run to our house to call the police and see if Doug is on duty.

My heart skips a beat after picking up the phone. Mr. Nelson is pulling into his driveway. I'm to afraid to dial watching him from our side window. He gets out of his car with a big smile then walks up on his porch. Unlocks his door and goes in. I'm still thinking, I have to help her.

Suddenly he comes out of his house with a confused look. He walks around to the green window. He sees the two cinder blocks on the ground. Then looks in the hole I scraped in the paint. He thinks for a second. Then turns towards our house and sees me in the window, watching him. I don't care. His face changes from the nice man we all know into a monster. His fill with hatred. His smile turns into an evil grin and begins to drool. He growls like an animal and starts walking towards our house.

Running to the kitchen I sling open the silverware drawer and grab the biggest knife we have. Then go to the back door. Open it then slam it shut. Quietly I go to the front room, out of sight. I watch Mr. Nelson pause then head towards our back door.

I race out the front door and over to his house. Jerking open his front door I run in to room with the green window and cut her loose. Her dress hangs neatly on a hanger beside the chair. She slides it over her head. Both of us are too afraid to speak. I grab her hand and run to his back door. It's bolted and nailed shut. We can't get out this way.

Looking at the knife in my hand and a new confidence fills me. Even though I hear him slowly close then lock his front door. We're trapped.

She's scared to death. I look at her and whisper. "We ain't dieing here today if I can help it, hear me." She tries to smile and shakes her head yes. His footsteps grow closer.

"In here." I put her into a broom closet beside his fridge and quietly close the door.

I'm waiting against the door. Smiling at him when he comes into the kitchen. I've got the knife in my right hand behind me.

"Jimmy, what are you doing in my house?" Mr. Nelson calmly asks.

"I let her go Mr. Nelson. She's on her way to get the police right now." After telling him that he begins to shake all over. Then looks at me with pure evil in his eyes. There's a monster that lives within him.

"I will have her today Jimmy. There is nothing you can do about it. I will also kill you today Jimmy. But not before I make you beg me for mercy." Mr. Nelson stands there grinning for a second then lunges at me.

I duck, pull the knife from behind me then stick it deep in his belly.

He looks at me for a second. Then down at the knife stuck in him. He watches his own blood run down the handle. Stumbling backwards, still looking at the knife sticking out of him. Mr. Nelson slowly sits down at the kitchen table and stares at the ceiling.

He says the strangest thing. "Daddy, what are you doing to Jenny. Stop that." Then slowly falls out of the chair onto the floor, dying.

I grab the little girl out of the broom closet. We run to my house and lock all the doors. Then call the police and my mom.

The little girls name was Sarah Travers. I got to meet her mom and dad. They both hugged me tight and thanked me for giving them back their daughter. The news people tried to call me a hero. I wouldn't let them. The awful news came later when they searched Mr. Nelson's house. The police found nine other little girls dresses in a small closet in his bedroom. One of the dresses was the last thing my sister was seen in. Mom wanted it so bad but they said it was evidence. Special Police units came in from Nashville and began to dig up his back yard. They found nine little bodies buried there.

Two weeks later, we finally lay my sister to rest. I can't believe dad is here. He even hugs mom and I after the funeral.

That night I'm wondering, what if Mr. Nelson had never been born. He's the man who completely destroyed my family. What if he was never here to take my sister, kill her, then leave no trace? He caused my dad to leave and led my mom to a whiskey bottle for a long time. I wonder how things would have been different if my sister and all those other girls were still alive today? Did he destroy those families, too? I'm so tired of thinking and turn over to go to sleep.

I hear mom open my door. She comes in and sits down on my bed. Looks me in the eye, brushes back my hair and begins to cry. I sit up, wrap my arms around her and cry too.