Free Night of the Living Dummy by R. L. Stine Page B

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.

 
    20

    “Look at what ?” Mr. Powell cried, adjusting his pajama top.
    Kris pointed down to the dummy under her foot. “He—he’s trying to get away,” she stammered.
    But Mr. Wood lay lifeless on his stomach.
    “Is this supposed to be a joke?” Mrs. Powell demanded angrily, hands at the waist of her cotton nightgown.
    “I don’t get it,” Mr. Powell said, shaking his head.
    “Mr. Wood—he ran down the stairs,” Kris said frantically. “He’s been doing everything. He—”
    “This isn’t funny,” Mrs. Powell said wearily, running a hand back through her blonde hair. “It isn’t funny at all, Kris. Waking everyone up in the middle of the night.”
    “I really think you’ve lost your mind. I’m very worried about you,” Mr. Powell added. “I mean, after what happened at school tonight—”
    “Listen to me!” Kris shrieked. She bent down and pulled Mr. Wood up from the floor. Holding him by the shoulders, she shook him hard. “He moves! He runs! He talks! He—he’s alive !”
    She stopped shaking the dummy and let go. He slumped lifelessly to the floor, falling in an unmoving heap at her feet.
    “I think maybe you need to see a doctor,” Mr. Powell said, his face tightening with concern.
    “No. I saw him, too!” Lindy said, coming to Kris’ aid. “Kris is