Playtime's Over

Warning: Blood, violence, swearing…everything that Chucky loves.

Chapter 9: Light in the Dark

The mall was open only until two a.m. which meant that it wouldn't be a good enough place to hide. He'd only be able to stay there for an hour before leaving. Sighing, Andy sat down on the floor in the corner of one of the closed restaurants and a clothes shop. There were only a few teenagers walking around the mall so it was pretty much empty. The janitor was roaming around as well, but Andy made sure to find an isolated place. The mall was so big that hopefully Chucky wouldn't be able to find him there or even figure out where he was hiding. He must've already been at the hospital.

I hope Julie and Dan are alright! Maybe I should go back just to make sure…

Andy took a deep, shaky breath and stood up. There was no point in being alone. If Chucky found him how would he fight him? He was just a child and although he had escaped Chucky's wrath many times he still wasn't a match for a murderer. And if he died then Chucky would just keep killing everybody, especially those involved in Andy's case trying to help prove his innocence. He made a mistake! He shouldn't have run away!

Quickly, Andy ran toward one of the exits. A loud crash made him stop suddenly, nearly slipping on the wet floor. Breathing heavily, Andy slowly approached the end of the hallway and peered around the corner. He saw a bucket that was tipped over and lying on its side with water rushing out. A mop was lying nearby it but there was no sign of anyone. Andy swallowed thickly, already feeling goodsebumps rise on his skin. This was too familiar to be comfortable and instead of checking it out to find a dead body he'd have to run as fast as possible out of there.

Taking several quiet steps back away from the corner, Andy suddenly wheeled around and ran in the opposite direction, heading to the other end of the mall. That exit was a bit farther, but there was more of a chance Chucky would be near the closer exit. His sneakers were making noise as he ran as fast as he could, turning around a corner by the beauty spa store and heading toward one of the side doors. The door was getting closer and closer. His adrenaline was pumping and his eyes were completely fixed on the door wanting to make it before anything bad happened.

A mannequin was suddenly hurled out in front of him and Andy gasped, having been so focused on the door to notice in time. It rolled out right in front of him and his foot tripped right over it sending him flying across the recently washed floor. Andy slid a ways on his arms feeling the burn from rubbing up against the tile. He winced, but tried not to cry out in case, by some miracle, the mannequin had fallen over by itself.

Soft, echoing footsteps made him leap to his feet. He backed away toward the door, looking in every direction. The door was only a few feet away, should he run for it? Before he could think of an answer a small figure appeared in front of him, making him stumble backward some more. Chucky's familiar malicious expression was highlighted by the lamps above. The long dagger in his hand still had a price tag on it, which meant he had snatched it from one of the stores in the mall. How long had he been there? How did he figure out where Andy went?

"Hello sport," Chucky's cold voice echoed, his blue, plastic eyes narrowing.

Andy was breathing irregularly now, frightened beyond belief. There didn't seem to be any way out of this. Even if he ran out the door, how would he lose Chucky? He'd just lead Chucky back to the hospital where he could hurt Julie and Dan, if he hadn't already.

Chucky twirled the dagger in his hand, sneering viciously. "Like the new knife? I figured I should get something brand new to end your life. After all, it will be a moment to remember. After chasing you for so long I'll finally be rid of you."

Andy's body was shaking with fear as Chucky posed the dagger, watching him with an intense gaze.

"There's no where to run, Andy. No one is going to save you this time. Not your dear mommy, not those police officers, no one…you're mine! And I'm going to make sure you pay dearly for ruining my chances at getting a body again!"

Andy wheeled around as fast as lightning and pushed himself out the door. He could hear Chucky's loud, quick footsteps and his angry yell but he didn't look behind him as he ran for his life. His adrenaline was pumping so hard his ears were ringing but he didn't dare slow down. Something solid and painful hit his back and Andy lost his balance. He cried out in pain but jumped up and continued running. He saw that he was nearing the edge of the sidewalk connected to the mall. Already he noticed cars that were driving on the main road. He raced toward the main road, hoping that Chucky wouldn't attack him if there were several cars that could clearly see him.

The muscles in his legs were aching so much but he didn't slow down—he couldn't! Not unless he wanted to die. He was quickly approaching the street already noticing a couple more cars coming down the road a short distance away. Andy screamed as something sliced at his leg—pain shooting up through his muscle. He was flung forward, unable to catch himself and rolled painfully off the curb and into the middle of the street. A horn sounded loudly and screeching as Andy lifted his head to see bright lights coming straight at him. The other car in the lane beside it sped up so fast and swerved suddenly, smashing directly into the car about to hit him.

Andy screamed and threw his arms over his head to protect himself. Loud scraping and the sound of brakes squealing made him wince, but he kept his eyes shut tightly. He heard a slight bang and made sure to keep his head down, not sure how close the cars were to him. As he lay there he heard car doors slamming and suddenly arms were grabbing him and hoisting him up.

"NO! STOP! LET ME GO!" Andy screamed, pounding his fists on someone's chest.

"Andy! Andy! It's me, Dan!"

Andy suddenly stopped, jerking his head up to see Dan staring down at him with concern. He threw his arms around him and squeezed him tight. Dan rubbed his back gently and Andy finally broke away, wiping at his eyes.

