7Jackson stared intensely at his work of art while listening carefully for the comforting sound of his parents voices talking downstairs, he couldn't make out the exact words being said but he could recognize them from the sound of their voices alone. They were most likely discussing bills, groceries or having to grab more of his prescription drugs that do NOTHING to 'help' him. The answer to curing him was lost 3 years ago thanks to his sister stabbing him in the back. He tried not to grit his teeth in anger and just enjoy this momentary peaceful afternoon, besides he'd ruin his sketch if he put too much pressure on the tip of the pencil and paper and his 'sister' had caused enough damage to his life as it was.
It was almost hard to believe that exactly three years ago he had been tricked and forced into being adopted by a living dummy of all things! A living, talking, and evil dummy! He spent so long yelling, screaming, threatening and begging him to release control over him to which The dummy most known as Slappy just grinned at him with his legs crossed and arms folded while sitting on the bed chuckling would reply, "Listen kiddo one of these days you'll thank me. Besides it's a dog eating dog world out there, I think I did you a favor by taking you under my wing. You really should consider yourself lucky, not every child gets adopted by yours truly! You've become such a warped child! Im so proud of you!"
He sighed taking in a deep breath before reaching for another pencil to shade in a lighter area of his drawing. He could remember the night of learning of his sister's treachery and a fate forced on him. He remembered after eavesdropping on Rachel and Slappy talking he heard a loud chirp, hardly different from a dog whistle ordering him to do a trick. As soon as he heard it he saw the room shift around him and a feeling of falling under water came over his mind. That's how it always started, seeing blurs of figures and hearing voices but never making out their words or tones of the voice speaking. Once he finally got his train of thought out of the water clouding his mind he would be stuck with the after math of whatever madness he caused as Slappy's son.
On the night of discovering his betrayal 'Slappy's son' had taken over. He giggled as he pulled out the whole silverware drawer and put handfuls of silverware into the microwave. He didnt stop until he stuffed the microwave full. He had made sure to use forks since he knew out of all the other eating utensils, forks were notorious for lighting up microwaves due to their shape. He set the microwave for several minutes before hitting start. The microwave gave off a electric sounding hum as electricity flashed briefly for a few moments. Soon enough there was a bright flame dancing and swaying within the machine along with a hesitant spark of electricity appearing and disappearing periodically. The smell of the fire had been strong enough to wake his parents. Upon seeing him at the crime scene they all but yelled at him, he merely shrugged and said the smell was an improvement. Now none would have to smell their terrible body odor. His father had walked him to his room by the arm while his mother told them he was going to the psychiatrist TOMORROW for ANOTHER vist that week. He wanted nothing more than to beg them for help to tell them the truth, that his own sister betrayed him! If anyone should see a psychiatrist it should be her!
Hearing footsteps Jackson quickly hid his sketch book away in between his mattress. If his sister or his 'father' found his sketch book they may ruin it to try to get him riled up for fun, or even send him in one of his 'crazes' to destroy it himself. He often wondered where Rachel hid that paper to put Slappy back to sleep, he was sure once Slappy went back to sleep his control over him would waver out of existence. He spent months looking for that stupid paper only to come up empty. A few times when he tried looking in his sister's room she had come in with a bit of a condescending smile before yelling for their mom or dad to come get Jackson out of her room. Every time he was scolded as he headed out of her room following his parents into the kitchen for another lecture. Rachel always made sure when their parents weren't looking to fix him with a cocky knowing smile before giving him a wave and shutting the door making sure to lock it.
Every failed attempt was rewarded with more anguish, fear, and resentment, but he was determined not to give up. He tried thinking of it as a puzzle; a maze he just needed to solve in order to be free and rid himself of this fate forced upon him. If he were to give up any hope at all of finding that paper any chance of setting himself free would be lost. Then he really WOULD be a puppet! He could play along with his sister and Slappy for now….but the day he was free, there would be a reckoning. He would find a way to make sure Rachel and Slappy never hurt him again. Obedience is prudent. To interpret it as a lack of free will would be an error.
Upon the door opening Jackson quickly lifted up his book he had laying on his bed to look like he was occupied. Lifting his eyes from the book he lightly scowled at seeing Rachel poking her head through the door. "Hey" She called from the door way.
"I don't feel like talking to you right now, I'm busy." He said in a calm cold tone not bothering to glance at her as he spoke.
She faked a hurt look that might have actually fooled a bystander, Jackson knew better now however. "Mom said to let you know her and dad are going to get some groceries and to remind you you're not allowed to leave the house while there gone."
He made a snapping sound with his fingers to turn around and leave with out glancing up. The message was sent, their was no need for further interaction. Any conversation could go to hell in a matter of minute's.
"…Do you still hate me?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw her tilt her head still poking out from behind the door. He was sure that despite the frown on her face he could still catch that smile in her eyes like always when they played this game of 'I hate you more and I always will'. He tried not to get sucked into it and made one last attempt to keep things somewhat civil between them. So he finally met her gaze coldly from his bed.
"…Of course not Rachel, your my sister. I love you. " He replied with little emotion other than sarcasm in his voice. His sister actually laughed. Malicious creature.
"Good God Jackson, you always were such a terrible liar!" she giggled. He briefly wondered how he couldn't see what a wicked woman his sister truly was, did she become this way because of slappy's current influence in her life? Or had she always been this mean spirited? "I remember the lie you came up with when Papa and you wrecked that art room!" He grimaced disgusted that she would refer to that THING as her father, as far as he was concerned she practically abandoned their family! " It was three dogs! Three huge dogs! They jumped through the window!" She mocked while imitating his voice.
