“That’s just cowboys!” I tug on Gabby’s sleeve, indicating I want to be brought closer to whisper. “What if the people who are going missing are turned into dolls?”
Gabby scoffs. “That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone do that?”
“Duh! For money! And maybe… maybe…” I gasp. “Imagine a perfect world. A world dominated by intelligent, rich people. Doctors and―heaven forbid―lawyers. That’s what they want. They’re abducting people they don’t deem smart enough to be in our society. That’s what that professor clone was talking about… Oh my God, that is beyond rude. It’s… well, it’s ironically stupid.”
“Are you calling yourself dumb?”
“Gabby, you and I both know my circumstances are different. I can’t remember what’s wrong with me, but I know it’s health related. That’s what the professor originally designed us for. Now this happens.” I motion towards Alex. “Oh, come on! You gotta believe me! I haven’t even told you about the dozens of professor clones on the train!”
“SHUT UP!” Gabby yells, covering her ears with her hands, fighting back tears. “I can’t take this!” I hold on for dear life as she runs downstairs, then straight through the front door.
“Hey!” Office Bloom yells from the living room. “What about your assignment?”
“Fail me!” Gabby slams the door behind her.
Instantly, the days I spent alone in an attic seem far more appealing than this wretched week.
ust so you know, I don’t feel comfortable walking after everything we’ve been through,” I say, frantically trying to steer Gabby closer to the streetlights.
“No mugger or murderer will dare mess with me,” she grunts, powering down the street. “I’m sick of this crap. Aunt Sianne can call the professor again. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Gabby’s phone rings, but she doesn’t reach for it.
“Gabby?” I say. “Maybe you should…?”
“Yeah, yeah!” She reluctantly grabs her phone. “It’s a private number.”
“So? Answer it.”
“I don’t answer private numbers. They can leave a message.”
“Gabby! Just answer it.”
She huffs and rolls her eyes, but pushes the “talk” button anyway. I really hate it when she rolls her eyes. One day they’ll get stuck. “Hello?”
I can’t hear anything on the other end, so after I frantically gesticulate, ineffectually pulling on my plastic ears, she puts it on speaker for me.
There’s a crackle, but nothing else.
“Hello?” I ask.
“Ella?” the voice says. “It’s Daniel.” The connection breaks as if he’s going through a tunnel. “Get out of town! You have to get out of town!”
“Grandpa?” Gabby’s voice is tight. “Is that you? Why didn’t you meet us at the station?”
“BACK OFF!” the professor suddenly yells. There’s a loud crash and grunts. “Gabby, get out of town! I’ll fix this! Somehow I’ll fix―”
The connection is lost. Gabby and I stare at the phone, waiting for something to happen.
“Do you think…?” she begins.
“I don’t know…” I say. “But I’m getting the feeling that it wasn’t him we were speaking to yesterday.”
Gabby’s face drops as she slowly puts the phone back in her pocket. “Me too, Ells.”
The wind is strong tonight, and Gabby’s hair sticks to my face. “Do you think we’ll ever see your parents again?”
“No,” Gabby says bluntly. “The world is changing, and for whatever reason, my parents are part of it.”
“Then maybe we’re safer with Officer Bloom?”
“Don’t be naïve, Ella. I think Lacy’s right. He’s in on it, whatever it is. Did you hear how gung-ho he was for me to finish that project? Who in their right mind forces a traumatized child to study? It’s absurd!”
“And he has a doll like me.”
“Exactly. Whatever’s happening, we’re doing it alone. Let’s just try not to get separated again. I couldn’t eat when you went missing; my stomach churned that much.”
“It was horrific.” I shiver, as Gabby slows down by Denny’s. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“So, you said there were professor clones?”
“You’re ready to talk about it now?”
“After that phone call? I kinda don’t think I have much choice in the matter.”
“Well, okay. The train is designed for them. They called themselves different names and were heading to different towns and cities.” I sigh, frowning at the rip in my tutu. It’s the weekend, so I should be in my yellow dress, but I haven’t had the chance to change. Nobody wants to spend eternity in a leotard.
