AN: Everything happening in this chapter is happening all at once.
Back in the library, Stine held a flash light in his hand after the light went out. The writer looked to sides to make sure Lorraine and Champ were still there.
"What happened to the lights?" Lorraine questioned; sounding frighted.
"Mary Ellen must've cut the power." Stine theorised; almost impressed by the dolls strategies.
The writer looked around the library with his flashlight, looking for Champ. He pointed it to a new light source in the corner. Champ had his phone out, using it to see in the dark library.
"Champ, come here for a moment."
Champ quickly gave Stine his attention and came over.
"Yes, Mr Stine?" The awkward teen stood ready to take an order.
"I need you to stand guard at the door and shout out if something is coming."
Champ glanced at the door with a nervous face. Stine knew what he was thinking.
"I'm not asking you to go outside; just watch through the window." Stine reassured.
"Oh, Ok; that's good. I would've gone outside if you said so; but staying inside is too." Champ blurted out; obviously lying.
The writer just rolled his eyes at the boys attempt at an excuse. While Champ kept watch from the window, Stine looked towards Lorraine.
"Lorraine, could you come here, please?" He requested politely. "I just need you to hold the light over the typewriter so I can see what I'm writing."
"Of course, sweetheart." Lorraine answered back; sounding a little timid.
Lorraine quickly took the flashlight from Stine and held it over his work in progress. She watched with growing interest as the writer added two more words to the paper, and moved onto the next page. Lorraine listened to the sounds of the typing keys as she wandered how the device could create something into reality. She wanted to know, but she did not want to distract Stine. But there was something more important on her mind as she looked towards Champ guarding the door.
"Do you think they're okay?" Lorraine questioned out of concern.
"The kids?" Stine clarified, still typing.
"Yes; and Slappy. Aren't you worried?"
"I am worried." Stine admitted. "But Zach and Hannah are a tough pair together. And Slappy is anything but a dummy. He's smart enough to stay out of trouble."
"Hello, brother..."
Slappy quickly turned around when he heard the chilling greeting. Ten Bunsen burners placed on the lab desks of the room lit up one by one; adding light into the room and revealing the owner of the voice. Slappy froze in place as he saw him. Wally gave Slappy a grim smirk as his eyes started glowing again.
"Been a long time, hasn't it?" The redheaded dummy questioned as he slowly came closer.
Slappy snapped out of his frozen state and backed away.
"What's the matter? Don't you recognise your big brother?" Wally raised an eyebrow. "Or have you gotten stupider in the last five years?"
Slappy backed into a wall; allowing Wally to tower over him. Slappy was only 3 feet and 3 inches tall, but Wally was at least two inches taller than his brother. Slappy looked up at Wally and gave him a resentful glare before turning away.
"It's actually been six years, Wally." Slappy stated.
"Like I really care." Wally replied unemotionally.
The taller puppet put his hand on top of Slappy's head; turning it to face him against his will. Wally grinned at the feeling of his brother struggling.
"You know why I'm here?" Wally questioned, still grinning.
"Because Mary ugly face let you out?" Slappy guessed sarcastically.
"Yes. But I have a bone to pick with you. Or in your case, a splinter."
Wally let out a light cackle at his joke while Slappy just rolled his eyes the other way. The shorter puppet pushed Wally's hand off his head; regaining movement in his neck.
"I see you still don't know the term, personal space." Slappy remarked in a rude tone.
"What? Did all that time in a book turn you into a claustrophobe?" Wally taunted in the same tone. "Well, being knocked out by one isn't much fun either!"
Slappy's eyebrows went straight up. He started remembering things about him and Wally. Now he knew how much danger he was in.
"Now, Wally; let's not do anything we'll regret." Slappy quickly stepped to the right.
"Oh, believe me; I won't regret a second of it." Wally put his hand into his pocket.
Slappy watched with worry as Wally dug through the pockets of pants. Slappy thought that he would bring out something painful like a knife, or knuckle-duster.
"Mary Ellen wouldn't want me hurt!" Slappy warned, putting his fists up. "If you try to cut me, I'll break your fingers!"
Wally deeply chuckled at how pathetic his brother seemed to him.
"If she wanted me to cut you, I would've already done it." The redheaded dummy smirked.
