them.
“Yuck! It stinks!” Lindy declared.
It smelled like rotten eggs.
Barky uttered a low whimper.
The steamroller backed up. The driver jumped out and came running toward them. He was a short, stocky man with big, muscular arms bulging out from the sleeves of his T-shirt. His face was bright red under a short, blond flattop, his eyes wide with horror.
“A kid?” he cried. “I—I ran over a kid?”
“No. He was a dummy,” Kris told him. “He wasn’t alive.”
He stopped. His face faded from red to flour-white. He uttered a loud, grateful sigh. “Oh, man,” he moaned. “Oh, man. I thought it was a kid.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he bent to examine the area beneath his wheel. As the girls came near, they saw the remains of the dummy, crushed flat inside its jeans and flannel shirt.
“Hey, I’m real sorry,” the man said, wiping his forehead with his T-shirt sleeve as he straightened up to face them. “I couldn’t stop in time.”
“That’s okay,” Kris said, a wide smile forming on her face.
“Yeah. Really. It’s okay,” Lindy quickly agreed.
Barky moved close to sniff the crushed dummy.
The man shook his head. “I’m so relieved. It looked like it was running. I really thought it was a kid. I was so scared.”
“No. Just a dummy,” Kris told him.
“Whew!” The man exhaled slowly. “Close one.” His expression changed. “What are you girls doing out in the rain, anyway?”
Lindy shrugged. Kris shook her head. “Just walking the dog.”
The man picked up the crushed dummy. The head crumbled to powder as he lifted it. “You want this thing?”
“You can throw it in the trash,” Kris told him.
“Better get out of the rain,” he told them. “And don’t scare me like that again.”
The girls apologized, then headed back to the house. Kris cast a happy grin at her sister. Lindy grinned back.
I may grin forever, Kris thought. I’m so happy. So relieved.
They wiped their wet sneakers on the mat, then held the kitchen door open for Barky. “Wow. What a morning!” Lindy declared.
They followed the dog into the kitchen. Outside, a flash of bright lightning was followed by a roar of thunder.
“I’m drenched,” Kris said. “I’m going up to get changed.”
“Me, too.” Lindy followed her up the stairs.
They entered their bedroom to find the window wide open, the curtains slapping wildly, rain pouring in. “Oh, no!” Kris hurried across the room to shut the window.
As she leaned over the chair to grab the window frame, Slappy reached up and grabbed her arm.
“Hey, slave—is that other guy gone?” the dummy asked in a throaty growl. “I thought he’d never leave!”
Scanning, formatting and basic
proofing by Undead.
“Yuck! It stinks!” Lindy declared.
It smelled like rotten eggs.
Barky uttered a low whimper.
The steamroller backed up. The driver jumped out and came running toward them. He was a short, stocky man with big, muscular arms bulging out from the sleeves of his T-shirt. His face was bright red under a short, blond flattop, his eyes wide with horror.
“A kid?” he cried. “I—I ran over a kid?”
“No. He was a dummy,” Kris told him. “He wasn’t alive.”
He stopped. His face faded from red to flour-white. He uttered a loud, grateful sigh. “Oh, man,” he moaned. “Oh, man. I thought it was a kid.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he bent to examine the area beneath his wheel. As the girls came near, they saw the remains of the dummy, crushed flat inside its jeans and flannel shirt.
“Hey, I’m real sorry,” the man said, wiping his forehead with his T-shirt sleeve as he straightened up to face them. “I couldn’t stop in time.”
“That’s okay,” Kris said, a wide smile forming on her face.
“Yeah. Really. It’s okay,” Lindy quickly agreed.
Barky moved close to sniff the crushed dummy.
The man shook his head. “I’m so relieved. It looked like it was running. I really thought it was a kid. I was so scared.”
“No. Just a dummy,” Kris told him.
“Whew!” The man exhaled slowly. “Close one.” His expression changed. “What are you girls doing out in the rain, anyway?”
Lindy shrugged. Kris shook her head. “Just walking the dog.”
The man picked up the crushed dummy. The head crumbled to powder as he lifted it. “You want this thing?”
“You can throw it in the trash,” Kris told him.
“Better get out of the rain,” he told them. “And don’t scare me like that again.”
The girls apologized, then headed back to the house. Kris cast a happy grin at her sister. Lindy grinned back.
I may grin forever, Kris thought. I’m so happy. So relieved.
They wiped their wet sneakers on the mat, then held the kitchen door open for Barky. “Wow. What a morning!” Lindy declared.
They followed the dog into the kitchen. Outside, a flash of bright lightning was followed by a roar of thunder.
“I’m drenched,” Kris said. “I’m going up to get changed.”
“Me, too.” Lindy followed her up the stairs.
They entered their bedroom to find the window wide open, the curtains slapping wildly, rain pouring in. “Oh, no!” Kris hurried across the room to shut the window.
As she leaned over the chair to grab the window frame, Slappy reached up and grabbed her arm.
“Hey, slave—is that other guy gone?” the dummy asked in a throaty growl. “I thought he’d never leave!”
Scanning, formatting and basic
proofing by Undead.
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