Gabby peers into Denny’s window. The sign says “CLOSED”, but all the lights are on, and Denny sits at the counter, sobbing. Gabby pushes on the door, which, to our surprise, swings open.
“Denny?” Gabby asks softly, pulling up a seat. She places me on the counter, where I huddle down next to the salt and pepper shaker.
Denny only sobs harder, covering his face with his hands. “She’s gone.” He weeps, his breaths short, sharp, defeated. “I can’t believe she’s gone…”
I can sense Gabby’s heartbreaking as tears well in her eyes. She reaches for Denny and places a sympathetic hand on his knee. “Farah?”
“He took her,” he howls, slumping onto the counter, his shoulders convulsing.
“The men in white?” I ask, but Gabby shoots me a stern look.
“Just the one.” His voice is muffled. “An older man with glasses. We were closing up, and he just… he just… took her. I tried to fight him, but nothing worked.”
A glance to the floor reveals the shattered wooden stool.
“Have you called the police?” I ask.
“The blasted cops are useless! Look around! Hundreds are missing, and did they find a single one?”
Gabby and I exchange worried glances, and she pats his knee. “I’m so sorry, Denny. We’ll find her, I promise. Is there anything we can do?”
“Just go,” he mumbles, waving us out the door. “You… you shouldn’t see me like this. Please go.”
Visibly hurt, Gabby scoops me up and jumps from the stool. “Be safe, Denny. We’ll look out for Farah.”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he only sobs harder.
Outside, Gabby groans and scrunches up her already wild hair. “I’m exhausted, Ella. I just don’t know what to do.”
I can’t reply. I’m too distracted by the man in the white coat heading towards us. Arms outstretched, he calls our names.
“RUN, GABBY!” I cry. “RUN!”
“Where?” Gabby shouts as we charge through the empty street. “Where!”
“Sianne’s!” I glance over my shoulder. The professor imposter is gaining.
“Girls! Please wait!” he cries, pumping his arms harder. “Gabby! Ella! It’s me! It’s Daniel!”
“Don’t listen to him!” I say as Gabby’s poor, overworked lungs rasp with each breath.
“Girls! Please!”
A squeak of panic escapes Gabby’s mouth. She runs harder and faster, and miscalculates the step in the sidewalk. She rolls her ankle and skids, the asphalt tearing into her delicate skin.
“Gabby!” I bang on her temple with my fists. “Get up! There’s no one to help us this time! Get up!”
Blood trickles down her leg, but she forces herself up and limps across the road. We don’t get far before the imposter grabs her shoulder and spins her around.
“Get away from us!” I scream. Gabby instinctively reaches for his wrist and bites into it, only to cry in horror when her teeth scrape against shiny skin.
“He’s plastic!” Gabby’s hysterical. “My grandpa is a plastic psychopath!”
“I’m not!” he reassures, lowering himself to one knee. “I mean, yes, I’m plastic, but let me explain.”
The professor pulls a handkerchief from his back pocket and dabs at Gabby’s woun
d. Call me crazy, but I don’t think he’s like the imposters on the train. He seems… almost legitimate somehow.
“What are you?” I ask, lowering my voice.
“Let’s go to Sianne’s. We haven’t got a lot of time, but I can explain there.”
“No. Explain now. We’re not inviting you into our home.” I puff out my chest.
The professor sighs, his head squeaking. “Girls, I don’t know how much time I have!”
“Drop the self-pity act. You attacked me!”
“It wasn’t me!” he frowns, putting pressure on Gabby’s cut, before relinquishing the hankie to her. “Can we at least get off the road?”
Reluctantly, we shuffle onto the sidewalk as the professor sighs. “Girls, it’s me. I was just on the phone with you. You have to get out of town before they come for you too!”
“Who is coming?” I say. “Can’t we call the police?”
