Silent Night 3(7)

No elevators here, either.

Where were they? How could elevators just disappear?

Frantic to get away from the music, she raced back through the cosmetics department, then turned toward the center of the store where the escalators were. They’d be turned off, of course, but at least she could climb them up to the executive offices on the sixth floor.

Huh? The escalators were gone, too.

Reva stared at the empty space, shaking her head in disbelief.

What was going on?

“Silent Night” stopped, then started again.

The music didn’t just play by itself, Reva thought. Somebody had to turn it on.

Somebody had changed the store around. Made things disappear. Made it so she couldn’t get away.

Trapped her in here!

Reva suddenly shivered as she heard movement behind her.

Creaking, groaning sounds.

And a loud thumping.

Footsteps.

Terrified, Reva spun around.

And screamed.

The mannequins! The mannequins were moving stiffly down the aisle toward her.

Alive, Reva thought. The mannequins are alive!

Their plastic limbs creaked as they came closer.

Closer.

Reva looked to her right, to her left.

More mannequins. Dressed in winter coats, in beaded evening gowns, in delicate silk lounging robes, they stalked toward her.

Screaming again, Reva backed up.

The mannequins closed in.

Surrounded her.

“Please!” Reva gasped. “Stop!”

The mannequins pressed closer.

Their faces were cold and blank.

Their glassy eyes gleamed in the dull light.

Empty eyes.

Dead eyes.

Reva tried to scream again, but the mannequins pressed even closer. She sank to her knees, felt their weight on top of her.

She couldn’t breathe!

They were smothering her!

Please! she thought. Please!

Something soft and thick filled her mouth.

I’m going to die!

Reva jerked her head aside and tried to take a deep breath.

Sweet, cool air filled her lungs. Her eyes snapped open to darkness.

Empty, quiet darkness.

No mannequins. No “Silent Night.”

No store.

A nightmare, Reva realized with relief. She shoved her thick comforter away from her face and took another deep breath.

She was in her bed, in her room.

She’d had a hideous nightmare.

Another nightmare.

So many horrible things had happened to her at the store, it was no wonder she had nightmares about it.

Pushing her damp hair off her forehead, Reva groaned and sat up.

And froze in terror as two hands grabbed her in the darkness.





Chapter 5





MORE NIGHT TERRORS


Reva screamed and rolled away. The comforter tangled itself around her legs. She couldn’t get out of the bed. Terrified, she swung her arms wildly.

Her fist collided with something, and she heard a grunt. She drew her arm back again.

“Reva!” a voice cried. “What are you trying to do—kill me?”

Reva’s arm froze in midair. “Michael?”

“Who did you think?” her little brother snapped angrily.

Reva peered at him. His blue eyes were wide, his red hair stuck up in every direction. “What are you doing in here?” she demanded. “You scared me to death!”

“Yeah, well you punched me. Hard,” Michael told her, rubbing his arm. “That makes us even.”

Reva sighed and flopped back against her pillow. First a nightmare and now Michael. Would she ever get any sleep? “What are you doing in my room?” she demanded again.

Michael hopped onto the bed. “It’s your roommate,” he whispered.

“Grace? What about her?”

“She woke me up. I mean, her voice did,” Michael explained. “She sounds really freaked.”

Reva rolled her eyes. If she’d known Grace was going to be such a pain, she never would have invited her. “Turn on your radio or something,” she told Michael, yawning. “Or pull the pillow over your head. Count sheep.”

“I can’t go back to sleep now!” Michael protested. “And you can’t either.”

“Watch me,” Reva said with another yawn.

“No!” Michael yanked the comforter onto the floor. “I told you, Grace is freaking out! We have to go see if she’s all right!”

Reva stared at the ceiling and counted to ten. “Okay, okay,” she grumbled. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and peered at her clock. Two-fifteen in the morning. Grace better have a good excuse, she thought.

“Hurry up!” Michael urged as Reva fumbled with her silk bathrobe. “She might be hurt or something. Or maybe someone is breaking in!”

Reva frowned at him. “You don’t have to sound so excited.”

“Why not? It will be fun!” Jumping off the bed, Michael spun around and did one of his ninja kicks. “I can kill whoever tries to break in! One chop to the neck and he’ll be dead meat!”