//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Mannequins // by FearlessJinyx //------------------------------// ,~11:30~, The two now were only mere feet away from the door. They both looked around, to their luck, they saw no pony. Kolin nodded at Wonkid who was still looking around. Wonkid unhooked the key from his belt, and unlocked the door. It made a ancient noise, as if it were hundreds of years old. The two made one last glance before they jumped into the shop and closed the door. Inside it was pitch black, they couldnt see anything. It was so quiet, Wonkid felt as if he was entombed within a coffin, lost forever in a small world, losing breathe. Kolin flicked his light on. The room was normal as it always had been. The display stands offered cheap clothes, the register sat in the corner. Wonkid noticed something different though, the mannequins were missing. Kolin hadnt even seen this change, but Wonkid had worked here long enough to get the same mental image within his head of the shop. What could have happend to them? A slight chill ran through Wonkids spine, he barely noticed it. The whole scenario was unerving. Yet again Wonkid wonderd why he was here. He had no business to be. He thought about Mrs Rainy, and felt remorse. She lived here, alone, depressed. He should have been nicer to her, but it was now all to late. She had died without a friend or family. So alone, always alone. Kolin walked to the center of the room "Stay here, ill go crack the safe". Kolin made his way up the stairs, vanishing from Wonkids line of sight. Wonkid looked out of the now boarded window into the streets. He set his light on the cash register, it was pointed towards the hallway upstairs. He listened to some creaking sounds from upstairs. It felt lonlier than ever now that even the sunlight had forsaken this decrepid house. Almost as if life had never even entered. The dead silence was what Wonkid had grown used to, but not like this. This was the absence of sound altogether. He didnt hear anything from upstairs either, only suspecting that Kolin had the skill to crack a safe quietly. As Wonkid stood he heard a slight brushing sound, as if something were being dragged across a wooden floor. He turned to investigate, but found nothing misplaced. Shrugging it off, he turned once more to gaze into the empty street. Now something broke the cold silence with a sweeping sound. Wonkid quickly turned, and gave a startled yelp before shoving his hoove into his mouth. Before him stood a mannequin, one of Mrs Rainys displays. It stood in the beam of Wonkids flashlight, potruding an eerie silhouette onto the hall entrance. The lifless doll was directed towards Wonkid, this made him scared. Not terrified, but scared. This fear was like that of the unknown, a stupid but real fear that filled the emptiness of knowledge. Wonkid stepped forward, curious of the thing. His main concern was, how did it get there? He knew he could not have missed it, this even in his state of mind was clear. But then somepony must have put it there, was Kolin playing a joke on him? "Kolin, are you in here?" Wonkids voice swayed through the room in a low voice that made him sound small, and weak. There was no responce, but as Wonkid stared into the blank face of the mannequin, he didnt expect one. Something was wrong here, he knew Kolin never played jokes like this, he wasnt a prankster. Wonkid approached the doll in a slow, careful pace making sure he didnt move too fast. He put one hoof beside its face and nudged it. The doll swayed back and forth before shaking to a stop. The dolls had never crossed his mind when he worked here. But now in the early night, this mannequin was something that Wonkid feared, a real being that made him cringe. He looked around the room, finding nothing else misplaced gave him a sigh of relief. He moved the doll over to one corner of the room, being careful not to make any sound. Turning he moved over to the window and peered out. He watched the street now hoping that Kolin would hurry up. Looking down at his watch he found it had already ben 10 minutes! Wonkid grew more uneasy every second now. What could be taking him this long? Tapping his hoove on the ground he thought he'd check on him if he didnt show within 3 minutes, surely that'd be enough time for him to crack the safe. As Wonkid waited he heard another dragging noise. His eyes widend, turning around he gasped. Standing in the middle of the room was the mannequin, not only that but a mere 2 feet to its right there stood another. Wonkid shivered staring at the two dolls. This couldnt be happening, how the hell are they moving. In a voice that even startled himself, Wonkid asked "Why are you watching me?" He looked back and forth from each of them, his eyes wide in fear. He had to check on Kolin, now. Edging across the room, Wonkid didnt keep his eyes off of the two dolls, who stood innocently gazing off towards the door. He made his way to the stair cases entrance and peered up. It was completely dark on the 2nd floor, Wonkid would need his flashlight. In his haste to find Kolin, he hadn't even thought of it. Now almost expecting to find the mannequins moved, he slowly averted his eyes from the staircase into the middle of the room. Sure enough, what met his eyes were the blank faces of the dolls. Both stared dreamily towards him, as if curious of his intentions. He thought about running, leaving Kolin to whatever horrors lied in the shop. He rested his hhof atop the doorknob. Kolin was his bestfriend, he couldn't just leave him behind. He grabbed his flashlight and set off towards the stairs. To his relief the mannequins hadn't seemed to have moved. He began his trek up the stairs, wincing as the steps creeked underneath his hooves. Taking a final look at the two mannequins, Wonkid ascended into darkness.