Free 40 - Night of the Living Dummy III by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead) Page B

turned toward the dummy
collection. A flash of lightning through the window cast the shadows of their
heads on the wall. As the lightning flickered, the shadows all seemed to be
moving.
    Dan stepped up behind me. “Here we are. Now what?” he whispered.
    I raised a finger to my lips and began to tiptoe across the floor. Thunder boomed. It sounded so much louder up here under the
roof!
    When Dan and I dragged Slappy up here this morning, we had tossed him down on
the floor. We were too freaked and frightened to spend the time propping him up
on his chair. We just wanted to dump him and get away from the attic.
    I saw Slappy in the flickering white lightning. Lying on his back in the
center of the floor. The other dummies sat around him, grinning their silent
grins.
    I took a step closer. And then another. Moving as silently as I could.
    I peered down at the evil dummy. His arms were at his sides. His legs were
twisted around each other.
    And his eyes were closed.
    Yes!
    His eyes were closed. He was asleep.
    I took another few steps toward Slappy. But I felt Dan’s hand on my arm,
tugging me back. “Trina—what are you going to do?” he whispered.
    My eyes darted to Slappy. Still asleep. Thunder roared all around. It sounded
as if we were standing in the middle of it.
    “Remember those weird words I read?” I whispered to my brother, keeping my
eyes on the evil dummy. “Remember those weird words on that slip of paper?”
    Dan thought for a moment. Then he nodded.
    “Well, maybe it was those words that brought him to life,” I whispered.
“Maybe it’s some kind of secret chant.”
    Dan shrugged. “Maybe.” He didn’t sound too hopeful.
    “I saw you tuck that slip of paper back into Slappy’s jacket pocket,” I told
my brother. “I’m going to take it out and read the words again. Maybe the same
words that bring him to life will also put him back to sleep.”
    Of course it was a crazy idea.
    But a dummy coming to life was crazy, too. And a dummy trying to turn you
into his slave was crazy.
    It was all crazy. So maybe my idea was just crazy enough to work.
    “Good luck,” my brother whispered, his eyes on the sleeping dummy on the
floor.
    I made my way over to Slappy.
    I knelt down on my knees beside him.
    I took a deep breath and held it. Then slowly, slowly, I began to reach my
hand down to his jacket pocket.
    I knew the slip of paper was inside that pocket. Could I pull it out without
waking up Slappy?
    I lowered my hand. Lowered it.
    My fingers touched the top of the jacket pocket.
    Still holding my breath, I began to slip two fingers inside.
    “Gotcha!” Slappy shrieked as his hands shot up. He grabbed both of my
wrists and began to squeeze.

 
 
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    I was so stunned, I nearly fell on top of him.
    As I struggled to keep my balance, his wooden hands dug into my wrists. They
tightened around me, cutting into my skin.
    “Let go of me!” I screamed. I struggled to pull my arms away. But he was too
strong. Too strong.
    The hard fingers dug into my wrists. They squeezed harder, harder—until
they cut off all circulation.
    “Let go of me! Let go!” My cry came out a shrill wail.
    “I give the orders, ssssslave!” Slappy hissed. “You will obey me. Obey
me forever! Or you will pay!”
    “Let go! Let me go!” I shrieked. I tugged. I struggled to my feet. I jerked
my arms up and down.
    But Slappy didn’t loosen his hold.
    His whole body bounced in the air. Hit the floor. Bounced back up as I
pulled.
    But his hands gripped even harder.
    I couldn’t free myself. And the pain—the intense pain—shot down my arms.
Down my sides. Down my whole body.
    “Pick me up, sssslave!” the dummy hissed. “Pick me up and put me on my
chair.”
    “Let go!” I cried. “You’re breaking my wrists! Let go!”
    The dummy uttered a cold laugh in reply.
    The pain shot through my body. My legs wobbled. I dropped back to my knees.
    I turned in time to see Dan dive toward us.
    I thought he