Forlot: Welcome to the Dummy House - Book Forty-One

Chapter Two

The boy watched as his date closed her eyes and fell in a heap on the sidewalk. It was not an accident. He had planned it from the moment that he asked her out on a date. Just like her, he had been waiting for this. He got on one knee and brushed her hair away from her face.

"If only you were a decent person," he said. "Sadly, you are like the others. We do not take kindly to your kind, and tonight, you will find out what occurs when people are full of themselves. When power gets to their heads. All that I ask is for you to have a gentle heart instead of a twisted one. But it is too late. Too late for you."

The boy picked up the girl and walked to the house. He waved his hand, and the front door swung open. It was like magic! He stepped in and surveyed the room. Said door slammed behind him. He frowned and glanced at the girl. She was still out cold. She would not be awake for a while. He gazed at the door and put a finger to his lips.

"We need to be silent. You do not want her to wake up. You do not want me to keep hitting her head, do you?"

"I do not know why you are talking with some door," a voice said. It was low and creepy. "Doors cannot talk."

The boy looked at the darkness before him. "We ought to not talk either, but here we are." He squinted. "Um, where are you?"

"So many questions. So little time. Now take her to the attic and prepare your speech. We will tie her up."

"About that..." He walked into the darkness and set her on a couch. "...I figured that we were going to handcuff our next victim. It will be easy for us to transform her." He stroked her cheek. "Then she will see with her own eyes what she becomes. Cannot wait to see the look on her face when she realizes that she cannot escape."

He and the other person laughed.

The boy scooped her back up and headed for the stairs. He stopped in his tracks. "Do...do you think that I ever will find a kind person? Will we find him or her? There has to be somebody in Forlot filled with kindness."

"I am sure that he or she will be on our doorstep pretty soon."

"How soon?"

"What do you mean? When the universe says so. It will reward us for punishing the wicked."

"Will we reward the person for being kind?"

"Absolutely, but we are still working on the details."

"If it is a girl, may I reward her?"

"By taking her on an actual date?"

His cheeks were as red as a tomato. "Maybe."

The boy trudged upstairs and walked down a long hall. He reached the end and looked up. A chain was on the ceiling, which was a door that led to the attic. He stood on his tiptoes, grabbed the chain, and pulled. The door opened, and this wooden staircase unfolded as it came down. Other than a couple missing steps, the staircase was good to use. He held the girl close and climbed the stairs. He did not want her to awaken. She would make a run for it once she realized what was really going on.

"Sorry that you found yourself in this position," he said as he reached the top and pulled himself up. "Actually, I am not. I am not sorry that you act like a spoiled brat. You had it coming. I tested you. I gave you chances. So many chances. I prayed that I was wrong about you. It is okay." His eyelids lowered as he carefully laid her on the attic floor. "I am used to disappointment. But I will have a girl worthy of me soon enough. I could care less what she looks like or her hobbies. Personality is key."

An hour later, the girl's eyes fluttered open. She let out a groan and tried moving, but could not. She massaged her eyes and scanned the room. It was fairly big. And it was a room that she did not recognize.

"Where am I?" she questioned. "This is not the movies or the Forlot restaurant. And where is my boyfriend?"

"I am right here."

In the corner was the boy. He walked towards her with his hands behind his back, the floorboards creaking as he inched closer. He got to her level and grabbed ahold of her arm. "Yes, yes." He nodded. "Nice and tight."

"Sweetie, what are you talking about?" she said. "What is nice and tight?"

A smile spread across his face. "The handcuffs."

"'Handcuffs'?"

She looked behind her and gasped. A pair of handcuffs was keeping her from going anywhere. Said handcuffs were attached to a metal pipe. She tried breaking free. She twisted and shook her hand. She tried to break the chain. She kicked both the pipe and the handcuffs. But it was no use. She was stuck.

Now she was angry. "Why am I handcuffed to a pipe?!" she demanded. "Did you see who did this to me?"

The boy sat in front of her with his legs crossed. "Oh, I did not see who, but I know who."

"Good. Now free me so we can go to the station to file a kidnapping report."

He chuckled. Chuckled darkly. "I cannot do that."

"Why not? 'Cause you do not have the key to the stupid handcuffs?"

"Oh, I have the key." He snapped his fingers, and a key appeared in his palm.

"Whoa. How did you do that?"

"You will find out."

He clapped his hands. People came up to the attic and surrounded the girl. But they were not human. Oh, no. They were dolls and dummies. Living puppets.

They would make the girl pay.