Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush, or perhaps the fact that he had overslept and been late to the jewelers, but Herb knew he felt off. He decided, rather rashly, to push forward. It had to happen tonight.

The weather agreed with him. A huge lightning storm had rolled in, making the night come sooner and people turn in and close their drapes. Herb waited until many of the neighbors had gone to bed before he slid around to the back of the house and found the phone connection. He disconnected the wires and shut the box. Then he found the power supply and shut it off at the disconnect terminal in between lightning bursts and thunderclaps.

Now the tricky part, finding his old math teacher’s room without waking her sister. Ms. DuPrau snored loudly. He crept to her door, and silently opened it during a thunderclap. He made sure it was the right woman before pulling out the doll from it’s place in his waistband. It felt weird to not have it against him, almost like a part of him was removed.

He held it out.