"Hey, can you get in the car for me? I've got to talk to this gentleman," Dan said, smiling gently.

Andy then noticed the other car that had almost hit him had swerved off balance and was sideways, having hit the curb but it didn't appear to have anything more than a dent where Julie and Dan's car hit it. Nodding, he watched as Dan walked over and pulled out his badge. The man, who seemed pretty young and frightened began speaking really fast as he gestured toward Andy for a quick second. Andy walked toward the car and got inside. Dan was finished in just a few minutes and both cars were able to drive away.

As Andy sat in the backseat, looking outside the window he wondered how long it would take Chucky to find him again. It usually didn't take long at all.

"Andy?"

He turned toward the front where Dan was looking back at him in the review mirror.

"What happened? Why aren't you at the hospital?"

Andy swallowed thickly, feeling tears sting his eyes again. "I just…I didn't want Chucky to kill you or Julie so I thought I should run away. The mall was the only place that was open…," Andy paused to take in a shaky breath, "but Chucky found me anyway. He said he was going to make me pay."

Dan's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Alright, well we're heading back to the hospital now to get Julie and then we'll all get away from here and go someplace where there are a lot of people. We need to keep you safe for your hearing."

Andy glanced at him in surprise. "My hearing?"

Dan nodded. "Yeah, I was just on my way back from talking to the boss and there's enough evidence to make a case, a really good one in fact, to clear your name. Your friend Kyle's coming in to testify for you and Julie and I are testifying. We got you a very good attorney, so don't worry. He'll tell you everything that you need to expect from the court."

Andy nodded, his throat feeling too dry to speak. Was this really happening? Could his name be cleared? What did it matter…he would die soon anyway, but at least he could die without everyone thinking he was a murderer. Or maybe…maybe there was hope that Chucky would be destroyed permanently this time. After all, Dan and Julie had survived a lot longer than anyone, besides Kyle, that he had been with and they had actually gathered up the evidence to prove his innocence.

His thoughts were interrupted as Dan turned off the car. He helped Andy out and they went inside the hospital. The lights were off giving it a very creepy feel and Andy felt himself grab Dan's hand. Turning on a flashlight, Dan kept Andy close as he walked forward. He tried some of the lights but they didn't turn on.

"Seems the power has been cut," Dan said.

Andy made a frightened sound. "That's always what Chucky does before he kills someone."

Dan glanced down at him and his face hardened even more. Grabbing Andy's hand he walked quickly toward the stairs.

"Julie?" he called out.

Andy tried not to trip as Dan pulled him along, obviously worried about his partner. Andy's eyes caught sight of the counter and he saw someone's foot sticking out.

"Dan, over there!"

Dan stopped suddenly and looked to where Andy was directing. Quickly, he approached closer and shined his flashlight. The familiar pants were noticeable and Dan immediately ran forward, lifting up Julie's head.

"Julie! Julie, can you hear me?"

Andy knelt down fearfully, hoping that she was alright. A low groan caused Andy to look down and saw that Julie's eyes were flickering open. Dan helped her up as she became conscious again.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Dan asked.

"I was hit by a cart," Julie said, wincing as she rubbed her head. "It was too dark to see if there had been anyone in the room, but it looks like they left me alive."

"You were lucky!" Dan exclaimed, helping her to her feet.

Her eyes caught sight of Andy and she immediately embraced him. "Andy! Oh, I was so afraid when I saw you had left!"

"I'm so sorry," Andy murmured quietly, trying his best not to cry.

Dan put a hand on Julie's shoulder. "Andy said that he ran to the mall and that Chucky was there again. He said he'd make Andy pay. We've got to go somewhere where there's a lot of people to protect him before the hearing tomorrow."

"It's tomorrow?" Julie asked surprised. "How did you get it so fast?"

Dan's eyebrows rose. "Well, apparently this is a very big case and one that so many people want solved. It's the most mysterious case in the history of our profession."

He winked down at Andy and then gestured for them to follow. Julie gasped and wheeled around.

"Kara…she's….she's dead, Dan. Someone killed her."

Dan immediately glanced over the counter, covering his mouth from what he saw. "She's dead alright. There's nothing we can do except get out of here then call the police to come here. We're not safe here."

Julie nodded immediately and grabbed Andy's hand tightly as they went back to the car. They drove a while away and Julie sat in the back with Andy to keep him calm and distracted. They ended up at a 24 hour bar and found a seat in the back. There was a small dance floor and a very large bar counter where many people were seated. Some were seated at tables as well chatting happily. Julie had her arm around Andy as he leaned his head on her shoulder, obviously exhausted from not getting any sleep. Dan ordered a couple drinks for him and Julie, and a coke for Andy.

"So Andy, can you tell us what happened?" Julie asked quietly.

Andy lifted his head momentarily and looked around. "Even with people around?"

"It's too noisy here, kiddo," Dan smiled. "No one can hear us unless they were sitting at our table."

Andy nodded with relief. "Well…I went to the mall and I thought I was safe because it was so big. Chucky found me and had a real big knife in his hand. He said he was going to make me pay then he chased me."

"How does he get the remote control doll to do that?" Dan wondered aloud, folding his hands together.

