Mischief Night (2 page)

"Where's Jimmy?" Rusty was breathless from fear and the short sprint, and Tommy darted his head around, searching for their friend.

"He couldn't of gotten far. Where is he?"

They had no idea where the boy was. Dozens of yards away stood the dark woods, and rotten tree stumps littered the backyard. To the side of the house lay a wide stretch of grass, and the moonlight would have clearly revealed anyone crossing. The sound of a closing door reached them, and they stared at each other in horror. It came from behind the house.

"Someone came outside," hissed Tommy. He hesitated. "Or went in..."

"Now what?" Rusty's pulse raced. Visions of the strange little man swam before his eyes. Were they trapped? There was no other noise from Berger. For all they knew he could be waiting out front. Rusty felt like he was drowning, indecision freezing him.

"Got to find Jimmy. Let's check the back. If you see anything, run like crazy, and don't stop."

The pair crept along the house, expecting at any moment to have someone jump out at them. Thorn bushes lined the home's exterior, the nasty undergrowth cringing against the cold stone as if trying to scale the walls. Tommy reached a corner that blocked the view from the back entrance, and arched his neck as he gazed around the edge. "Nothing here, come on."

The suspense was unbearable -- Rusty felt ready to scream. A narrow porch sat a few yards to their left, the wooden planks warped and bent upwards at several spots. A dim light spilled out from a partially shuttered window next to the porch.

"I don't see anyone. Do you think Jimmy went inside to hide?" Tommy's question was a terrible one. What if Jimmy
had
gone in? He would be taking a dreadful chance of being caught. But then again, Jimmy had done some outrageous things before.

Tommy moved to the window, and Rusty turned around, worried that Berger might sneak up the side of the house.

"Hold on," he whispered, returning to the corner. Nothing stirred. Rusty returned, gazing across the silent yard as he rejoined Tommy's huddled form.

"It's clear. Berger must've gone in."

Easing up to the window, they held their breath, not daring to disturb the frame. Through the cracks, they saw a table in the middle of a modest kitchen, a seated figure facing the back door.

It was Jimmy!

The boy stared straight ahead, unmoving...

Two mouths gaped wide at the sight of their friend inside the forbidden home. But that was not the worst of it, for standing on the table was the little man, his back turned to the spying boys. He was gesturing to Jimmy, his tiny hands swaying in front of the boy's face like a diabolical maestro directing his orchestra. Rusty shuddered.

"Wh-what's he doing to him?" Tommy's voice whispered in Rusty's ear, but the boy was unable to respond.

As they watched in horror, Berger entered the kitchen, his gaunt form leering down at Jimmy, whose lips moved mechanically, mesmerized by the waving limbs of the small man. Berger nodded, speaking to the bizarre dwarf, a malevolent grin piercing his face, empty and humorless. Without warning, Jimmy stood, the movement dreamlike and controlled. He shuffled towards the door.

"What's he doing now?" Rusty felt Tommy's hands gripping his shoulder, palpable fear in the tight hold. "Are they letting him go?"

Jimmy reached the door, and the boys struggled with indecision -- to leave the house far behind, or try and help Jimmy if possible. The door opened.

"Tommy, Rusty. Come on inside. Mr. Berger wants to talk. He knows where you are." His voice was low and emotionless.

At that moment, the little man turned around, staring straight at the two boys, who watched in horrid disbelief. The dwarf had a long pointed nose, and a face that looked like a rotten apple core. A pair of wicked yellow eyes gleamed menacingly, and small fangs protruded from a cruel mouth. They bolted away, almost knocking each other to the ground in an attempt to escape the evil house and its hideous occupant. Jimmy laughed at their fleeing forms, the sound lacking any semblance of mirth.

"He knows who you are. You can't run from him."

