Don't Keep the Lights On

Chapter 14

I reached over to it, trying not to wake the others. My fingertips had just touched the smooth leather cover when the door creaked open. I fell limp to the floor, retracting my hand just as the puppeteer walked into the room. "Wake up, Ladies and Gents. Your five star dinner has just arrived." He said. Slowly, the others began to wake up. It seemed the only one who had been awake was me. I sighed as the puppeteer began dishing out plates of steak. But it didn't smell like steak. It smelled weird and pungent.

I wrinkled my nose. "What the heck is this?" The puppeteer smiled. "It's good for you, Maddie. Eat up!" I shivered when he called by my nickname. "EAT!" He roared when nobody touched the plate. Trembling, I took a bite out of the steak. It was juicy, and kind of good. I gulped down my food. "I forgot how hungry I was." I mumbled through a mouth full of steak. "Mmmm. Mmmmm." Hannah murmured.

"Oh, yes, you taste great." The puppeteer grinned. "Oh, umm...okay. Wait, did you say WE?!" I sputtered. "Yes....my dear, I captured a human." I threw up again in the hole. "Crap. What is that?" I groaned. "Human, seasoned with gravy, artichoke, salt and pepper." The Puppeteer listed the ingredients carefully. "So we're not in hell anymore?" I asked. The Puppeteer chuckled. "No my dear, no. We aren't in hell anymore."

A small match of hope flared up inside me. "Now, I'm going. You get busy, okay?" The Puppeteer cackled and left us in the room. "Dolly!" I whispered sharply. She floated over to me. "What?" She asked. "Oh my god, I missed you so much. I mean, I knew you were alive...dead, I just..you know." She smiled. "I know." "Do you see that?" I asked, pointing at the dark corner where the book sat. "Yes. But he comes and goes so frequently we can't take it without him noticing." Dolly sighed.

"He's gone now. We can destroy the book." I said. Dolly looked at the book, then back at me. "Let's do it." She growled.