"It's not a remote control!" Andy exclaimed, earning a surprised glance from both Julie and Dan. "He's real! He's really a doll! I know you both think I'm just a kid who thinks that he's real, but he's not controlled by anyone! There's no one else after me, just him. Charles Lee Ray used voodoo magic to put his soul into the soul of the doll so he's able to move around and talk in it. The reason why he was after me was not only because I witnessed him murdering people, but also because I was the first and only person, at six, who he told his secret to."

"What secret?" Julie asked, stunned.

Andy turned to face her. "That he's really Charles Lee Ray. According to the voodoo ritual he used, the first person he told his real name to would be the only person he could use to transfer his soul from the doll to their body. That's why he was after me all this time! He wanted a real body so that he could use my body to do these killings. That way he'd be able to use voodoo rituals to kill victims again and he knows how to make it so the police can't figure out who did it. And looking like me he would just frame someone else and act innocent."

Dan and Julie exchanged shocked glances and Julie leaned down toward Andy. "Are you sure Andy?"

"I'm positive! I swear to you he's real!"

"Well, that's what Kyle said too when I interviewed her," Dan added and Julie looked up at him.

"She said that?"

"Yeah. I just haven't figured out if we should let her say that to the court," Dan said.

Julie sighed heavily and shook her head. "We can't say that, no one would believe us."

"But it's true!" Andy exclaimed, as tears leaked out of his eyes and down his cheeks.

Julie immediately embraced him. "Shhh, it's alright, Andy. Listen to me," she said, gently pulling him back and wiping away his tears, "there's no way we can prove the doll is real or that voodoo magic is real. If we tried to prove that your innocence wouldn't be proven for many, many years. Maybe even after you're 80. Although we can't tell the courts the entire truth, we can tell them enough to convince them that someone else is doing these murders and framing you."

Dan nodded in agreement. "Yes, the most important thing now is to clear your name."

Andy glanced down at the table and very slowly he nodded. "I guess you're right. Even Kyle didn't want to believe Chucky was real even when she saw it with her own eyes."

"We saw it too and still thought he was being controlled, even though his movements didn't seem at all like a doll's," Julie added. "But look, the important thing is that everyone knows that you, a sweet, innocent little boy who's gone through too much trauma, isn't responsible. Then we can put you under the protection of the agency while the police are out there looking for the culprit."

"But no one will find him!" Andy said fearfully.

Dan leaned forward. "Maybe not, but they'll be looking for any suspicious murders. If we find out anyone has been murdered very recently we'll know where to track him. Even if the entire police force won't be looking for the doll, we will. Julie and I will track down the doll and stop him."

"He'll kill you!" Andy exclaimed. "He's not human!"

"Andy, shh, calm down," Julie said, bringing him close again. "You said you've destroyed him before, right? So there's got to be a way to destroy him again."

Andy thought hard and nodded. "Well every time he's been destroyed he's been completely blown up. The more time he spends in the doll's body the more human he becomes. So now that he doesn't have my body he'll be more vulnerable to gun shots and weapons. Last time, me and Kyle fought him in a Good Guy doll factory. We put him into the doll machine which puts doll pieces together. It forced plastic body parts into him and made him bleed a lot. His legs also got cut off so he found this thing that helped him wheel around. When he came after me, he came underneath a hot chemical machine and I poured it on him. It must have had some sort of acid in it because it ate away at the plastic."

"And he died?" Julie asked with wide eyes.

Andy shook his head. "Nope. He was weakened and he attacked Kyle again when she approached the gooey mess that was left to see if he was really dead. Then she stuck an air tube in his mouth and his head got so full of air it exploded. And then he died, but someone put him back together."

Dan sighed heavily rubbing his eyes. "Yep, that would be the detective agency of this area. The Killer Doll case had come up again because the Good Guys Doll Company was again losing business so they contacted the agency that had the leftovers of the doll they found blown to bits in the factory and said they wanted it put back together. There was a debate on that since the last time it was put together by the company itself the case came up again and more murders came up, involving you, Andy. But some idiot officer put it back together. They found the doll missing and the officer who had been alone had been killed."

Julie shook her head sadly, squeezing Andy tightly. "That's ridiculous. Some idiot cop thought he test out to see if the doll was really a killer. I suppose he got his answer."

They were all silent for a minute and Andy looked down at the table. "I don't know what we can do to stop him this time," Andy said quietly. "Maybe Kyle could help!"

Dan and Julie glanced at him and Dan shrugged. "Maybe, but we don't want to put anyone else's life in danger."

"Her life will already be in danger once she comes to court to testify for me," Andy insisted. "And she knows that! Chucky will find out about the hearing and who's involved. You both are already in danger too. Kyle knows that Chucky also tried to kill her and used her to get to me last time so he'll do it again."

"She must really care about you if she's coming here knowing the risks," Julie smiled sadly.

Andy nodded, smiling ever-so-slightly. "She does. She also felt terrible that all this time I had to lose my mom, my family, my friends, my life…everything. She wanted to do something for me but I told her there was nothing she could do. We had to go our separate ways. She was much older so she had to get a job and move someplace else, though she stayed at an orphanage for a while before she could support herself. The last time she wrote to me she had still been in the orphanage. Even though we didn't know each other for so long, we both survived Chucky trying to kill us. That really brought us close together. I truly felt like she was my older sister," Andy said quietly. "I don't want her to get hurt, but either way she'd get hurt. If Chucky's not stopped he'll track her down after killing everyone involved with this case because she knows about him. Once he's killed everyone involved he'll be able to go to other places all around the world and kill people. That's why he has to be stopped. Who knows…he could find someone who knows about voodoo magic and find a way to get a body despite having run out of time. That's what I'm really afraid of, is that he'll find someway to become…I don't know…"

"Immortal?" Dan suggested.

