Chapter 17

1:00 a.m.

The rain was coming down in sheets, thunder in the sky screaming over the roof of the Hadison residence. Andy took a deep breath as he tiptoed down the hallway between his room and Tyler's. The lights were off and he could only see through the bits of moonlight trickling in from the windows. Andy held the pocket knife Chucky had dropped in his right hand. The blade caught the scant light in the corridor, the wind whistled outside wanting to get inside. Andy moved quickly, afraid that Molly or James would get up to go to the bathroom.

Yeah that would look good. Crazy Andy Barclay walking around at one in the morning with a knife in his hands. He looked at one or two doors. as he kept going. Then he saw the one with the Keep Out sign and a skull. Yep, gotta be Tyler's. Andy reached down and turned the knob half way before the lock restricted it. Leave it to Tyler to keep his door locked. Andy crouched down close to the lock, he brought the knife up and started to jiggle the blade in between the lock and the door. Come on, come on. Leaving the knife in place Andy turned the doorknob again. This time it worked, Andy pushed on it as quietly as he could and Tyler's door opened.

I'll cut him into a million pieces! I'll make it hurt so much! For everything!

It was black in his room and had the smell of body Odor. As soon as Andy had the door open he saw Tyler sleeping on the bed with earbuds in. They were still playing music and Andy sighed being comforted by the fact that he wouldn't wake him up. He stepped into the room but kept the door open just a crack. He heard the wind pushed against the windows. Another step and Andy scanned the room with his eyes, looking for Chucky. Andy took a step but didn't see anything, only the sleeping lump of Tyler. He reached under the bed and carefully pulled the covers up just enough to see what was underneath. Just a couple boxes and a lot of dust. Andy opened one of the boxes and immediately caught the whiff of something smelly, he looked up inside and saw some weird looking plants in a bag. And next to it a few needles. Like the ones he'd get poked with whenever he got his yearly flu shot. Okay? Weird.

He closed the box and put the covers back. Andy turned and saw the closet, he took a step closer, licking his lips. He saw something on the floor of the closet. He crouched down and picked it up, it was a sheath for a very big knife. It was empty, the knife was not in its sheath. Andy's heat thudded in his chest.

"Oh no" he whispered.

I'll have to be fast, he told himself. Get it open, get Chucky and get out, fast fast. He grabbed the closet, a larger piece of furniture than found in Andy's room. He pulled the door open fast, hurrying. His right hand held the knife, tense and ready to jab. The door flew open, Andy held it so that it wouldn't bang against the wall. There was something there, big and with glowing eyes.

Andy gasped, the image in front mimicked his actions. Just a mirror, Andy thought, it's just a mirror. With the door open Andy saw Tyler's shirts, pants and leather jackets pressed close together hanging in the closet. Andy reached out and parted the clothes, pushing one pile left and the other right. He looked into the gloom searching for a spot of red or blue or orange, but there was nothing. He's not here. Andy turned around completely and held his breath.

There was Chucky, staring directly at him. Andy's body went cold, and his bottom lip quivered. Sitting on the bed beside a sleeping Tyler, Chucky glared at Andy as he held a very large Bowie knife inches from Tyler's neck. Andy's knife felt pathetic in his hand but he put on a stern brave face and held the small blade out in defense.

"Ah ah ah" Chucky whispered, almost singing, "My knife's bigger than yours."

He brought the blade closer to Tyler's throat. Chucky dropped the childish singing tone.

"Now put it down or I'll slice him open." Andy hesitated, I know what he'll do if I drop the knife, that's easy to guess. Andy looked down at the end of the blanket hanging down to the floor. "Do it!" Chucky growled. Andy lifted his hands in the air as if to surrender.

"Okay" he whispered to Chucky.

He crouched down and put the knife onto the floor. Chucky smiled victorious. Andy felt the tip of the knife touch the blanket hooking it. Andy pressed it against the hymn of the blanket. He watched Chucky pull away his Bowie knife. Andy's blade was stuck in the blanket's edge. He took a breath and he brought the knife up drawing the blanket with it, flinging it and tangling Chucky within. Then Andy jerked the whole bundle pulling Chucky and the blanket away from the bed and away from Tyler, who promptly woke up.

"What the fuck!?" Tyler shot up in bed and ripped his earbuds out.

He turned the light on to see Andy standing beside him holding a knife. Doesn't look too good, but Tyler quickly locked a hand around Andy's throat and propelled him against the wall. Andy smashed into the drywall, his head whiplashing just a bit to create a clear smacking noise. Tyler pinned Andy to the wall,

"You picked one hell of a night to come out the closet!" Andy shook his head gripped by Tyler's hand.

"No, hey, I'm not." Tyler glared daggers at Andy.

Andy looked at the dark pile by the bed and saw Chucky emerge from the twisted blanket. He watched Chucky run out of the room holding the Bowie knife.

"No stop!" Trying to catch his breath he tried to push away from the wall.

Tyler pushed him right back and gave Andy's hand an expert twist and the pocket knife fell to the floor.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room Dipshit!?" Chucky was gone, Tyler hand admitted just enough air into Andy's windpipe so he could barely speak, barely.

"You wouldn't believe me." Tyler nodded thinking of what else he was going to do. Then he turned away and looked around the room.

"Where's the doll? Where's the fucking doll!?" Andy tried to speak but nothing came out. "You took the goddamn thing didn't you!"

Well at least he has the description correct. If there ever was a goddamn doll, Chucky was it. The lights suddenly turned on and Molly stood at the door with James.

Tyler turned to the sound out of instinct, it was obvious that the big bad bully was now scared. Andy broke out of Tyler's grip and ran to the adults.

"Andy, what's going on?" James tried to get a word out of the frantic boy but to no avail. "Tyler what's going on?" Tyler shrugged.

"Pssssh I don't know. He picked the lock to my door and walked in with a knife." James' face turned to one of fear. Andy looked to Molly, who looked equally as terrified then she shook her head.

"Tyler calm down, you probably just thought it was a knife. And you shouldn't have taken it from him."

Tyler raised his voice. "It was a knife! I saw it!" They didn't believe him. He looked down at Andy. Andy looked back.

"Whatever freak! Keep your stupid doll." Then Tyler shut the door on the 3 of them, quickly locking it behind him.

Molly bent down to Andy. "I know you're a bit old for this but would you rather sleep with us tonight?" Andy nodded, I suppose it's my best bet.