Tales from the Crypt

Tales from the Crypt: Evil Toys (Part 1 of 2)

by Inferno

Storycodes: Other/f+; bond; tape; rope; dolls; nc; X

Writer's Note: This story is inspired by R.L. Stine's "Night of the Living Dummy" stories (there were three or four as part of his "Goosebumps" series) and used images from a Goosebumps fan site, gromet's club, and other various clubs found in Yahoo!.

"Hello, horror and damsel in distress fans. Crypt Keeper is here again just returned from some vacation to rest these undead bones and flesh. In tonight's titillating tale of terror features a couple of dolls that gain a life of their own, but not the touching kind like Pinocchio. I call this tale, Evil Toys. "

EVIL TOYS (Part 1 of 2)

"Well, everyone, what do you think?" asked Carissa as she turned on the Christmas lights. With a flick of the switch, the old Victorian house lit up with decorative light all around it.

"It's wonderful!" commented Mary Beth, Carissa's best friend. "All that work we put in really paid off."

"Still, it's not the same when it's so mild in this part of the country." added Kathleen, who grew up having white Christmases with lots of snow. "But I must admit, it does look nice and definitely gets me in the mood for Christmas."

It was early December as the three friends Carissa, Mary Beth, and Kathleen, enjoyed the mild climate of living in the western United States. As the sun set in the horizon, the Christmas gave a warming glow of happiness and celebration.

"Thanks again for inviting us over here for the weekend, Carissa." thanked Kathleen as she walked back into the house with Mary Beth and Carissa. "Your parents' place is amazing."

"No problem." responded Carissa. "Besides, I couldn't have done this unless you two were here to help. And don't forget, we still have that party here tomorrow night."

As the three friends entered back into the house, Mary Beth noticed a small collection of ventriloquist dolls in a display case. Although harmless toys, there was something about them that gave her shivers down her spine.

"What are those?" asked Mary Beth.

"Those?" answered Carissa. "Those are some antique ventriloquist dolls my Mom collects. Ever since her mid-life crisis she took that up as a hobby ever since she went to the toy museum while on vacation with my Dad. The one in the tuxedo is named Slappy, and the other dressed like a gangster is called Rocko. I think she found them both at an antique shop."

"They give me the creeps." muttered Mary Beth.

"RELAX, Mary Beth!" joked and teased Kathleen. "They're just dolls, they can't hurt you!"

The three friends went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. After they left, a set of leering eyes shifted, following their path of movement.

"Right.... we're just dolls and can't hurt you...." whispered an eerie voice from the case.

The next day Carissa, Kathleen, and Mary Beth made preparations for the party that was to start in the mid to late afternoon and into the night. Mary Beth made all the appetizers while Kathleen got the grill ready with several burgers, hot dogs, and chicken in barbeque sauce. Carissa finished straightening up the place overall, unaware that the two dolls Slappy and Rocko in the display case from the night before were missing.

"We still have close to an hour before everyone arrives." commented Carissa. "Is everything ready."

"Ready here." commented Mary Beth as she brought out the punch bowl and placed in on the main table where all the snacks were located. "I'm going to go for a walk, if you don't mind. I'm still not use to 60 degree weather during Christmastime."

"Not at all." smiled Carissa. "Just head out the backyard and follow the side trail. My brother and I use to play back there all the time on that trail."

"Thanks." replied Mary Beth as she put on her red sweatshirt and left the house, going for a brisk walk to enjoy the weather and scenery. Minutes later Mary Beth continued down the old trail, but had the strangest feeling that she was being watched.

"Kathleen? Carissa?" called out Mary Beth as she heard the leaves rustle amidst the still air. "Is that you coming?"

Mary Beth heard the leaf rustling sound increase in volume; whatever it was, it was coming closer. Mary Beth tracked the sound and pushed the bushes out of the way, only to see the Rocko doll sitting in the bushes. While startled at first, Mary Beth gave a perplexed look on her face.

"What are you doing out here?" queried Mary Beth to the doll Rocko. Suddenly, Mary Beth was struck from behind with a large stick, knocking her out cold. Mary Beth fell to the ground; behind her stood Slappy, who then dropped the stick as it and the Rocko doll carried her off into the woods.

"He was a diversion...." evilly giggled Slappy.