Andy nodded. "Yeah. And if that happens there will be no stopping him."

Dan took a deep breath. "Wow, this is like some freakish horror movie."

Julie shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe he'd go this far. I remember stories about the Lake-Shore Strangler, but immortality…he's insane!"

"Most murderers are," Dan quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Julie shrugged in agreement and took a sip of her drink. Andy was drinking his silently, seemingly lost in thought. He couldn't help but thinking about everything that had happened so far. Just a couple years ago while he was still at the orphanage with no friends and no family, he actually thought about killing himself. He was so miserable and scared all the time he could scarcely sleep. Not to mention he had no one to talk about it with and he wasn't allowed to visit his mother. Everything had been going wrong.

The only friend he ever had was Kyle but she was too far away. They wrote now and then, but she hadn't been able to come to see him because she hardly had any money and was too busy. He had been so lonely…so unhappy and so ready to die. He'd rather have killed himself than allow Chucky to kill him or take over his body. For some reason, despite the depression, he never attempted to kill himself. He had had dreams about killing himself, nightmares about Chucky killing him, and even thought about dying, but somehow he kept living. It was like he had mentally given up, but his subconscious kept him alive. He ate like everyone else, was so quiet and barely spoke even to the staff at the orphanage, and his life passed by so slowly over the years that time didn't seem important to him. He did fairly well with his homework there being able to concentrate better all alone in his room. Despite having depression he hadn't gone crazy or been scarred in any other way. How was that possible?

"Andy, sweetie, you look tired. Maybe you should rest," Julie said, pulling him close so he could rest his head on her shoulder.

"Are we staying here all night?" Andy asked, holding back a yawn.

Julie smiled and nodded. "Yes and we'll most likely get in touch with some buddies who get off work around three a.m. so there will be more cops in here, in case the place gets less crowded."

Andy smiled gratefully and relaxed his muscles. "Thank you so much. You guys are the best."

Dan winked. "Of course we are."

Julie snorted and shook her head in amusement. "You just get some rest now and don't worry about a thing. We'll protect you."

Andy felt his eyelids drooping and soon closed his eyes completely. All the worry that had been harbored inside of him was released temporarily and it made him feel like he was melting—finally giving in to sleep which he hadn't had for so long. Insomnia wasn't very fun to have at seven all the way to thirteen. He fell asleep almost instantly, finally able to feel safe from Chucky.

XXXXX

When Andy woke he still felt a bit tired but was surprised to see that there were at five other officers sitting around the table with Dan and Julie. He could see reflections of sunlight hitting the glasses from the window and assumed it was morning. He had actually survived through the night. He shifted to lift up his head and Julie glanced down at him, having been holding him close while he slept.

"Good morning," she smiled. "You were out cold the entire night."

Andy yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eight. The hearing is at nine so we should get back to the hospital to get you cleaned up and dressed. Don't worry," she said, noticing Andy's wary expression, "it should be safe there. They were able to clean up the mess and take Kara's body away and then some officers stayed watch there with the other nurses so that the other patients weren't in danger. We won't be there for long anyway."

"Yeah, well I don't have to change since I have my suit in the car," Dan piped up. "I'll take Andy to the hospital so you can run back to your place and get dressed."

Julie nodded, "I'll meet you there."

The two of them said goodbye to the other officers who waved back and then they got into the car. Dan dropped Julie off at her place first before taking Andy back to the hospital. There were plenty of nurses and doctors bustling around so it certainly felt safer. A nurse was able to get them an empty room with a bathroom attached. Dan thanked her and closed the door.

"You ready to get cleaned up?"

Andy nodded sleepily, beginning to feel the pain from his wound come back.

Dan helped him with his shirt, being careful of the wound, and the rest of his clothes. Andy was able to get into the tub by himself, for the most part. He was still feeling disoriented and his wound still hurt a bit, but he was doing fairly fine for escaping death once again. Dan helped him wash up, making sure to clean the cut thoroughly, and then wrapped a towel around him when he was done.

"There you are. The nurse also said she'd bring you a change of clothes since your other ones were pretty dirty."

"Thanks," Andy said, wrapping his arms around himself.

"You alright?" Dan asked, concerned.

Andy nodded. "I'm just a bit nervous about this trial. What if they find me guilty?"

Dan sighed and knelt down so their eyes were level. "We've got a lot of evidence to prove you didn't do anything, Andy. We wouldn't have taken the chance if we didn't think there was a pretty good chance you could win. There's always the possibility of losing, but you shouldn't let that stop you. After all, you know you're innocent and as long as you know that the courts will see it. We're taking care of everything, alright? Besides, who could think a sweet kid like you is guilty?" he smiled.

