شبی با عروسک زنده 2 فصل 16

Night of the Living Dummy 2 - Chapter 16

“Jed—what are you doing in here?” I shrieked.

He stood blinking at me in the center of the room. One leg of his blue pajama pants had rolled up. His red hair was matted against one side of his head.

“What are you doing in my room?” I demanded breathlessly.

He squinted at me. “Huh? Why are you yelling at me? You called me, Amy.” “I—I what?” I sputtered.

“You called me. I heard you.” He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and yawned. “I was asleep. You woke me up.” I lowered my feet to the floor and stood up. My legs felt shaky and weak. Jed had really scared me.

“I was asleep, too,” I told him. “I didn’t call you.”

“Yes, you did,” he insisted. “You told me to come to your room.” He bent to pull down the pajama leg.

“Jed, you just woke me up,” I replied. “So how could I call you?” He scratched his hair. He yawned again. “You mean I dreamed it?” I studied his face. “Jed—did you sneak into my room to play some kind of prank?” I demanded sternly.

He wrinkled his face up, tried to appear innocent.

“Did you?” I demanded. “Were you going into the closet to do something with Slappy?” “No way!” he protested. He started to back out of the room. “I’m telling the truth, Amy. I thought you called me. That’s all.” I squinted hard at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. I let my eyes wander around the room. Everything seemed okay. Dennis lay in the armchair, his head in his lap.

The closet door remained closed.

“It was a dream, that’s all,” Jed repeated. “Good night, Amy.” I said good night. “Sorry I got upset, Jed. It’s been a bad day.” I listened to him pad back to his room.

The cat poked his head into my room, his eyes gleaming like gold. “Go to sleep, George,” I whispered. “You go to sleep, too, okay?” He obediently turned and disappeared.

I clicked off the bed table lamp and settled back into bed.

Jed was telling the truth, I decided. He seemed as confused as I was.

My eyes suddenly felt heavy. As if there were hundred-pound weights over them. I let out a loud yawn.

I felt so sleepy. And the pillow felt so soft and warm.

But I couldn’t let myself fall back to sleep.

I had to stay awake. Had to wait for Slappy to make his move.

Did I drift back to sleep? I’m not sure.

A loud click made my eyes shoot open wide.

I raised my head in time to see the closet door start to open.

The room lay in darkness. No light washed in from the window. The door was a black shadow, sliding slowly, slowly.

My heart began to pound. My mouth suddenly felt dry as cotton.

The closet door slid slowly, silently.

A low creak.

And then a shadow stepped out from behind the dark door.

I squinted hard at it. Not moving a muscle.

Another creak of the door.

The figure took another silent step. Out of the closet. Another step. Another. Making its way past my bed, to the bedroom door.

Slappy.

Yes!

Even in the night blackness I could see his large, rounded head. I watched his skinny arms dangle at his sides, the wooden hands bobbing as he moved.

The heavy leather shoes slid over my carpet. The thin, boneless legs nearly collapsed with each shuffling step.

Like a scarecrow, I thought, gripped with horror.

He walks like a scarecrow. Because he has no bones. No bones at all.

Up and down, his whole body bobbed as he crept away.

I waited until he slithered and scraped out the door and into the hall. Then I jumped to my feet.

I took a deep breath and held it.

Then I tiptoed through the darkness after him.

Here we go! I told myself. Here we go!