You Took Them - A Goosebumps Fanfiction

Chapter Two

My scream was cut short by coughing. I was choking. I got on my hands and knees and clawed at the gnome. I was being choked by a lawn gnome. Those small hands were squeezing the life out of me. My vision was blurry as my life flashed before me. I figured that I would die. I could not pry the monster off me no matter how hard I tried.

How was I supposed to know that the gnomes are evil? Besides Zach and Champ telling me. They seemed and sounded crazy at that time. Not so much now. I uttered Tamara's name before I passed out. I was gone.
———————
The Body Squeezers had frozen the officers and waited for the next order. A dummy was in the back and going through the files. It was none other than Slappy.

Slappy threw a stapler at you, the narrator. He grasped a folder in his wooden hand. "Who you callin' dummy - dummy?" His eyes transfixed on the monster assisting. "Have you found it yet?"

Cronby the Troll shook his head. "Sorry, lad. But take a look at these ladies. They are good enough to eat!"

"I am human-tose intolerant, Cronby. I harm them. As much as Papa harmed us."

Cronby shoved the folders in his hands. "Hilarious that you call him Papa when you want him dead."

Slappy's wooden jaw moved up and down. "That name is a reminder to Stine how much he destroyed me. Us." An inky tear trickled down his cheek. "I was his friend. His favorite. I was the only person whom he needed."

The troll rolled his eyes before returning to his cabinet. "You do not have to remind us that you were the best."

"I said that I was the favorite, not the best. But thanks. Now let us get back to destroying Stine."

"Are you not going to look at the pictures of the ladies? You might find a decent bride."

The puppet tossed the folders to the floor. "I am sick of girls. They are loud and annoying and believe that only they are vulnerable. Why would I want to suffer more? So I am done with brides. I need no bride to be happy."

"Says the monster who tried making girls his slaves."

"Not my fault that Papa paired me with girls!"

Cronby pulled out another folder. "Does this mean that you are...gay?"

Slappy teleported next to him and slapped him. "Never will I be gay. I am not now. I will not be down the road. 'Cause I am hoping to discover my little angel. The one who will love me for me. Someone out there has to love me."

"So...you and the Haunted Mask are not together?"

"As if! The Haunted Mask is my close cousin. I am into human girls anyway. Less hideous than dolls." Then he snatched the folder from him and opened it. "Take this lady for example. Her name is Shelly Madison. She has a small family and adores seashells. But look at her. Do you think that I have a shot with her?"

"Not unless that you force her."

Slappy shut the folder. "I refuse wasting my powers on a lady who wants nothing to do with me. If I happen to find one who loves me, she will be mine. No questions. We will be married and have a hundred children."

"She will die before the hundredth child."

"Not with my powers."

Little did he know that he was a step closer to getting a bride.
———————
"Honey. She is waking up," I heard Mom say.

I was coming to and groaned. I coughed before looking at my parents and sister. Aside from my neck aching, I was fine. I was not gone. I was not dead. I realized that I had on an oxygen mask and looked around.

"Where...where am I?"

Mom was holding my hand and squeezed it. "We are in the hospital, Shelly. You were admitted to the hospital. Thank gosh that Stine was kind enough to drive us."

Who the heck was Stine?

I tried sitting up. "W-what happened?"

Dad had Tamara in his lap. "You passed out after some creature tried choking you. I do not get why. I kicked it faster than a race car." I could tell that he was trying to process it. So was I.

"It was a gnome," Mom said. "The creature that almost killed our daughter was a lawn gnome."

I suddenly remembered everything. "Oh my gosh. Why were there...living lawn gnomes?"

"We do not know. Maybe they were animatronics gone wrong."

I coughed again and massaged the side of my neck. "I-I do not think that animatronics choke people no matter how malfunctioned they are."

"Shelly. You do not believe that they were real gnomes, do you?"

"Oh, no. I...I think that somebody is controlling them."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "Who would control a group of little animatronics? And why was one trying to murder you?"

"We should tell the police," Mom suggested. "We must head down to the police station and give a statement - before those gnomes successfully kill someone."

Dad stood and handed her Tamara. "I will go by myself and explain the whole story."

"You do not want me to come with you?"

"I want you to keep Shelly company."

"Okay. But be careful."

They kissed - for the last time.
———————
Mr. Madison drove to the police station. He was aware that his daughter would pull through, but he remained concerned. What if said gnomes murdered folks? What if they returned to his home and tried to murder Shelly again - and the family? He had to protect them.

Mr. Madison arrived at the station and hopped out. He dashed into the building - and saw the two frozen cops. Encased in ice. He assumed that they were sculptures.

"Nice sculptures," he complimented. "But it is not even Christmas."

"Thank you. I had help."