Andy let a small smile show and shrugged. Dan just ruffled his hair right as the nurse came in with some clothes. Dan asked Andy if he needed help but he said he could handle getting dressed. As Andy got dressed Dan asked the nurse to bring in something to eat for the both of them. When Andy came out of the bathroom there was a small breakfast waiting with eggs, orange juice, some toast and a couple muffins. Gratefully, he sat down and began eating with Dan. Dan asked him casual questions as they ate, like what sports he enjoyed and whatnot. Andy wasn't able to say much about some of them since he really didn't have a normal childhood. Dan then explained some sports to him and told him a couple funny stories about his experience in sports.

By the time they were finished eating, the door opened and Julie stepped inside looking a lot brighter in a clean suit with a skirt and top set. She smiled at the sight of them talking and the empty dishes. Andy went over to give her a hug and she squeezed him comfortingly.

"You both ready to go?"

"Sure are!" Dan said, grabbing his suit jacket.

Although Andy was nervous a small part of him was excited. If he was proved innocent then that burden would vanish. He wouldn't have to worry about people being afraid of him, or not being able to be adopted. Perhaps he'd even get a chance to live with his mom again. He hadn't seen her for so long and it hurt him inside. He knew she wasn't crazy and she knew it but she had been cooped up in that place for so long probably worried that Andy had been killed. He was certain she got the newspaper so she would most likely find out about his hearing soon enough. Hopefully, Julie and Dan could take him to visit her sometime soon.

The drive to the courthouse wasn't that long and Andy became extremely nervous when they entered the room. An attorney came over and introduced herself as Carolyn Rose and shook Andy's hand. She then explained to him what was going on and to answer the questions truthfully and everything, but Andy also knew from before not to mention that Chucky was real, but that he thought he had been real. He had a pretty good idea now of what to say he just hoped that the judge wouldn't think he was insane, or lying.

Andy's eyes scanned the room and he saw that there wasn't a small jury like he thought there would be. Tugging on Dan's sleeve, he stood up on tip-toes to whisper in his ear.

"Why isn't there a jury?"

"Because there's no one trying against you. Obviously those that are dead have no say either way, but it's the state against you. Basically, we just have to convince the judge you're innocent. Don't worry though, we've got witnesses all ready to come in when it's their turn," he smiled.

Andy nodded and was lead to a sit next to his attorney. Apparently, even though Dan and Julie were serving as witnesses as well, they were allowed to remain in the room. They sat in the benches and Andy nervously sat in his seat behind the table up front. Carolyn put a comforting hand on his arm for reassurance.

"All rise for Judge Swartz," an officer announced.

Immediately, Andy stood up as an elderly man walked in. He had a neutral expression on his face so Andy couldn't tell if he seemed like a nice judge or a mean judge. Gulping, he sat down when the judge gestured for everyone to sit.

The judge looked through the papers on his desk and his eyes glanced over at Andy.

"This hearing is for Andy Barclay, suspected of having killed several people. Please begin."

"Your honor," Carolyn said, standing up. "I would like to ask that Andy come forward and tell his story."

The judge nodded. "Proceed."

Carolyn gently held his arm and led him up to the stand. He was only thirteen so he didn't have to swear on the Bible to tell the truth but he was asked to put his right hand over his heart to swear to tell the truth.

"I do," Andy answered sincerely and then sat down.

"Andy, please tell your story about the murders."

Nodding, Andy licked his lip and began from the beginning, explaining how he was happy with his mom even though they weren't making much money. He had wanted a Good Guy doll so bad that year that his mom found a homeless man and bought it off of him. Andy explained how he was so excited to have his own Good Guy doll until strange things started happening. He explained how the doll said things it wasn't supposed to say and it even swore to him—words that he had never heard before as a six year old. He then explained about how everywhere the doll seemed to be someone would die. He told them his remembrance of the night his mom's friend was killed while babysitting him. He told them he thought it was his doll because there were flour marks on the doll's shoes and in the kitchen there had been small footprints in the flour that had been spilt.

He told how no one believed him and how after a couple other murders Andy tried to get away from the doll. He was separated from his mother and locked away, knowing that Chucky would come for him. He explained how he saw the doll walking around and talking and how it even held weapons. It tried to kill him with a knife and everything. He then explained about when he met Kyle and how he was afraid the Good Guy doll there was the one that was different from all the others—the bad one. Andy's throat was feeling dry by the time he got around to explaining how the doll had seemed to tie him to the bed while he was sleeping but Kyle had found him. Then he said that Kyle had also seen the doll, after Andy had been taken away. He then finished by saying how Kyle tried to save him from the doll that could attack them and they ended up destroying the doll.

By the time he was done, he felt a little more relieved at having gotten it all out. Carolyn nodded, having been listening very intently.

"So you see, your Honor, there's no way this boy at six or seven could've done those murders. After all, Kyle even told the police later that after Andy had left was when the foster mother had been killed. They suspected it could've been a suicide, but from the way she was tied up there was no way she could've done it to herself. To further justify this, though, I would like to call in the first witness, Kyle."

The judge nodded and an officer gestured that Andy could get down and return to his seat. The door opened and Kyle stepped inside. She looked older now with long straight blonde hair wearing a simple headband instead of the large bows Andy remembered her wearing. She was wearing heels and long black dress pants with a white blouse. She was very pretty wearing an elegant outfit. It wasn't that she hadn't been pretty before but now that Andy was older he could see her beauty more clearly. He gave her a small smile as she approached and she slipped him one back.