“No. We can’t trust the police. I don’t know which ones are in on it. Money talks a lot, it seems. Girls, you have to move away. This town is going under. Forget about me, okay?” His eyes dart around the street. “I’ve tried to call you, but whenever I reached the outside phone, they’d yank me away. If you ever for a moment thought you were talking with me, it was probably one of them. I had to fight my way through just now to speak with you. I’m a prisoner where I work.”
“Everyone says that about their job,” Gabby drawls.
“No!” His eyebrows arch. “I’m literally a prisoner! They won’t let me leave! You see this?” He taps at his skin, which makes an inhuman noise. “This isn’t my body. I’m inside a large doll that I transferred my consciousness into. I’ve locked myself inside the company vault. It’s only a matter of time before they break in and disconnect me.”
This day just went to a whole new level of weird.
“What do you mean?” Gabby asks after a prolonged pause. “So that was you on the train?”
“No. Look, you know I always wanted to rid the world of sickness. When the company realized how cute and interactive humans were as dolls, they thought it would be a great moneymaker. So they thought, what’s the best way to do this? The consensus was to halve the population by turning criminals and those with a low IQ into dolls and sell them to the rich. They figured they could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The world would be smarter, there would be fewer people, and they’d be making out like bandits.” He shakes his head. “Exactly like bandits.”
Gabby fans her face, struggling to process. “Is that why Officer Bloom was so adamant that Devin gets good grades?”
The professor nods. “He’s privy to what’s going on. Most police have been paid to turn a blind eye. They’re excited about the concept of fewer criminals. I don’t know what your school is like, but if you have any teachers that aren’t bothering with the full syllabus, then they’re probably in on it, too. Who doesn’t want a richer world free of criminals?”
My heart sinks when I think of Principal Tony. I always thought he was “cool” and against the “system.” Turns out he’s just as bad as the rest of them.
“So does that mean I’m dumb?” Gabby mumbles, twirling her hair. “Is that why your imposter came to get me?”
“Of course not, my dear. You come from an exceptionally bright family.” He sits next to her on the sidewalk and tickles me under my chin. “This company originally created the epidemic. It was a manmade virus to reduce the population. Surprise, surprise, it didn’t work, so they’re being more creative this time around. The corporation is connected to the media. It’s mind-boggling, the influence they have. That’s why they reported such high initial death counts. Fearmongering at its finest, when in reality, not that many folks were infected. When they told me this, I lost it. I tried to expose them. The reason they’re after you is to get back at me. They kidnapped Jason and Pam and brought them to the company to hurt me. They have them in a cell, barely feeding them and forcing them into backbreaking jobs, knowing that it kills me, knowing that you’re a kid struggling to get by on your own. To aggravate me further, they made dozens of plastic dolls that look just like me. Got to have something to transfer their consciousness into and send out to abduct people. Might as well be me. Wonderful terms I have, right? I really should have held out for a better signing bonus.” The professor sighs and shakes his head. “When I found out they failed to retrieve you, I knew I had to do something. I’ve been trying to get in contact for months to warn you. But…”
Still holding Gabby close, he can’t quite conceal the catch in his voice. “I’m afraid I’ve ruined the world, my dear.”
“Then we’ll fix it!” I pipe up. “If it’s broken, it can be fixed, right?”
“It’s not that easy, pet.”
“Nothing worth having is ever easy. We can’t let innocent people waste their lives as a child’s plaything!” Gabby and the professor stare at me. “Well, okay, I get that’s what I’m doing, but I made that choice. I can’t remember how Gabby and I are related, but, at least, I’m with my family. The abductees have no choice where they’re being sent to. They’ll die without ever truly knowing who they are. It’s horrific!”
“It certainly is.” The professor stares blankly at the pavement. “I just don’t know what else I can do. They’re too powerful.”
“But they’re storing the criminals and abductees somewhere, aren’t they?”
“Yes, but…”
“No buts! We’ll find out where they are and we’ll bust them out. We’ll stop this madness!”
The professor’s nose twitches. “It’s not that easy. We had a few of us attempt to blow their cover, but they ended up dead before they even had a chance. The owner is pure evil. Chris Bloom.”