She looked at him with a sneer, "Though I cant blame you for loving me everybody else does now that your not such a goody-goody. Maybe papa will give you some lessons on lying, sometimes I think he could get away with MURDER." A shiver went down my spine because for once I didn't doubt her and briefly wondered if Slappy had actually killed anyone. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer especially when I was living with him.
"Oh yeah I heard a new kid's going to our school. Luke I think his name was? I saw him talking to Stick and Miles. Guess after all these years of waiting for you to regain your sanity they finally moved on huh Mr. Hyde?" This time I did glare at her. "hey come on you can laugh a little, cant you? That nickname really suits you, besides its not as if they'd be allowed to hang out with you anyway…" I returned to my book trying to shut my spiteful sister out and just immerse myself in the the alternate world my book was offering me.
Seeing as I wasn't going to respond Rachel shrugged a shoulder casually before turning to leave but stopped herself as if she forgot something. "Oh yeah…" She poked her head back in the doorway. "Dad said he wanted you." She calmly informed him.
He grabbed his bookmark preparing to mark his place. "Where is he?" He didn't see the grin in time nor her approaching his bed and setting something on it until it was too late. He bit back a groan and made to grab it and her and shove them both out of his room even if he knew it was futile. But he heard the familiar chirp and he couldn't move from where he sat. He could only sit there with his book in hand, he considered throwing it at his sister or Slappy but the consequences may not be worth it.
"He's right here. He said he wanted to spend some time with you since Ill be going to spend the night at a friends house. Ill have a ladies night and you two can have a guys night since your friends aren't allowed to see you anymore." She smiled once more with a malice look in her eyes. "Try not to go TOO insane, or you might get put in an asylum. I hear shock therapy can be pretty painful." She winked at me. She leaned towards me and whispered softly it almost sounded loving if not her very words poisoning her tone completely. "…Hope your enjoying being in my shadow…" With that the door finally closed.
Slappy sat on the edge of his bed with one leg crossed over the other and his arms folded a crossed his chest starring straight ahead. Despite him being a doll Jackson had to admit with how Slappy sat it almost made him appear more human like than he actually was, he just slumped against the wall. When he sat like a human being it actually gave him an air of dignity which was a bit strange for a evil chaos causing dummy. He waited a few moments to see if he would move or talk…..nothing. Maybe he was sleeping or meditating, it was always difficult to tell with the crazy unpredictable dummy.
Jackson sighed before going back to his book, looks like he wouldn't be finishing his picture anytime soon. He heard his mom yell good bye and that they'd be back soon.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Slappy still hadn't moved and though he was complacent now he didn't want to be taken off guard whenever Slappy decided to wake up or stop playing dead. He marked his page and grabbed Slappy and put him in his closet, shutting the door. He went back to his bed and clicked on his lamp. The sun was almost finished setting, a slight golden strip of light came into his quickly darkening room from his bedroom shades hanging down his window. He continued reading for good 20 minutes or so before he started hearing noise coming from the closet. It was still an unnerving thought to acknowledge the fact he had a living dummy in his closet whist reading home alone. He would have to be careful not to anger Slappy. The dummy could quickly become violent if angered, and throwing him in his sisters room wasn't an option with her now locking her door when she left for school or a friends house. Locking him outside his own room wasn't a good idea either since Slappy would just force him to unlock it or he would go cause mischief himself and it would get blamed on him ether way.
"….I do not want to spend time with you Slappy. So why don't we just ignore each other and we'll get along just fine." Jackson didn't dare to raise his head up too look at his closet for fear of having to meet the dummy's glassy eyes.
Silence…then like swimming in dark waters and seeing a shark come out of nowhere and lunge at you….He heard the chirp.
It felt as if an invisible hand forced his head up from the book he was reading to the gaze he wanted to avoid. Standing right beside his bed stood Slappy grinning up at him. "Now why on EARTH would I want to do that son?"
Jackson sat frozen on his bed with his book in hand. The question 'why' kept dancing in his head. Why had this happened to him? why did it have to be him? This dummy was insanity personified. A disease that would forever plague mankind, and he had infected Jackson.
Before Jackson could stop himself he quoted the last sentence he read wanting to laugh at the irony. "Of all the things I miss, I miss my mind the most…" Slappy cackled darkly.
"Trust me my boy, you really are better off in this world without it." Jackson actually laughed with him, still unsure if he was actually laughing or Slappy was pulling his strings again. He got his answer when his vision started to grow dim, something told him his sister was right about getting sent to an asylum after all they ARE now children of insanity.
I'm so shocked there isn't that many stories here for the Goosebumps fandom! I just recently fell in love with the books and t.v. series, especially Slappy! The one book that I really liked though was Son of Slappy! Seriously if you haven't read that one, you should go grab it! I hope to god R.L. Stine brings back Slappy's kids, I love them! ...Maybe more Jackson than Rachel... I think that this will be more of a place to put drabbles about Slappy's family than anything else but we'll see. By the time I finished Son of Slappy I had so many questions and curiosities! So this is just my imagination at play right now. Also its late right now and I'm tired so if I made any mistakes let me know. I hope we see Slappy's kids in the movie, anyone else excited about that?! Let me know if you think I should continue this.