Kyle placed her hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth. As she sat down Carolyn approached her.

"Kyle, you told the police about the night yours and Andy's foster mother, Joanne Simpson, died. You said that she had been killed. Who could've killed her?"

"It was the same person who had been after Andy, the doll," she said right away. "I witnessed the doll moving, talking, and holding sharp objects. It could throw things and talked like a normal man would—it said terrible things. It frightened me. And I knew that it was what killed Joanne because after Andy had been taken away, having been so scared of the doll, I threw it away in the trashcan and then went on the swing for a smoke. I heard a bang and turned around to see nothing out of the ordinary and this was just five minutes after throwing the doll away—stuffing it deep inside the trashcan. I walked over to the trashcan and lifted the lid and the doll was gone. There had been no footsteps, no sign of anyone else being there and I wouldn't suspect anyone could walk to the trashcan and take the doll out within five minutes while I was there. The window to Joanne's room was open when it hadn't been before. I knew something was wrong.

"When I went up there I found her dead and before I knew what was happening I was attacked from behind. The attacker was small, that much I was sure. I threw him off and saw that it was a doll—the same doll that I had thrown away. I didn't know how it could walk, talk and hold a knife at my throat to force me to go to the orphanage to get Andy, but it did."

"It held a knife to you?" she asked. "Was the knife bloody?"

"Yes, actually. I could see smears of blood, but it wasn't dripping blood. I assumed it was the same knife used to kill Joanne," Kyle responded. "And he killed the woman in charge of the orphanage: Grace Poole, right in front of my eyes."

Carolyn nodded. "And the knife was tested for fingerprints, as you'll find here," she said, handing a sheet to the judge. "No fingerprint was found except for Kyle's, because she had touched it. However, just recently for this case I got in touch with officers Julie and Dan several days ago and we took out this weapon again and had it put in a slightly acidic chemical concoction which hopefully would draw out anything that was too faded to see. We found a partial fingerprint on it besides Kyle's.

"Although it wasn't a complete fingerprint by the partial pattern we got we also determined that it was definitely not Andy's fingerprint either. And it didn't match Joanne or Phil Simpson either. That means that someone else was in that house the night that both Phil and Joanne died. Whether or not the fingerprint belonged to Charles Lee Ray is irrelevant at this time because it is clear that Andy didn't kill them. And Phil Simpson had his neck broken and there were no fingerprints on his bodies to show that Andy had even remotely touched him. He could've fallen down the stairs, or it could've been the doll, but it wasn't Andy.

"Now, Kyle, you said you witnessed the doll killing Grace Poole. Can you please explain?" Carolyn finished, turning back to Kyle.

"After I pulled the fire alarm, the doll still held the knife at my back. Grace Poole came out and saw me and Andy so she brought us into her office. Both of us were too afraid to speak and when she saw the doll she snatched it away. Then the doll seemed to come to life and stabbed her several times in the chest with the knife it had been holding at my back. I tried to grab Andy and pull him out of the room but the door was slammed in front of me."

"So you actually saw this doll holding the knife and stabbing Mrs. Poole?"

"Yes," Kyle answered.

Carolyn nodded. "And can you explain what happened afterward?"

"I don't know what happened inside the room with Andy and the doll. All I know is the doll forced him to climb out the window and toward a truck to hide in the back. I followed them with my car and saw the doll pointing the knife at Andy's throat. Andy was lying down with his hands at his side so I knew what I had seen about the doll had been true. And so I followed them to the Good Guy doll factory and I heard the doll saying something like a chant. It sounded almost like French and I had no idea what he was saying. I followed his voice and climbed up on the boxes and looked down. Andy was trying to scoot away from the doll. The doll held the knife in its hand and called Andy a little shit. And then it posed as if to stab him. In fact, I distinctly remember it saying: 'Now I'm fucking trapped inside this body.' And then he threatened to kill Andy and that's when I pushed boxes over on top of him. It actually chased us throughout the store and tried to get Andy. We managed to escape but just barely. In order for the doll to stop chasing us we had to destroy it, which we did. It blew up from having too much air inside it."

"And there was blood splattered once it exploded wasn't there?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes," Kyle answered.

"We actually had a piece of a bloody-plastic party tested. It turned out that the doll had been filled with blood possibly and the blood appeared to be Charles Lee Ray's," she said handing several documents to the judge. "I'm not saying it's possible he's living inside a doll, but I'm saying that Andy believed his doll was a killer for a reason. It is able to kill. Whether it's remote-controlled or what someone else is planning these murders and framing an innocent boy. I would now like to call the next witness, your Honor."

The judge nodded again and Kyle was able to leave, sitting down in one of the benches. She gave Andy a soft smile for reassurance.

"Detective Julie Larkspar, please come to the stand," Carolyn gestured.

Julie approached the stand and swore on the Bible to tell the truth before sitting down.

"You were assigned to this case, correct?"

"Yes," she answered.

"And when you first heard about this case what did you think?"

"I had my doubts that a little boy could commit murder so I was really anxious to try and figure it out."

"What did you find out?" Carolyn asked.

"I found out that what Andy witnessed was true. The doll can walk, talk, throw objects, hold weapons and even kill."