Gabby sits upright. “Bloom? As in Devin’s uncle?”
“Yes. He told me he saw Ella on social media. That’s how he came up with the idea.” When my shoulders slump dejectedly, the professor strokes my arm. “I don’t blame either of you. Accidents happen.” He stands and offers his hand to Gabby. “Let’s get you to Sianne’s before they disconnect me.”
“There must be a way we can help,” Gabby says. “I’m serious, Grandpa. I’m not running from this. Neither of us is.”
I nod. “While you’re here, you can help us save you.”
The professor’s eyes twinkle, as if he can’t quite believe the offer. “Well… there’s something. Let’s hurry.”
Gabby accepts his hand and stands, obviously still uneasy with her plastic grandfather. I couldn’t care less what he’s made of. At least he’s here, in the flesh.
Well, more or less.
HH!”
“Aunt Sianne, calm down,” Gabby says as Sianne hovers at the door, hands bent into claws near her face.
“AHH! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!”
The professor steps through the doorway and plants a brotherly hand on Sianne’s shoulder. “It’s me, Sianne. It’s all good.”
“You’re not human!”
“I’m not, no. My body is in a maximum security building. I can’t stay long, so how about you scream, and then we can move on? I need to show you something.”
“AHH!” Sianne takes a deep breath and flashes a gummy smile. “Okay. I’m over it. In you go.”
She leads us through the professor’s old house, but instead of settling in the kitchen, she drags us up the stairs, through the attic, and into the lab.
“Sianne, do you remember the upgrades I showed you several years ago? Before I left the company?”
She shrugs. “Upgrades are on everything. Stupid phones. Update this, update that. Stupid technology. And those updates every time I want to play a video game. Cartridge in, blow on it if it doesn’t work, BAM, the game plays. That’s how it should be! Not waiting eleventy-one hours for it to download! I HATE UPGRADES.”
“But you remember?”
“Oh yeah. But I’m busy bringing the dead back to life! That’s my current experiment. It’s important… it’s so important. And
the goth… the goth is making me make other things… but I can’t do it without her… I’m missing something…missing one thing. I have to keep the little one safe. Always protect the little one. The human, not the possessed toy.”
The professor doesn’t even raise an eyebrow at Sianne’s nonsense. Instead, he scratched his head, despite the fact he can’t feel an itch. I would know. “Gabby, I have an important job for the two of you. Are you positive you want to help?”
She nods aggressively. “Anything to get you back. And Mom and Dad. I don’t even care about the dolls. I just want my family.”
“Me too,” I say. “Family is life.”
“Okay.” He winces. “I hate the thought of you doing this… but you can go through the back alleyway near the police station. We need to know what type of drugs and resources they have if we’re to plan an effective countermeasure.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Who, what, hey?”
“We need to know how involved the police are. We need to know whom to trust.”
Gabby chews her bottom lip, her eyes focused on the professor’s eyes, then squares her shoulders. “Okay. We’ll go hit up the police station.”
“Can I at least change out of this tutu? I need to look covert.”
A cheeky grin spreads across Gabby’s face. She’s always enjoyed dress-ups.
“When I said covert, I didn’t mean ninja,” I mumble through the balaclava Gabby threw over me. She’s dressed me entirely in black so that only my eyes bulge.
“Hey, you might need to sneak into the police station. You need to blend in.”
“Like this? And anyway, that place is as white as a hospital. You would’ve been better off dressing me up as an angel.”
Riding Sianne’s bike, Gabby skids to a halt three doors down from the station. The bike has a basket in front and ribbons on the handles. It’s cute, but it doesn’t belong in this time. Hiding it in the shrubbery, she keeps low and hurries towards our destination.
“Hey, Gabby? You are… almost you, again. Do you feel better about your parents now?”
“Yes and no. I mean, they’re not safe, but they’re safe, if that makes sense? They’re together, and they’re alive.”
Shattered Girls (Broken Dolls Book 2) Page 7
