شبی با عروسک زنده فصل 19

Night of the Living Dummy - Chapter 19

Mr. Wood blinked, then hissed at her, an ugly sound, a menacing sound. In the darkness of the stairwell, his painted grin became a threatening leer.

In her fright, Kris squeezed the dummy’s shoulder, wrapping her fingers around the harsh fabric of his shirt.

“This—this is impossible!” she whispered.

He blinked again. He giggled. His mouth opened, making his grin grow wider.

He tried to tug out of Kris’ grasp, but she hung on without even realizing she was holding him.

“But—you’re a dummy!” she squealed.

He giggled again. “So are you,” he replied. His voice was a deep growl, like the angry snarl of a large dog.

“You can’t walk!” Kris cried, her voice trembling.

The dummy giggled its ugly giggle again.

“You can’t be alive!” Kris exclaimed.

“Let go of me—now!” the dummy growled.

Kris held on, tightening her grip. “I’m dreaming,” Kris told herself aloud. “I have to be dreaming.” “I’m not a dream. I’m a nightmare!” the dummy exclaimed, and tossed back his wooden head, laughing.

Still gripping the shoulder of the shirt, Kris stared through the darkness at the grinning face. The air seemed to grow heavy and hot. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe, as if she were suffocating.

What was that sound?

It took her a while to recognize the strained gasps of her own breathing.

“Let go of me,” the dummy repeated. “Or I’ll throw you down the stairs.” He tried once again to tug out of her grasp.

“No!” Kris insisted, holding tight. “I—I’m putting you back in the closet.” The dummy laughed, then pushed his painted face close to Kris’ face. “You can’t keep me there.” “I’m locking you in. I’m locking you in a box. In something!” Kris declared, panic clouding her thoughts.

The darkness seemed to descend over her, choking her, weighing her down.

“Let go of me.” The dummy pulled hard.

Kris reached out her other hand and grabbed him around the waist.

“Let go of me,” he snarled in his raspy, deep rumble of a voice. “I’m in charge now. You will listen to me. This is my house now.” He pulled hard.

Kris encircled his waist.

They both fell onto the stairs, rolling down a few steps.

“Let go!” the dummy ordered. He rolled on top of her, his wild eyes glaring into hers.

She pushed him off, tried to pin his arms behind his back.

He was surprisingly strong. He pulled back one arm, then shoved a fist hard into the pit of her stomach.

“Ohhh.” Kris groaned, feeling the breath knocked out of her.

The dummy took advantage of her momentary weakness, and pulled free. Grasping the banister with one hand, he tried to pull himself past her and down the stairs.

But Kris shot out a foot and tripped him.

Still struggling to breathe, she pounced onto his back. Then she pulled him away from the banister and pushed him down hard onto a step.

“Oh!” Kris gasped loudly as the overhead hall light flashed on. She closed her eyes against the sudden harsh intrusion. The dummy struggled to pull out from under her, but she pushed down on his back with all her weight.

“Kris—what on earth—?!” Lindy’s startled voice called down from the top step.

“It’s Mr. Wood!” Kris managed to cry up to her. “He’s… alive!” She pushed down hard, sprawled over the dummy, keeping him pinned beneath her.

“Kris—what are you doing?” Lindy demanded. “Are you okay?”

“No!” Kris exclaimed. “I’m not okay! Please—Lindy! Go get Mom and Dad! Mr. Wood—he’s alive!” “It’s just a dummy!” Lindy called down, taking a few reluctant steps toward her sister. “Get up, Kris! Have you lost your mind?” “Listen to me!” Kris shrieked at the top of her lungs. “Get Mom and Dad! Before he escapes!” But Lindy didn’t move. She stared down at her sister, her long hair falling in tangles about her face, her features twisted in horror. “Get up, Kris,” she urged. “Please—get up. Let’s go back to bed.” “I’m telling you, he’s alive!” Kris cried desperately. “You’ve got to believe me, Lindy. You’ve got to!” The dummy lay lifelessly beneath her, his face buried in the carpet, his arms and legs sprawled out to the sides.

“You had a nightmare,” Lindy insisted, climbing down step by step, holding her long nightshirt up above her ankles until she was standing right above Kris. “Come back to bed, Kris. It was just a nightmare. The horrible thing that happened at the concert—it gave you a nightmare, that’s all.” Gasping for breath, Kris lifted herself up and twisted her head to face her sister. Grabbing the banister with one hand, she raised herself a little.

The instant she lightened up on him, the dummy grabbed the edge of the stair with both hands and pulled himself out from under her. Half-falling, half-crawling, he scrambled down the rest of the stairs.

“No! No! I don’t believe it!” Lindy shrieked, seeing the dummy move.

“Go get Mom and Dad!” Kris said. “Hurry!”

Her mouth wide open in shocked disbelief, Lindy turned and headed back up the stairs, screaming for her parents.

Kris dived off the step, thrusting her arms in front of her.

She tackled Mr. Wood from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist.

His head hit the carpet hard as they both crumpled to the floor.

He uttered a low, throaty cry of pain. His eyes closed. He didn’t move.

Dazed, her chest heaving, her entire body trembling, Kris slowly climbed to her feet. She quickly pressed a foot on the dummy’s back to hold him in place.

“Mom and Dad—where are you?” she cried aloud. “Hurry.”

The dummy raised its head. He let out an angry growl and started to thrash his arms and legs wildly.

Kris pressed her foot hard against his back.

“Let go!” he growled viciously.

Kris heard voices upstairs.

“Mom? Dad? Down here!” she called up to them.

Both of her parents appeared at the upstairs landing, their faces filled with worry.

“Look!” Kris cried, frantically pointing down to the dummy beneath her foot.