They raced away in the night, their tension finding release. Fear gave them the endurance needed to carry their weary frames past the long blocks back to their own neighborhood. They passed trick-or-treaters and another group of pranksters, ignoring all of them, their only thought to reach the comfort of home. Neither boy spoke until they collapsed onto Tommy's front porch, gasping for air, cramped and tired.

Almost immediately the door opened, and Tommy's mother looked out.

"Well, what have we here. You two rascals had enough escapades for one night?" The boys stared at each other, not knowing where to begin.

"Tommy, I have a message for you. Jimmy's mom just called. He thanked you for letting him come along."

"What? Jimmy's home?" Tommy stood up, his face pale and disbelieving.

"Of course. He went to bed already; guess it was a long night for you guys. He was excited about Halloween, and wanted to get some rest. Is that so strange?"

Neither of the boys spoke. Jimmy had gone
home
, without a word concerning Berger or the dwarf? Impossible...

"Come on, time for bed, Tommy. Good night Rusty."

She gently tugged on Tommy's arm, pulling the confused boy inside. Rusty felt very alone now, and walked over to his own home, eager for the security of familiar surroundings. He scarcely said a word to his parents, who were watching an old movie on TV.

"Hey Rusty, did you have fun?"

The boy nodded wordlessly and went up to his room, locking the door behind him. He lay back on the welcome softness of his bed and noticed a light flashing on the answering machine. His parents had given him his own phone line for friends to call. Rusty's hands trembled as he pressed the button, retrieving the message.

"Hey, it's Jimmy. Just called to tell you I had a great time tonight."

There was a brief pause. Jimmy's voice then changed, drawling out the next sentence.

"Your turn is coming soon."

Recoiling in horror, Rusty stood, his young face aghast at the dire warning left on the tape. He had to do something. His parents needed to know, and if they heard the strange message, maybe they would believe him. The tape rewound itself, and he pressed the play button again.

"Hey, it's Jimmy. Just called to tell you I had a great time tonight."

Click!

There was nothing else. But how…Nothing made any sense. Rusty was chilled to the bone. A realization dawned on him then -- there was no denying it. He was dealing with something extremely weird and unknown. Jimmy had been taken...changed somehow. And both himself and Tommy were in danger.

He was suddenly very afraid.

Rusty paced about the room, the clock hands moving to the darker hours. Sleep was far off, and on a whim he jumped up, locking his bedroom window -- the night wasn't to be trusted. He decided to call Tommy, to convey his fears, and also come up with a plan. Rusty dialed the boy's number. Tommy also had a private phone, and they sometimes called each other late at night. But nothing. The line was dead.

Rusty's hands felt cold and lifeless, holding the receiver. A coincidence, or something else? He went to his closet, bringing out a telescope. He carried it over to the window, now unlocking it for a clearer view through the screen. The lens needed adjustment, and after several moments he zoomed in on Tommy's house. The angle of his own home was perfect for a direct sighting, and he moved the frame into position. Rusty peered into the scope, and saw a faint light coming from Tommy's window. There was no sign of his friend, but he was probably in bed. A single downstairs lamp was on, and Tommy's parents were night owls, so nothing unusual there.

He turned the lens again and stopped. Something moved at the side of Tommy's house. In the bushes, which sat below the terminal box. Rusty felt a new wave of chills crawling along his back. Then, a small figure appeared wearing a hat, climbing up the drain spout that passed within reach of Tommy's window. It was the dwarf...

A huge lump formed in Rusty's throat, and he couldn't swallow. The dwarf! Going for Tommy! Rusty had to warn him. He grabbed for the phone again, this time dialing Tommy's main number. The line was disconnected. Panicking, he looked through the scope. The dwarf was now alongside Tommy's window, fumbling at the latch. The horrible creature was having some problem, so hopefully that meant it was locked. But Rusty had no time to waste. By inaction, he would bring disaster to Tommy and himself. Berger and the dwarf would be after him next, for their unknown diabolical purposes. The boy left his bedroom and burst down the steps. The living room light was still on, and his dad was up yet, watching a black and white horror movie.

