(D O N 'T C L O S E Y O U R E Y E S D A R L I N G) Wally DarlingXReader

C H A P T E R 3.

------------------------------------------------------------

As you paced around your house, the sight of the chaos in front of you left you in a state of panic. Papers were strewn all over the floor and furniture had been moved from their original places.
You had searched every possible corner of your home, but the damn puppet you were looking for was still missing.
The thought of not being able to find it was nerve-wracking, and you couldn't help but wonder where it could be.
You had already searched all the rooms, as well as under and inside all the furniture, except for the basement and attic.

However, the mere idea of going into these dark, creepy areas to look for a potential haunted doll terrified you.
You settled down on the messy floor, trying to catch your breath for a moment, until a soft knocking sound echoed through the house.
You jumped in surprise, not expecting the unexpected sound.

As you looked around, you realized that the noise did not come from the front door, but from somewhere above your head.
You guessed it must be the attic, and with a heavy heart and a scared mind, you walked to the hallway in silence.

You couldn't hear the knocking anymore, but as you reached for the latch to the attic, a noise rang out through the hallway.
It was the phone that was hanging in the kitchen. You hurried over to the receiver and picked it up without thinking.
The knocking in the attic was temporarily forgotten, as your heart pounded hard against your chest and you could feel the blood rush in your ears.
The call connected, and you nervously said, "Hello?" But there was nothing but silence on the other side.

You called out again, "Hello..? Is...is anyone there?" But still, silence greeted your question again.
You tried once more, "Is anyone there?" But again, silence answered your question.
The phone hung limply in your hand as you stared at the cord dangling from the wall, feeling utterly disoriented.

Your body nearly jumped when the call hung up, leaving you to move the phone from your ear and stare at it.
You needed sleep; maybe your mind was playing tricks on you, but you just couldn't shake the dark feeling inside your house.

You shook your head as you made your way back to your bedroom, trying to fight away the uneasiness creeping inside of you.
You closed your eyes and laid down on your bed, feeling yourself begin to relax as you drifted slowly off to sleep.
Suddenly, a loud creak from your door awoke you in the middle of the night.

It was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything.
You knew that you were afraid and shaking uncontrollably. Instead of attempting to sit up or move, you pressed your trembling lips together, trying to suppress the fear coursing through your veins.
Your breathing became increasingly erratic and shallow as sweat formed in between your brows, causing your hair to stick to your forehead uncomfortably.

After what seemed like hours, you heard the noise again.
Although the sound wasn't loud this time, you could tell by the click of the door that it had been shut back.

Your eyes frantically searched the darkness trying to see something, anything, but you couldn't.
You could hear the footsteps slowly but steadily approaching your bed.
Fear was overtaking you now, and you couldn't think straight.

Suddenly, the sheets next to you ruffled, as if someone or something was getting on the bed.
You wanted to scream, but your throat felt dry, and you felt your whole body shudder as a very familiar voice cut through the silence of the room.
"I know. You're awake..." You shakily covered your mouth with one of your hands, so as not to let out a bloody scream.

Your heart was racing as he continued to move closer.
You couldn't understand how it was possible for a fictional character to be standing in your bedroom, and alive at that. Now that you think about it for a hot second, your mother never actually gave you a Doll of Wally on your birthday. The more you thought about this new information the more every instinct in your body was telling you to run, but you couldn't even move a muscle.

As he spoke to you, you tried to calm your breathing, but it was no use.
You were paralyzed with fear, and the only thing you could do was to listen to what he had to say.

"You don't have to be scared," he repeated, his voice soft and gentle. "I won't hurt you."

But how could you believe him?
This was a puppet, a creation of a children's show, and one that was from your childhood at that.
Yet here he was, speaking to you in your bedroom in the middle of the night.

You felt the covers shift as the puppet either crawled or stepped towards you.
His large black eyes stared into yours, and you could feel his presence looming over you.
You weren't sure what to do, whether to try and calm down and keep still or to try and escape.

"Go back to Sleep," the puppet said in his monotone voice.
Oddly, his voice was soothing, and you felt a sense of calm wash over you.
It was as if he was trying to comfort you, to ease your fears and doubts about him.

Nodding mutely, you closed your eyes tightly, pretending to fall asleep.
You waited, listening for any sign that the puppet had left your room.
But the only sound you could hear was the sound of your own breathing, and the beating of your own heart.

You waited and waited, but nothing happened.
Finally, exhaustion overcame your fear, and you fell into a restless sleep.
------------------------------------------------------------