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

Chapter Forty-Two

I would have screamed for help had Matita not slapped a wooden hand over my mouth. He laid his other hand - gripping this small, shiny knife - and pushed me back down. He was as strong as Jetzid. So I could not resist. I felt ashamed. A dummy was stronger than me. Guess that his evil gave him incredible strength.

"Shut up!"

"Mmm!"

I grabbed his arm with both hands and tried prying off his cold hand. I turned my head to the door separating my room from the hall. I heard footsteps and voices. If the doctors and nurses knew that I was in trouble...

An idea popped in my mind. I clenched my fist tightly - and began banging it on the wall behind the bed. I was hoping that somebody - even Jetzid - would hear those loud bangs and rush in.

I stopped and shut my eyes. "Mmm!" Intense pain shot through my left arm. The arm still clutching Matita's. I let him go and examined my arm. Bright red drops ran down from a large cut in my skin. My blood.

Matita raised his knife. Blood was dripping from it and onto the white blankets covering me. A drop splattered on my white gown. Hopefully, the blood will come out.

I scanned the room, looking for alcohol and band-aids. I had to stop the bleeding before I bled to death. Sadly, I could not find alcohol or band-aids.

The dummy poked my nose with the pointy end of said knife. He finally pulled his hand away from my mouth. His voice lacked emotion. "That was a warning. Do not scream or make any more sounds. Or I will cut up your face. Then Jetzid will move onto another girl. A doll."

I frowned. "Is this why you are here? 'Cause of Jetzid?"

He sat on my belly and crisscrossed his legs. He put his knife in his lap, still holding its handle. I swore that his creepy, permanent grin grew. "I do not have to use this knife to get my point across. I can kill you easily with a snap of my fingers. Or a flick of my wrist. Thanks to all my powers, I can do the unimaginable to you." He held up his hand. "Maybe I will get it over with now."

I shook my head and pressed myself in the mattress. If I did not want to die at his hands - or die at all today - I had to listen to him. I had to do what he wanted even if I did not want to.

I pray that he does not force me to rip off my gown and do the thing. You know. Running around naked. I have seen videos of naked people in public. Yes, censored. It is normal for them - or they are high. But I think that I could not have gotten naked. Now that I think about it, I have never been naked. Not even when I get changed or take showers. Why? Could Forlot have something to do with it?

"No," I refused. "I do not want to die. There is so much that I want to do."

Matita lowered his hand. "That is what they all say."

"Who are they?"

"My previous victims - whom I murdered because they ticked me off."

A shiver shot through my tensed body. It felt as if I had been tasered. "Your previous victims? Y-you murdered them because they ticked you off?"

Laughter suddenly filled the room. Wicked laughter.

I noticed a tissue box on a small table next to my bed. I grabbed it and laid it on the bed. Then I pulled out two tissues and cleaned the blood off my arm and the deep cut. I crumpled the tissues into bloody balls and tossed them by the box.

Matita's laughs died down. A tear rolled down his face. He wiped it off using the knife's tip.

That answers my question if living puppets shed tears.

"What are you up to, Janice?"

I was pressing two clean tissues against the nasty cut. I kept my eyes on my arm. "Trying to stop the bleeding - because the doctors and nurses apparently do not keep alcohol and band-aids in this room."

"Seriously?"

"What do you want from me?" I wanted the freak gone.

He ignored my question. "If you want alcohol - and the giant band-aid - I will give them to you." He flicked his wrist, and a box of thick band-aids and a large bottle of alcohol appeared on the bed. "Open your mouth wide." He grabbed the alcohol and unscrewed the cap.

"Uh, why should I open my mouth?"

"I told you to - unless that you wish to die today. In the hospital. In this bed. Whoever sees your bloody corpse will be scarred for life."

"I still do not wish to die. I do not want to be murdered by the likes of you."

"Then open your mouth so I can make you feel better."

My heart skipped a beat. I was worried that the puppet would slice the inside of my mouth or something. I did not want a snake tongue.

"What are you going to do once my mouth is open?"

He held the bottle in both hands. "It is a surprise."

I let go of the now bloody tissues on my arm and began pulling the blankets over my head. I was about to reply that I am not keen on surprises when I heard this shrill cry. I watched as Matita fell to the floor. He might have lost his balance when I pulled the covers. He landed on his back. His arms and legs were tangled. Said knife...it pierced him. Pierced him in the leg. At least that it had stabbed him.

My cut was still bleeding. I pressed a red, shiny button. "Nurse. I need someone to come right—"

The door opened. Jetzid strolled in. "Janice."