The Taxidermist’s calm, measured footsteps echoed through the store, each step filled with unhurried purpose. It was as if he knew that escape was impossible and was savoring the anticipation of adding new pieces to his collection. The friends huddled behind a row of display cases, each of them tense and breathing hard, their flashlights turned off to avoid drawing attention.
“We’re trapped,” Sophie whispered, her face pale as she glanced around. “Every door is locked, and he has control of the exits.”
“Then we’ll find another way,” Lex replied firmly, gripping a metal baseball bat she’d picked up from a nearby rack. “I’m not going to let him turn us into his next ‘masterpieces.’”
Brandon adjusted his glasses, his eyes scanning the store. “If he wants to play this game, we need to outsmart him. We know he’s watching us, but we don’t have to play by his rules.”
“Great, so we’re outsmarting a psycho artist in his own personal art gallery,” Damien muttered, tightening his grip on a hunting knife he’d found earlier. “Sounds easy.”
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The group moved carefully through the aisles, staying low and quiet, trying to avoid drawing the Taxidermist’s attention. The lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows across the mounted animals and human-like figures posed in the displays. Every shadow seemed to twist and loom, as if the figures themselves were watching, waiting.
Suddenly, they heard the Taxidermist’s voice crackle over the store’s intercom system, smooth and unsettling.
“My dear guests,” he said, his tone polite yet filled with a chilling satisfaction, “there’s no need to hide. I can help you achieve a timeless beauty, a preservation of your most perfect selves.”
“This guy is seriously unhinged,” Maya whispered, shivering as she glanced over her shoulder. “He thinks he’s… doing us a favor.”
“That makes him even more dangerous,” Lex replied, her gaze steely. “We can’t underestimate him.”
They crept forward, their eyes scanning for any signs of movement. But then, Sophie froze, her eyes widening as she caught sight of something just ahead.
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A human figure stood in the center of an aisle, its posture eerily lifelike. At first, Sophie thought it was another preserved victim, but as she looked closer, she realized it was a mannequin, dressed in tattered clothes and posed with one arm extended, as if it were reaching for something just out of reach.
“What… what is this?” Sophie asked, her voice barely audible. “Is he… arranging these to look like people?”
“It’s a trap,” Lex whispered, gesturing for everyone to stay back. “He’s using these mannequins to mess with us, to confuse us.”
As they moved around the mannequin, a faint click sounded beneath Damien’s foot. His eyes widened in horror as he looked down, realizing he had triggered a tripwire.
“Get down!” Lex shouted, grabbing him and pulling him to the floor.
A heavy net fell from above, barely missing them, entangling the mannequin in its web. The trap would have pinned them in place, leaving them completely vulnerable.
“This whole place is booby-trapped,” Brandon muttered, his face pale. “We need to be careful.”
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They continued cautiously, every step measured as they navigated the aisles, watching for any signs of traps. The Taxidermist’s calm voice drifted through the intercom, like a tour guide in a gallery, describing the “beauty” of his collection in sickening detail.
“Each piece tells a story,” he said, his voice filled with reverence. “The hunters and the hunted, preserved in a single, exquisite moment. A testament to resilience… and vulnerability.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“We’re his next ‘piece,’” Maya whispered, horror in her eyes. “He wants to immortalize us.”
“Over my dead body,” Damien muttered, clutching his knife as his gaze darted around. “I’m not becoming one of his twisted trophies.”
They pressed on, finding themselves surrounded by more of the Taxidermist’s disturbing displays. Figures were posed in lifelike positions, each one arranged as if they were caught in a final moment of life—a man with his hands raised defensively, a woman frozen mid-scream, a child reaching out as if for help. The lifelike expressions were so detailed, so chillingly realistic, that it felt like they could move at any moment.
Sophie covered her mouth, her face pale. “These… these were people.”
Lex tightened her grip on the baseball bat, her jaw clenched. “Then let’s make sure we’re not next.”