"Dad, you've got to come with me!"

Rusty's dad jumped up, surprised by his son. "What? Oh, Rusty, what are you doing up? It's late."

"Over at Tommy's! There's a burglar outside his window."

His dad stood up, eyes darkening. "Are you sure?" His face turned deadly serious.

"I swear it! You've got to hurry!"

His dad was not one to back away from trouble, and he sprinted into the garage, reappearing seconds later with a small air pistol which, although non-lethal, packed a wallop.

"This isn't a joke, is it?"

"No." Rusty's frightened look spoke the truth.

"Okay. Call the police, and tell your mom."

He went to the front door and left. Rusty quickly dialed the emergency number, and went outside. He was afraid for Tommy, afraid for his dad as well. They didn't know what they were dealing with here. He felt confused and frightened, not wanting to let his dad face the dwarf and Berger alone. He needed to do something.

Rusty had an idea.

~ * ~

Jon Patton crouched next to Tommy's house, staring up at the window. It seemed unbelievable, but a strange miniature figure was holding onto the spout, grasping at Tommy's window. Jon heard a soft clicking, and the window began to open.

"That's enough. Come down now, or I'll shoot a hole in that hat of yours, you little creep." The dwarf froze, and looked down. He made a gurgling noise, and spat at the man below.

"Right now. Move."

The dwarf descended, lowering himself with remarkable agility. When he reached the ground he paused, his face obscured from Jon's view.

"Hands up, turn around. Slowly. No tricks, either. We wait for the police."

The dwarf moved, head bowed, then suddenly snapped its chin up, revealing the hideous features. Jon gasped in shock, his hold on the gun faltering for a moment, and that was all the time the dwarf needed. His tiny hands rose in the air, gesturing hypnotically, capturing Jon's gaze. The man's eyes grew unfocused. Nodding in satisfaction, the dwarf stepped forward, muttering something unintelligible beneath his breath. He scowled as he stood before Jon, his hands clenching the air. Yellow eyes glittered in the twilight.

But the malevolent creature hesitated as something approached from the corner of its eye, and it turned around, gasping in surprise. From the sidewalk erupted a large black form, as Rusty released Krypto, his pet shepherd.

"Get him!"

The dwarf shrieked in rage, flying back as the dog pounced. Growls from both combatants pierced the night and the two bodies tumbled over into the bushes. The dog barked furiously, trying to bite the much smaller opponent. The spell was now broken, and Jon waved a hand across his brow, running forward. Krypto yelped and the little man broke away, but not before Jon fired a shot at the retreating form.

The dwarf vanished into the night.

~ * ~

The three boys sat in Tommy's kitchen the following morning, having been given the day off, trying to unravel the previous night's events.

"Dad said he aimed high to make him stop, but they found nothing. And Jimmy, you don't remember anything?"

"Nope."

Rusty was shocked. "Nothing about Berger, the dwarf, the house?"

Jimmy sat quietly, looking perplexed. "Like they said, I was probably hypnotized, or something. Can't remember anything after leaving his front porch. Weird."

"Well, Tommy, I'm officially retired from raiding." The boys nodded their heads in agreement.

"I knew you would get us into trouble." Rusty yawned, tired but relieved to see Jimmy had returned to his normal, but unusually reserved, self. He mulled over the morning's events in his mind.

The police had entered Berger's house. The old man was gone. Apparently no one had lived there for years. Everything was covered in thick dust, without any signs of recent occupancy. Bizarre. But they did find one thing to corroborate the boy's fantastic tale.

A small tattered hat, with a hole in the middle.

Rusty felt uneasy.

As he trudged along the dirt road leading from his house, he gazed across the bordering cornfields, watching as the dried stalks swayed hypnotically in the brisk October wind, reminding him of another fall. He snapped his head around, dispelling the unwelcome thought, and the lurid memories that quickly followed.