Slappy and Rocko carried Mary Beth off the trail and laid her flat on a tree that recently fell. Slappy and Rocko then tightly strapped and bound Mary Beth to the fallen tree, binding her wrists, arms, and legs with rope before gagging her with a red bandanna.

Slappy then removed Mary Beth's shoes and socks and tossed them away.

"There that'll keep her busy for a while and slow her return back to the house. C'mon, Rocko, we got work to do." ordered Slappy as it and Rocko scurried back to the house.

Back at the house the guests arrived, as Carissa and Kathleen greeted them with open arms and a fired up grill with hamburgers, hotdogs, and barbeque chicken cooking.

"Say, where's Mary Beth?" asked Dawn, one of the party guests. "I thought she was spending the weekend with you, Carissa."

"She is." answered Carissa as she brought out some more chips and salsa. "She just went for a walk on that old nature trail in my backyard and will be back soon."

"I see." replied Dawn. "Can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure. Upstairs, third door on the left." responded Carissa as she went to join the rest of the guests. Unknown to Carissa and the rest of the party guests, peering through the windows were Slappy and Rocko, who were devilishly planning their next move.

"You take care of the girl going upstairs. I'll take care of the rest of them." ordered Slappy. Rocko dutifully nodded in acknowledgement.

Moments later Dawn finished using the bathroom and walked down the hallway, seeing the doll Rocko standing on the side dressed in its dark gray gangster outfit.

"Well, you're an interesting doll." commented Dawn as she walked by Rocko. "I don't remember seeing you on the way up."

Dawn then continued walking, only to be tripped up from behind by Rocko who ran up behind her and grabbed her ankles. Dawn fell forward stunned as Rocko grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her into Carissa's old bedroom. Rocko wasted no time in binding and gagging Dawn on the bed, tying her hands behind her back and legs and arms together and gagged her. Sneaking back downstairs, Rocko met back up with Slappy.

"HMMMMMPPPPPP!!!!!! HHHHHLLLLLLPPPPP!!!!" cried out Dawn as she awoke, muffled by the gag.

Meanwhile, downstairs while the party guests were outside on the patio barbequing, Slappy slipped sleeping pills into the punch bowl and swirled and mixed it together. Slappy then hid back underneath the table, and was joined by Rocko.

"That girl upstairs out of the way?" asked Slappy. Rocko nodded in acknowledgement.

"Excellent. Now we just got to wait until the rest of them drink up." smiled Slappy, rubbing its doll hands in anticipation.

Several minutes passed as the party guests entered and left refilling their cups with punch. As the party continued some of the guests went upstairs to listen to music, while others stayed in the family room. Kathleen and Carissa remained outside to clean up the grill, unaware that their friends began to succumb to the effect of the sleeping pills Slappy slipped in the punch bowl.

"Yes. Excellent." smiled Slappy as he saw the women lightly napping on the sofas and couches. Pulling out a several coils of rope and tape, Slappy then handed a pile to Rocko.

"You take care of the ones upstairs." ordered Slappy. "I'll handle the ones down here and Carissa herself."

Slappy and Rocko then separated as the two dolls went to work binding their newfound captives tightly with ropes.

"This is all too easy." mischievously thought Slappy. "I should have done this years ago with my former owner."

Outside on the patio, Carissa and Kathleen finished cleaning up the grill and collecting the remaining food and wrapping them in aluminum foil.

"Strange, I didn't see Mary Beth come back." commented Carissa.

"Oh, I'm sure she came back and went upstairs with Colleen and everyone else and we just missed her, that's all. You know how close she is with her." assured Kathleen.

"I suppose." added Carissa. "You can take the tray back in and I'll finish cleaning up here and finish off the food in the kitchen as snacks if they get hungry."

"Sure." replied Kathleen as she re-entered the large house to a startling revelation.

"OH.....MY....GOD.....!!!!!" shrieked Kathleen as she dropped the tray of food on the floor, seeing her friends hogtied and gagged on the floor.

"Hello, pretty thing...." muttered a voice. Kathleen quickly turned around; it was Slappy carrying a small pistol. Not just a ventriloquist doll, Slappy was a moving entity; it was alive!

"What are you going to do with me?" nervously asked Kathleen.

"You'll see..... heh-heh-heh...." evilly laughed Slappy.

continued