You Took Them - A Goosebumps Fanfiction

Chapter Three

Mr. Madison was a bit startled by the voice. It sounded creepy. Not like a cop. Like someone pranking him. He walked to the front desk and said what he had to say.

The voice spoke again. "Down here."

He did - and saw this short being. Three feet and three inches tall. He wore shades and a police hat. The father mistook him for an actual cop because he could not see well. It was pitch black in the station.

Slappy saluted. "Sergeant Slappy. Ready to protect and serve."

"Hello, Sergeant Slappy. My name is Harold Madison." He looked around. "Are you the only one working?"

Slappy decided to play along and snickered. "Afraid so. Everybody else is too frightened to show because of the monster invasion."

Harold was stunned. "What monster invasion?"

The puppet teleported to the desk. His wooden leg was draped over the other.

"How...how did you do that?"

Slappy straightened his red bow-tie. "I play a magician in my free time. So what can I help you with before you meet your untimely doom?"

"What did you say?"

"I asked if I can help you. Does this have to do with the monster invasion?"

"No clue. This is the first that I am hearing it. Is a gang of thieves coming this way or something?"

"Relax. The monsters do not steal. They destroy - and I enslave. Every human will be my slave. Hahaha!"

"Excuse me? You want to what?"

Slappy cleared his throat and waved a hand. A notepad and pen appeared in both hands. "What monster came after you this fine night?"

"They were animatronics, not monsters. Lawn gnomes that nearly killed my daughter."

"And...what is the issue?"

Harold was taken aback. "Did you not hear me? One of the gnomes choked my daughter. She would have died. H-her face was turning blue."

The dummy was scribbling on the notepad. Not words. A drawing of his dream girl. He wanted her to hold his hand. He wanted to be hugged and kissed. Are they too much to ask?

"She is in the hospital, I presume."

"Yes. She is hanging in there."

Slappy should have asked the name of the daughter. So close. "So she is healthy?"

"Yep. She will be discharged later tonight."

"Good. Know what is not good?"

"Lots of things are not good."

"Your child will be coming home - without her father."

Slappy grabbed his hand and electrocuted him with his powers. He tossed back his head and cackled. The blue electricity ran through Harold for a few seconds before he fell in a heap on the ground. Blood flowed out of his head.

Slappy tossed the pad and pen on said desk and wiped his hands. "There. As good as dead."

Cronby appeared with a stack of folders. "These are the last...wow. What happened here? And is he bleeding? I could go for some blood right about now."

Slappy hopped off the counter. "I killed him."

The troll put down the folders. "You...you killed him? I need to hear you say it again. Did you kill the human?"

"I did not only kill him. I killed a father."

"You killed two humans?!"

"This man is the father. Now his child will know how it feels to not have a papa."
———————
"Wah!"

Mrs. Madison had left Shelly's room with the baby and was trying to calm her down. She cradled her and tried reassuring her that Harold would return soon. Tamara was clearly not understanding because she kept crying. An upsetting time for her. Her sister almost died. Now her father was absent. She could not have been sadder. But things would only get worse from here.

Lauren was rubbing her back. "Are you hungry? Would you like an ice cream?"

Tamara looked at her and sniffed. "Pink?"

"You can have whatever flavor that you want."

"Pink!"

"How many scoops?"

The infant held up three fingers.

"You are one hungry girl."

"Sister too!"

"Good idea. Shelly deserves some ice cream."

Lauren carried Tamara to the ice cream parlor. It is an outside parlor. You do not walk in. She leaned forward and squinted through the darkness. No lights. No sign. No workers.

"Huh. Looks like that the parlor is closed," Lauren said sadly. "Sorry, baby girl. I am afraid that no one gets ice cream."

Tamara whimpered and kicked. She wanted to clutch a cone and lick pink - strawberry - ice cream. She was so hungry.

Her mother noticed the bell on the counter and rang it. "Hello? Anyone here? I want to order ice cream."

Silence. But she could never have predicted what came next. She turned around - and screamed.

There was the abominable snowman. He was staring at them, his shadow looming over them. She was shocked and held the infant close. She stood perfectly still as he brought his face close to them and huffed. She shut her eyes and prayed in her mind. She had no clue if he was real or just an animatronic. And she never got a chance to find out.

The snowman grabbed Lauren. She tossed her baby on the ground before she was thrown. She vanished in the blackness of the parlor and never came out. She joined her husband. Now the daughters lost both parents.

Tamara had done the smart thing. Hide in a bush. She did not reappear until the snowman was gone. She was out at night all alone. She was going to whine when she was picked up. It was human.

"You poor thing," Lorraine said. "You are freezing. And your stomach is grumbling." She smiled. "Do not fret. I will take care of you until we find your parents."

The baby pointed at the parlor. "Mama."

"Your mom works at the ice cream parlor? How sweet. She must give you all the ice cream that you can eat."

"Mama! Daddy! Sister!"

Tamara teared up as Lorraine carried her to her car.