Goosebumps: Alternate

Chapter 8: Returning Home

When we got back home, the mansion was gone as I saw a normal looking house, having me wrinkle my brows in confusion. Strange, I thought, what happened to the two story house? The one that replaced the one I'm seeing now? I didn't have any answers to my questions, and I didn't have much time to think of any when I saw mom standing on the porch, her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot on the floor boards.

Seeing her with the look she's giving me made me want to duck away from the window by the time Chad parked the car, handing my backpack to me.

I took my backpack, watching him get out of the car, heading to the now-looking normal house. Even the leaves are back on the tree somehow. He walked onto the steps, getting on the porch, passing by mom, and headed inside the house.

I bit my tongue, putting my head down, grabbing the handle of the car door. Slowly, I pushed the door open, stepping out of the car.

Shutting the car door, I didn't walk up to her. All I did was stand there with the backpack in my hands, feeling the weight of it from all the things I've been collecting.

Mom stepped off the porch. "Get over here," she said. "Now." The way she was speaking, I walked up to her. "In the house," she pointed behind her. "Go to your room and wait for me to call you into the family room until your dad gets back home."

I did as she told me. I headed inside the house which was a mess from all the things I was doing hours ago, making my way back up to my bedroom.

I headed inside my room, dropping my backpack on the floor next to my bookcase, grabbing a random Goosebumps book off one of the shelves. I didn't care what book I grabbed since I love reading these kinds of stories.

Plopping onto the bed, I looked at the title. Night Of The Living Dummy. I stared at the cover of Slappy, wondering why the artist, Tim Jacobus, didn't do a cover of this book, the one I'm holding now, with Wally Wood on it in since Slappy was barelly in the book. In fact, Slappy had only two lines in this story.

Thinking about it further, this book is basically introducing Slappy. Still, I was actually expecting him to be a lot more...creepier when I saw him on the TV screen. But when I saw him in person, he was good looking for being a wooden puppet.

I'm starting to like him more than Brett...

I opened to the first page of chapter one and began to read the book. Like I said back in the bookstore, I have read this book a hundred times. I should also say this book is really...dark. Much darker than the other Goosebumps books I've read.

I was in the middle of the second page when my cell phone rang. Setting my book down, I pulled it out of my pocket, seeing the I.D. name on the small screen.

It was Brett. Why is he calling at this time of night? The phone continued to ring, so I answered it before it starts to get on my nerves. "Hi."

"Hey there, I was wondering if you're still interested in going to the Winter Dance with me," Brett answered back.

I did a small shrug. "It depends..."

"Depends?" he repeated through the phone. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Ehhh..." I drew out. "Let's just say I'm in big trouble as of right now," I gave out.

"You? In trouble?" He sounded shocked. "What did you do?"

"Nothing for your concern..." I simply muttered.

"Arielle Rae Wilson! Get down here!" a loud voice came through the house.