شبی با عروسک زنده 2 فصل 21

Night of the Living Dummy 2 - Chapter 21

“Huh?” My mouth dropped open. I stared at her in surprise. “What did you say?” Sara set down the paintbrush. She wiped her hands on her gray smock. “Amy—I know it’s Slappy,” she repeated in a whisper.

“I—I—” I was so stunned, I couldn’t speak. “But, Sara—you—”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!” she cried with emotion. She rushed forward and threw her arms around me. She hugged me tightly.

I still didn’t believe what she had said. My head was spinning.

I gently pushed her away. “You knew all this time? You knew it was Slappy and not me?” Sara nodded. “The other night, I woke up. I heard someone in my room. I pretended to be asleep. But I had my eyes open partway.” “And—?” I demanded.

“I saw Slappy,” Sara confessed, lowering her eyes. “I saw him carrying a red paintbrush. I saw him painting AMY AMY AMY AMY all over my walls.” “But you didn’t tell Mom and Dad?” I cried. “You made them think it was me? And the whole time, you knew the truth?” Sara kept her eyes on the floor. Her black hair fell over her face. She brushed it back with a quick, nervous sweep of one hand.

“I—I didn’t want to believe it,” she confessed. “I didn’t want to believe that a dummy could walk on its own, that it could be… alive.” I glared at her. “And, so—?”

“So I accused you,” Sara said with a sob. “I guess the truth was just too scary. I was too frightened, Amy. I wanted to believe it was you doing those horrible things. I wanted to pretend it wasn’t the dummy.” “You wanted to get me in trouble,” I accused. “That’s why you did it, Sara. That’s why you lied to Mom and Dad. You wanted to get me in trouble.” She finally raised her face to me. I saw two tears trailing down her cheeks. “Yeah, I guess,” she murmured.

She wiped the tears off with her hands. Her green eyes locked on mine. “I—I guess I’m a little jealous of you,” she said.

“Huh?” My sister had stunned me again. I squinted at her, trying to make sense of her words. “You?” I cried. “You’re jealous of me?” She nodded. “Yeah. I guess. Everything is easy for you. You’re so relaxed. Everyone likes your sense of humor. It’s not like that for me,” Sara explained. “I have to paint to impress people.” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

This had to be the biggest surprise of all. Sara jealous of me?

Didn’t she know how jealous I was of her?

I suddenly had a funny feeling in my chest. My eyes brimmed with tears. Strong emotion swept over me like an ocean wave.

I rushed forward and hugged Sara.

For some reason, we both started laughing. I can’t explain it. We stood there in the middle of her room, laughing like lunatics.

I guess we were just so glad that the truth was out.

Then Slappy’s painted face flashed back into my mind. And I remembered with a chill why I had burst into my sister’s room.

“You have to help me,” I told her. “Right now.”

Sara’s smile vanished. “Help you do what?” she demanded.

“We have to get rid of Slappy,” I told her. “We have to get rid of him for good.” I tugged her hand. She followed me down the hall.

“But—how?” she asked.

Stepping into my room, we both cried out at once.

We heard a final kick—and the closet door swung open.

Slappy burst out, his eyes wild with rage.

“Guess what, slaves?” he rasped. “Slappy wins!”