Wally pulled his hand out of his left pocket with its contents. It was a small plastic bottle with orange brown liquid inside, and a red cloth. Slappy backed away as he raised a confused eyebrow.
"She just wants me to send you to dream land." Wally smirked wickedly.
"W-where'd you get that?" Slappy questioned with a shudder.
"Just took a look in the nurse's office. It has the word knock-out on it. Let's see if it works on runts."
Wally removed the lid from the bottle and moved closer to Slappy. Slappy quickly backed away from the taller dummy; afraid of what that stuff might do to him.
"Look Wally, I'm sorry about what happened in Chicago." Slappy tried to apologise his way out. "I just didn't want Papa to lock me up again!"
Wally raised an eyebrow at Slappy.
"Papa? You still call him that?" Wally questioned, knowing who Slappy was talking about. "What makes you think he's your dad?"
Slappy blinked in confusion at the statement.
"Well, he created me. What else would I call him?" The puppet questioned meekly.
Wally put his hand up to his chin in thought; seeming as if he was mocking Slappy.
"Gee, I don't know." Wally spoke sarcastically. "How about liar! Cheater! Backstabbing jackass!"
Slappy backed into a wall again, but Wally stood in place.
"Y'know when I think about, you're not that different." Wally added maliciously. "You kept saying how he lied to you about being special."
Slappy raised a brow as Wally continued.
"I mean, if he really did think of you as special then why were you stuck in a book when I found you?"
Slappy narrowed his brows as Wally started mocking him.
"If Stine really loved you, then why did he throw you away like an old toy?"
Slappy lowered his head as he started shaking.
"I heard everything he said to you in the bookstore. About how the only mistake he made was letting you into the world-"
"SHUT UP!" Slappy roared; holding his fists above his head.
Slappy ran towards Wally; ready to beat him senseless for insulting him. Lighting flashed from outside as he was about to hit the taller puppet. But he just punched a wall of air. Slappy steadied himself as he opened his eyes. His eyebrows went up when he saw that Wally was gone. Slappy's breath stood still as he turned his head to look behind him.
Without warning, Wally tackled Slappy to the floor and placed the cloth against his nose and mouth. Slappy cried out and struggled to get free from Wally's grip, but it was in vain. Wally gave the puppet a sinister stare as Slappy's vision began to fade. The puppet quieted down and slowed down his struggling movements before his eyes shut; as if he had fallen asleep. Wally removed the cloth when Slappy stopped moving; looking over the unconscious puppet.
"Now you know how it feels." The redheaded dummy sneered.
Wally threw the bottle and cloth on the floor before he rolled Slappy onto his side and lifted him over his shoulder.
Zach and Hannah braced themselves as the ground shook. The boy held his baseball bat up high as he felt a chill go up his spine. The girl braced herself; getting into a defensive stance with her hockey stick. The rumbling became harder and closer by the second. Zach looked towards his direction; seeing something coming through the hall. Hannah turned to look; seeing the huge being speeding up.
"Get out of the way!"
Zach grabbed Hannah's hand and pulled her back into the gym; getting out of the creature's way. A massive form dashed passed the way into the gym, but quickly stopped in a halt. Zach and Hannah stepped back from the door as a large paw came into view. A gorilla monster crawled in through the door and squeezed through. Zach and Hannah kept their distance as the beast spread its bat-like wings and growled animalistically.
"We need a plan." Zach whispered to Hannah.
"I have one, but it's risky." Hannah whispered.
"So what is it?"
"We need to stab him with something like a wooden steak."
Zach looked down at his bat and Hannah's hockey stick; both of them made from wood.
"Like the sports equipment?" He hinted.
Before Hannah could respond to that, the gorilla monster roared and pounded his chest with his fists.
"Too late! Split up!" Hannah shouted rapidly.
The two teens quickly ran across the gym in different directions; knowing the Vampirilla would pick one of them. With the fury of a raging animal, the monster chased after Hannah as she climbed over the seats on the left side of the gym. Hannah looked back as the creature closed in on her. The girl lifted her hockey stick high and slammed it into the monster's face; splitting the weapon into two wooden steaks. The Vampirilla turned back at Hannah as he growled deeply; making her realise she made a mistake. Hannah pointed her broken weapon at the monster as she backed into a wall. The Vampirilla let an earthquake inducing roar as he was about to attack the girl.
