شبی با عروسک زنده فصل 23

Night of the Living Dummy - Chapter 23

As Kris stared in horror at the grinning dummy, Mr. Powell suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Ready?” he asked his wife.

Mrs. Powell hung the dishtowel on the rack and turned around, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead. “Ready. I’ll get my bag.” She brushed past him into the front hallway.

“Where are you going?” Kris cried, her voice revealing her alarm. She kept her eyes on the dummy at the counter.

“Just doing a little shopping at the garden store,” her father told her, stepping into the room, peering out the kitchen window. “Looks like rain.” “Don’t go!” Kris pleaded.

“Huh?” He turned toward her.

“Don’t go—please!” Kris cried.

Her father’s eyes landed on the dummy. He walked over to him. “Hey—what’s the big idea?” her father asked angrily.

“I thought you wanted to take him back to the pawn shop,” Kris replied, thinking quickly.

“Not till Monday,” her father replied. “Today is Saturday, remember?”

The dummy blinked. Mr. Powell didn’t notice.

“Do you have to go shopping now?” Kris asked in a tiny voice.

Before her father could answer, Mrs. Powell reappeared in the doorway. “Here. Catch,” she called, and tossed the car keys to him. “Let’s go before it pours.” Mr. Powell started to the door. “Why don’t you want us to go?” he asked.

“The dummy—” Kris started. But she knew it was hopeless. They’d never listen. They’d never believe her. “Never mind,” she muttered.

A few seconds later, she heard their car back down the driveway. They were gone.

And she was alone in the kitchen with the grinning dummy.

Mr. Wood turned toward her slowly, swiveling the tall counter stool. His big eyes locked angrily on Kris’.

“I warned you,” he rasped.

Barky came trotting into the kitchen, his toenails clicking loudly on the linoleum. He sniffed the floor as he ran, searching for breakfast scraps someone might have dropped.

“Barky, where’ve you been?” Kris asked, glad to have company.

The dog ignored her and sniffed under the stool Mr. Wood sat on.

“He was upstairs, waking me up,” Lindy said, rubbing her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. She was wearing white tennis shorts and a sleeveless magenta T-shirt. “Stupid dog.” Barky licked at a spot on the linoleum.

Lindy cried out as she spotted Mr. Wood. “Oh, no!”

“I’m back,” the dummy rasped. “And I’m very unhappy with you two slaves.” Lindy turned to Kris, her mouth open in surprise and terror.

Kris kept her eyes trained on the dummy. What does he plan to do? she wondered. How can I stop him?

Burying him under all that dirt hadn’t kept him from returning. Somehow he had freed himself from the suitcase and pulled himself out.

Wasn’t there any way to defeat him? Any way at all?

Grinning his evil grin, Mr. Wood dropped down to the floor, his sneakers thudding hard on the floor. “I’m very unhappy with you two slaves,” he repeated in his growly voice.

“What are you going to do?” Lindy cried in a shrill, frightened voice.

“I have to punish you,” the dummy replied. “I have to prove to you that I am serious.” “Wait!” Kris cried.

But the dummy moved quickly. He reached down and grabbed Barky by the neck with both hands.

As the dummy tightened his grip, the frightened terrier began to howl in pain.