"Did you see it kill anyone?" she asked.

"No, but I did see it holding a knife at Andy while Andy was lying down."

Carolyn nodded. "So, Andy was in the same position that Kyle saw him with the doll?"

"Yes, it sounds that way," Julie answered.

"What else did you find out?"

"I found out that Andy was innocent because I was trying to protect him in the hospital and one of the nurse's was killed at least twenty minutes after Andy had run away. Also there were wounds on Andy's body, like the slash on his chest."

"Alright. And, your Honor, on the body of Kara Mitzfield, there were tiny child-like handprints, too small to be Andy's," she said, handing him yet another document. "That'll be all detective, thank you."

Julie left and went to sit down next to Dan again. Carolyn turned back to the judge.

"I would like to call another witness your Honor. Shalice Milestone."

Andy's eyes widened and he turned in his seat to see Shalice being helped inside. She looked a bit weak but otherwise she was alive, which meant Chucky hadn't killed her. Feeling relief flood through him, Andy gave her a sincere smile as she passed. Once she was up front she swore on the Bible and slowly sat down.

"Shalice, you were the agent assigned to question Andy, right?"

"Yes. I am actually a reporter but my friend Marlek is…was a cop. He was going to question Andy just for his own curiosity. He wasn't assigned to the case, but he had heard about it. Most people had heard about it. He never made it though. And when I came back to the police station I found out he had been killed."

"And when you went to the orphanage Andy wasn't there, right?"

"Yes," Shalice said.

"Where was he?"

"He had run away to the police station."

"When did you find him there?"

"He was running toward the police station in the garage a couple hours after the body had been discovered. He looked terrified and he was bleeding a little. He told me someone was trying to kill him."

"And then what happened?" Carolyn asked.

"And then we went inside and I questioned him. He told me the doll can kill people and I didn't believe him at first, but when we were leaving the elevator was coming up and we hadn't even pushed the button. Andy was terrified so we ran. I locked him inside a room to keep him safe and went to go find a weapon. A piece of glass was thrown at me right after I had locked Andy in the room. I went to go get help but the phone lines had been cut. I was able to e-mail Detective Larkspar before the entire power was cut. I went back into the room and Andy was backed up against the wall, terrified. I came in and Andy screamed for me to look out. He pushed me out of the way and I saw a knife slash at his chest. When I looked there was a doll standing in the doorway with a large knife and Andy was bleeding. He took the hit for me," she finished, glancing over at him and smiling gratefully.

"So you saw the doll slash him?"

"Yes. And then he slashed at me while Andy was trying to tell me to run. He sliced my stomach and I passed out from loss of blood and when I awoke I was in the hospital."

Carolyn nodded. "Your Honor, you can see by this sheet," she said, handing him another paper, "that the blood found in that room was Andy's and Shalice's. Not only that but the weapon had been retrieved from the wall and analyzed. Both Andy's and Shalice's blood were on the knife. Thank you Ms. Milestone."

Shalice nodded and was helped down and able to sit on the benches. Carolyn smiled at Andy and turned back to the judge.

"Your Honor I would like to call my last witness: former Detective Mike Norris."

Andy turned around in his seat, surprised. He knew that name…that was the officer that first tried to help him and his mom destroy Chucky when he was six. Was he finally speaking out?

The door opened and the familiar face approached him. He glanced over at Andy briefly before taking his seat and swearing upon the Bible to tell the truth.

"Mr. Norris, you knew Andy's mother Karen, correct?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes, I did," he answered.

"And how did you know her?"

"I was the one who came to the house the night Maggie Peterson was killed."

"And you talked to Mrs. Barclay after the incident, correct? And what did she say?"

"Yes. She told me the second time we met that her son was in danger and that the doll was really alive. I laughed at her and drove away, but I decided to check out Charles Lee Ray's record just out of curiosity."

"What made you check it out when you knew that you had killed him?" Carolyn asked.

He shifted uncomfortably before answering. "It was just a feeling. I took his folder to look at it at home and when I get into my car I was attacked. My car flipped over because someone was choking me from behind so I couldn't drive. A knife was also cutting through my seat to try and get at me. When the car was flipped over I saw a doll approach me with a knife in its hand. I shot at it and it ran away."

"And it was a Good Guy doll?"

"Yes."

"And it had a knife that it tried to stab you with?"

"Yes."

"When was the next time you saw the Barclay's?"

"After that I went to go find Mrs. Barclay because I believed her and wanted to help her. We found out Andy had run away and Mrs. Barclay knew he went home. When we got there I saw the doll leaning over Mrs. Barclay's son. I heard him chanting something as well. The doll attacked Mrs. Barclay and I helped pull it off of her. I chased after the doll with my gun, but it snuck up on me and stabbed me in the leg. It came at me with a bat. When I woke up Mrs. Barclay told me she shot at it with my gun. My partner came over to help and I told him about the doll. He picked up the head of the doll from the floor and then he was attacked by the doll—a headless doll I might add that was choking him. I shot at its body aiming right for where a human heart would be and blood splattered on the wall. Then it stopped moving."

"Did it look like it was being controlled?"

"Not at all. The way that it moved wasn't robotic. I'd almost say it was alive."

"And is it true you quit your job about six months after that incident?"