"Hey, Count Donkey Kong!"
A tennis ball slammed into the back of the monsters head; making him stop what he was doing. The Vampirilla turned around with rage in his eyes. Zach had a tennis racket in his hand and a ball in the other.
"Pick on someone your own size!" Zach shouted at the beast; throwing another ball.
The Vampirilla blocked the next ball with his arm before growling at the boy. The beast climbed off the seats as Zach continued hitting him with tennis balls; giving Hannah time to put her plan into action. Zach threw another ball at the Vampirilla, but the beast caught it and threw it back; hitting Zach in the forehead.
"Zach!" Hannah called out in worry as Zach fell to the floor.
Hannah quickly got up and ran towards the Vampirilla with her broken hockey stick as he closed in on Zach. The beast was about to crush Zach with his giant paws. Before roaring in pain.
Hannah pushed her broken weapon into the back of the Vampirilla; making the beast fall to the side with a pain induced roar. Hannah ran to Zach as he sat back up. The Vampirilla gave the teens a monstrous stare before rushing out the door with the steak still in his back. When the monster was gone, Zach sat up with his hand holding his forehand.
"Let me see." Hannah requested.
Zach put his hand down so Hannah could take a look at his bruised forehead; making sure there was no major damage.
"You've got a tough skull." She commented.
Zach shrugged in response.
"It didn't hurt that much." He lied with a slight chuckle.
Hannah smiled a little as she helped Zach get up off the floor.
"Sure it didn't... Thanks for distracting furious Gorge." Hannah spoke with gratitude.
"Well, I figured it was part of your plan." Zach commented.
Hannah nodded slightly.
"It was. It was. C'mon, we gotta find Slappy."
Hannah held Zach's hand as they walked out of the gym. Both teens looked down both ends of the hall; finding no sign of Slappy.
"Slappy!" Hannah called out.
"Why'd you run off, little guy?" Zach called out.
Just then, they heard a loud grunt coming from the left side of the hallway. The same way they came. Both teens looked at each other in uncertainty as someone starting speaking.
"You're heavy for a shorty." A male voice said with a grunt.
Quietly and slowly, Zach and Hannah made their way towards the voice. It sounded like he was carrying something.
"I don't really see why she would want to marry someone as stupid as you. You don't even look as good as I do." The voice spoke again; like he was speaking to someone.
Hannah and Zach peeked around the corner to find the owner of the voice. Both went wide eyed when they saw that it was a ventriloquist dummy like Slappy; facing away from the teens. Hannah realised that he had something over his shoulder. Something that looked like a small person wearing a tux. She gasped when she realised what he was holding.
"Slappy!" She whispered in worry.
Wally almost jumped when he heard the whisper. In a split second, he turned around with narrowed brows.
"Who's there!?" The redheaded dummy shouted; pulling a switchblade out of his right pocket. "Show yourself!"
Without second thoughts, Hannah dashed out of the shadows.
"Hannah, no!" Zach protested.
Hannah stood bravery a few meters of Wally. The redheaded dummy raised a brow at the sight.
"Hey, ghost girl." He greeted in an almost casual tone.
"Let him go, Wally!" Hannah spoke in a threatening tone.
The puppet just chuckled as he lowered his knife.
"Sorry, sweetheart. But I've got stuff to do. And Pinocchio is coming with me weather he likes it or not!" Wally threatened back.
Hannah was about to charge at Wally before a flash of lightning and thunder went off outside; momentarily blinding her and Zach. When they opened their eyes again, Wally was gone. And so was Slappy. Both the teens looked around frantically.
"Why did Stine have to write all his dummy monsters to have teleporting powers!?" Zach questioned, angered by the disappearance of their new enemy.
Hannah had a nervous look on her face. She was actually worried about Slappy, but she remembered how Mary Ellen said she wanted to know what he was hiding. And if she found out about the book...
"We have to tell dad!"
AN: Oh, the trouble just keeps getting bigger. I'll let you guys guess which book the monster that Hannah and Zach were fighting is from.