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As they moved, the friends noticed a faint glow coming from a small room at the back of the store. Lex signaled for everyone to be quiet, and they approached cautiously, peering through the doorway.
Inside, they saw the Taxidermist himself, meticulously cleaning and arranging his tools. His back was to them, his tall, gaunt figure silhouetted against the dim light. He moved with slow, deliberate precision, as though each motion were part of a ritual.
“Now’s our chance,” Lex whispered, her eyes narrowing. “If we take him by surprise, we might be able to end this.”
Brandon nodded, clutching a heavy flashlight. “On your signal.”
They crept into the room, their movements silent. But just as they prepared to strike, the Taxidermist turned, his face breaking into a slow smile as his eyes met theirs.
“Ah… I see my guests couldn’t wait to join the collection,” he murmured, his tone calm and unsettling. “How delightful.”
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The Taxidermist moved with surprising speed, pulling a long, gleaming knife from his belt and lunging toward them. Lex swung her bat, deflecting his attack, but his strength was formidable. He countered with a fluid movement, his blade slicing through the air as the friends scattered, each of them narrowly avoiding his strikes.
“Separate them,” he murmured, his voice smooth and composed. “Chaos before preservation… beauty in struggle.”
He seemed to anticipate their every move, blocking their attempts to corner him. Damien lunged forward, swinging his knife, but the Taxidermist sidestepped effortlessly, his own blade flashing as he slashed at Damien’s arm, leaving a shallow cut.
“He’s toying with us,” Brandon said, his voice filled with frustration as he swung his flashlight at the Taxidermist, barely missing.
“Then we have to outsmart him,” Lex replied, her voice tense. “We’re stronger together.”
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They regrouped, moving in sync, using their makeshift weapons to keep the Taxidermist at bay. Maya found a can of pepper spray on a nearby counter and aimed it at his face, the spray forcing him to stumble back, momentarily blinded.
“Now!” Lex shouted, rushing forward with her bat.
She swung with all her strength, the metal connecting with the Taxidermist’s shoulder. He let out a hiss of pain, but the look in his eyes was one of admiration rather than anger, as though he were genuinely impressed by their resistance.
“Yes,” he murmured, his smile widening. “Show me your strength. Show me your will to survive.”
The friends attacked in unison, using the tools and items scattered around the room—hunting knives, fishing rods, even pieces of broken displays. They managed to back him into a corner, but the Taxidermist remained calm, his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.
“You’re… magnificent,” he whispered, his voice filled with reverence. “This moment… is perfect.”
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Just as they thought they had him cornered, the Taxidermist pulled a lever hidden behind him. A metal gate slid down, separating him from the group and blocking their exit.
“Enjoy my collection,” he said with a chilling smile. “I’ll be back soon… to add you all.”
With that, he disappeared into a hidden passage, leaving the friends trapped inside the room, surrounded by his grotesque trophies.
“No, no, no!” Damien shouted, slamming his fists against the metal gate. “We had him!”
“He’s playing with us,” Lex said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. “But we’re not done yet. There has to be another way out.”
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The friends searched the room, desperation mounting as they realized they were surrounded by lifelike figures, each one a former person, each one a reminder of what could happen to them. But then Brandon noticed a ventilation shaft near the ceiling, partially hidden behind a display case.
“Up there,” he said, pointing. “It’s tight, but I think we can fit.”
“Better than waiting for him to come back,” Lex replied, nodding. “Let’s go.”
They stacked crates and display cases to create a makeshift ladder, helping each other climb into the ventilation shaft. The air was stale and thick, but it offered a narrow path out of the Taxidermist’s “gallery.”
As they crawled through the shaft, the sounds of the Taxidermist’s footsteps echoed below, his voice drifting up to them, calm and collected.
“Run if you like,” he murmured, as if speaking directly to them. “But remember… beauty is fleeting. I’ll find you soon.”
The friends crawled faster, their breaths ragged as they pushed forward, the weight of his words heavy in their minds. They were alive, but the Taxidermist wasn’t finished with them. Not yet.