"Yes," he answered. "When I realized what had happened—that I couldn't help this poor boy and his mom I felt terrible. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself as a detective any longer because everything would remind me of them. I never spoke up to help the boy and his mother because…because I thought people might send me into an institution or something. And then I would be fired from my job and probably no one would hire me. I should've spoken up sooner though. Then maybe all these other murders wouldn't have happened. And I could've helped them," he said, finally glancing over at Andy and giving him a somber look.

"Thank you Mr. Norris."

He nodded and stood up and walked by Andy. He gave him a slight nod and Andy gave him a grateful smile and watched as he walked out of the room. He turned back to the front, hoping and praying that it was enough for the judge.

"Your Honor, that is all the evidence I have for you. Andy's fingerprints never showed up on any of the bodies or any of the weapons found. Also, he wasn't the only one to see the doll move, talk and attack people. Thank you," she said and sat back down.

"Excuse me for a few minutes while I look at all these papers again," the judge said as he got up and left.

Andy nervously moved around in his seat but Carolyn put a hand on his shoulder.

"Have some faith, Andy."

He gave her a half-hearted smile and waited for about ten minutes before the judge came back into the room. He cleared his throat and Andy anxiously sat up in his seat, feeling his heart pounding uncomfortably in his chest.

"From this evidence there isn't anything here to show who the culprit is. Most of the fingerprints are only partial or half on the weapons. And it is impossible to think a doll is alive."

Andy's heart sank considerably and the feeling of dread came over him. This was it. Even though he had survived and had witnesses Chucky would win both ways. He would kill Andy and no one would ever believe he had been innocent.

"However," the judge continued, "there is nothing here that suggests that Andy has hurt or attacked any of the victims and there does not seem to be any correlation between him and the culprit. By the wounds on his body and his blood being found at the scene of the crime I do believe he was also a victim. Although it is strange to me that he has been at nearly every crime scene, enough people have convinced me that there is something else going on. The fact that more people have seen this doll and the fact that the boy nearly sacrificed his life for someone has convinced me that he is innocent of any of the murders," he said, knocking once with the hammer on his desk.

Andy thought for sure he would faint from shock and was only snapped out of his daze when Julie, Dan, Carolyn, Kyle and Shalice came up to him to hug and congratulate him. The judge nodded toward him and smiled and then walked out of the room.

"Oh Andy, this is wonderful! Just wait until I write an article about this!" Shalice said, giving him a gentle hug. "I will make sure to let everyone know about this."

Andy smiled brightly. "Thank you. If it wasn't for all of you everyone would still think I'm a murderer."

"Well, now they'll know the truth, at least most of it," Julie answered, smiling.

"It's time for me to go home and rest," Shalice said. "And I've got to get started on my article."

"I believe it's time for be to go as well," Carolyn smiled.

"Thank you," Andy stated sincerely toward both of them.

They both congratulated him again before leaving. Kyle bent down and hugged Andy tightly.
"I am so happy for you. You really deserve this, after everything you've been through."

"Thank Kyle," Andy smiled once she released him. "Are you staying around?"

"Of course. Dan tells me there have been more murders," she said, her smile disappearing.

Andy nodded. "Yeah…Chucky's back again and he wasn't able to get my body. He'll want to kill me now."

"Don't worry, sweetie, remember you can stay with us at the police headquarters where you will be protected, now that your name's cleared," Julie said.

"I'll come too," Kyle insisted.

"Of course!" Julie smiled.

Andy's eyes brightened and then suddenly dimmed and his smile vanished.

"What if Chucky finds us there?"

"There will be plenty of officers there to help out, don't worry kiddo," Dan said, ruffling his hair.

Andy took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I guess I should just be happy my name is finally cleared. I just hope Chucky can be destroyed for the last time this time around."

"We'll find a way," Kyle said, bending down to stare at him seriously. "We destroyed him last time so we can destroy him again. We're in this together, right?"

Andy glanced down at her hand and smiled before lifting his own hand to shake hers.

"Right."

"Alright you two, let's head out so we can stop for some take-out before going there," Dan said, gesturing for them to leave.

Andy held Kyle's hand as they all walked out together. He felt like a huge rock had been lifted off his shoulders. At least something had finally gone right. Now all that needed to be done was the last step: to kill Chucky.

TO BE CONTINUED…

To Reviewers:

My mortal soul: Thanks for the idea! Sorry, but Tiffany's not going to be in this story. I'm totally leaving out any Child's Play movie after the second. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

DarkKryshna: Sorry it's been forever! Yeah, I totally gave up on it for a while…it was on hiatus. But now I'm back to finishing it! Hope you enjoy! And don't worry, I will finish it!

DarknessFell1418: Thank you! Hope you enjoy the next chapters!

Angela: Thank you so much! This is really my first horror story, but it's been such a long time since I updated it that I think I've gotten a little better at writing. Thank you so much! Hope this wasn't too long of a wait, I'll definitely try and update soon!

EternallyEC: Hey! Thanks so much! I'm glad you're liking it so far! I know…has it really been that long? Argh! I'm so mad at myself! I guess it was on hiatus for a while because I wasn't into Child's Play anymore, but I really hate leaving a story unfinished. Don't worry I'm back to writing it now so I can finish it! It will be completed, promise!