10 Scary Stories (#Wattys2017)

4 - Mannequin

There was a man who loved practical jokes. Whenever he played a prank on someone, he would get a great sense of satisfaction from seeing the shocked look on their face. He enjoyed making people scream with fright and almost jump out of their skin in surprise.

The man's wife was constantly telling him off. She was tired of his childish pranks and felt he should grow up and behave more responsibly. Nothing she said ever seemed to make the slightest bit of difference and she generally wound up as the butt of his jokes. As time went by, the man grew bored with the same old practical jokes. His pranks grew more elaborate and daring. He was always looking for ideas for more tricks to play on others.

One day, as he was driving to work, he passed by an alleyway beside a large department store. Something caught his eye and he brought the car to a screeching halt. There, lying in a dumpster, was a female mannequin. It was not assembled and the arms and legs were sticking out at odd angles. The man suddenly had a great idea for a prank. He got out of his car and went over to the dumpster. He reached in and pulled the mannequin's head out of the trash. It was in good shape. Apart from a scratch on the nose and a few other dents, the mannequin looked almost lifelike.

Working quickly, before anyone spotted him, he gathered the arms legs and torso and loaded them into the boot of his car. He spent the day in his office, plotting his next great prank. He was so excited, he couldn't wait to pull it off. That evening, he drove home, ate dinner with his wife and son, then excused himself and went to be early.

The next morning, at 6:00 AM, his alarm went off. he shut it off quickly, so as not to wake his wife and son. The house was completely silent as he quietly crept downstairs and let himself into the garage. Opening the boot of his car, he unloaded the pieces of the mannequin and propped them against the wall. Then, the man searched through some old boxes and pulled out a dark, hooded-robe and a demonic facemask.

He lay the limbs of the dummy out on the floor and assembled it carefully, screwing the arms and legs into the torso. Finally, he screwed the head on tightly and dressed the mannequin in the dark robe and mask. He proceeded to pick it up and carry it into the house. He made his way upstairs, careful not to make any noise and opened his son's bedroom door.

In the dim light, he could see his son lying in bed, fast asleep. The man cautiously placed the mannequin beside his son's bed. He took a few steps back, to marvel at his mischevious creation. He was pleased, but the mannequin seemed to be lacking something. It wasn't quite as scary as he had imagined. Just then, it came to him.

He crept downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a large steak knife from the drawer. Going back upstairs, he placed the sharp knife in the mannequin's hand and posed it's arm as if it were bringing the knife down in a stabbing motion.

He once again eyed his creation, and had to put his hand over his mouth to stop the laughter. He could just his son's reaction when he woke up and saw the frightening mannequin standing over him, poised to strike. It would be his greatest prank yet. Brimming with anticipation, he tiptoed downstairs and made himself a cup of coffee.

Later that morning, the man was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when his wife came in and said good morning. She made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table beside him. he had a smug look on his face. His son would be waking up any minute now. He could hardly wait.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream broke the silence and his wife dropped her coffee cup. She was about to run up the stairs when she was stopped by her husband's laughter.

"What's so funny?" She asked, rather angrily.

"It looks like our son has fallen victim to my latest prank," the man chuckled contentedly.

His wife rolled her eyes and returned to her chair.

They sat in the kitchen, waiting for their son to come downstairs, but after five minutes of silence, they both grew impatient.

"Would you please check on him?" asked his wife. "He'll be late for school."

The man smiled and walked upstairs. He opened his son's door and looked inside. Suddenly, he froze and all color drained from his face.

His son lay on his bed. Blood pooled around his shoulders. His throat had been slit from ear to ear.

The window was wide open, the curtains fluttered in the breeze and the robe and mask lay on the floor. The mannequin was nowhere to be seen .