خیابان های پارک وحشت فصل 21

Chapter 21

“OWWWW!”

My head smacked hard. My hands slapped the mirror.

The glass was solid.

In the long row of mirrors, I saw kids tumble back, surprised and disappointed.

The room rang out with groans and unhappy cries.

“Well, that went well!” Matt tried to make a joke.

But we were all too disappointed to laugh. We stood there, gazing at our dark reflections.

“Oh, no!” I uttered a cry as I heard the doors slam shut.

The long, narrow room grew darker.

Matt and Boone rushed to the door. I watched them struggle to slide it open.

“We’re … locked in!” Boone cried. “Someone locked us in. We’re trapped in here!” I felt my bracelet tingle and vibrate.

Lizzy, be calm, I told myself. Be calm.

But how could I?

My frightened face stared out at me from the mirrors.

And then … my face disappeared.

Kids cried out as their faces vanished. The mirrors went black.

“Oh, no,” I moaned. I stared at the ugly green mask that popped into the mirror. It looked like one of the masks Carly Beth had battled in the maze.

It rose up in one mirror, then another … then another. Until the hideous mask stared out at us all down the row.

Its rubbery lips bobbed up and down as if it were speaking to us.

And then Captain Ben, the one-legged pirate captain, appeared behind the mask. The pirate’s evil face grew larger as the mask faded back. He stared out from every mirror, uttering a crooked-toothed laugh.

I screamed as an enormous snake rose up … so close … so close it appeared ready to leap from the glass. It raised its head and opened its mouth. Snapped its jaws, once. Twice. A hiss escaped its open mouth, the sound pouring like steam through the tiny room.

“Dr. Crawler!” Boone shouted. “I thought he was poisoned. He’s still ALIVE!” Boone pounded the glass. But the gigantic snake didn’t fade away. It shot its head toward us, letting out another frightening hiss.

Then a decaying mummy staggered forward in front of us. Its wrappings were stained and peeling. Haunted eyes peered out from deep in its ragged head.

The mummy reached its arms out stiffly. Grabbing, grabbing … Trying to escape from behind the glass.

I saw Abby stagger back. “N-no! Please!” she cried.

But there was nowhere to escape it. The mummy filled the mirrors in front of us and behind us.

“It’s all our old enemies!” Carly Beth cried. “They’re all here! All working for The Menace! All here to frighten us!” My bracelet. Pain seared up and down my arm as the metal burned into my wrist. The Fear Meter rose in all the mirrors. And they all showed the red line bouncing over 80. Creeping higher … higher … “We have to get OUT of here!” Matt shouted.

He tried the doors again. They wouldn’t slide open. He lowered his shoulder and heaved himself at them.

No. No way.

I turned back to the mirrors — and saw an evil-looking ventriloquist dummy loom up in all of them. His wooden hair stood up in a tall wave. His eyes darted wildly from side to side. He had a leering grin on his face. His jaw made a clicking sound as it moved up and down.

“Slappy!” Britney and Molly screamed at once.

“That’s MISTER Slappy to you!” he screeched.

He could hear us!

His evil face filled the mirrors. He turned his eyes on Michael. “Kid, I’ve got one word of advice for you. DEODORANT.” He laughed a tinny laugh.

Then his eyes landed on Matt. “Do you know how to tell your face from your butt? No? Neither do I! HAHAHAHA!” “You’re not funny!” Britney screamed. “What do you want? Why did you follow us here?” Slappy’s mouth clicked open. He leaned forward, peering out at Britney with that evil grin. “Britney, I think you’re pretty — pretty ugly!

Ha-ha. I love your nose. Do you open bottle caps with it? Ha-ha.” His eyes darted from side to side. “And where is Robby? Invisible? Ha-ha. Robby, you never looked better! Maybe you should all make this a more beautiful world — and DISAPPEAR!” I stared at the dummy’s reflections, my mind spinning. Why was he doing this? Was he just going to make bad jokes?

“You’re all going to disappear like Robby!” Slappy cried in his raspy voice. “Your Fear Level is almost to one hundred. That means The Menace and all of us good guys will be returning to earth.” He pressed his wooden face closer. His eyes blinked wide. “And do you really think The Menace will send you back to your mommies and daddies? I don’t think so!” “SHUT UP!” Britney shrieked. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I HATE you!”

She smacked her fists against the mirror. Trying to hit him. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” Slappy let out a giggle. He raised a wooden hand. He pointed two fingers at Britney. “Let me show you a wonderful trick The Menace taught me!” I heard a crackling sound. Like an electrical shock.

Britney staggered back. She stumbled into the mirror behind her.

Her eyes bulged. Her mouth hung open, and she took wheezing breaths.

Slappy pointed the two fingers at her again.

Again, I heard the crackle of electric current.

Britney let out a moan.

Something happened to her face. Her mouth froze open. Her eyes stopped moving. Her face appeared to harden.

And then, as I stared in horror, Britney’s whole head hardened. Her skin began to glow like polished wood.

“Unnh unnnh unh.” An ugly grunt escaped her throat.

She raised a hand and pushed under her chin, struggling to close her mouth. Her mouth made a clicking sound as it closed.

Slappy laughed. He pointed his fingers at her again.

“Unnh unnnnh,” Britney grunted.

Her eyes darted stiffly from side to side. Her head tilted forward, then back. Her mouth clicked as she tried to speak.

“Ha-ha!” Slappy laughed. “Britney, dear, I always thought you were a DUMMY!” I was standing right next to Britney. I reached for her.

My hand brushed her head. It was solid wood!

Her head was a dummy’s head!

Slappy peered out from the long rows of mirrors. “Who else would like to join my show?” he shouted.