Mannequins

Short Story by: Michael Cleary

Reads: 6 | Likes: 2 | Shelves: 0 | Comments: 2

What scared me most were the mannequins

At least I thought they were mannequins.

If I squinted my eyes they looked like people

trapped in glass with jointed bodies.

I would stare so long with my eyes fixed

and swear I saw them breathe or blink

or lips curl into a grin with glossy lips

those beautiful ugly mannequins.

The clothes fit so perfectly these dolls

sculpted abs and perky breasts

with lifeless stares these plastic monsters

see my fear and my curiosity.

I could shatter the glass between us

cut off a head or arm or leg

but not a drop of blood would spill

and they’d be back together by morning.

Why do I look? Why do I stare?

Do they hypnotize with painted eyes?

The terror is wormwood on my tongue

a lovely poison that kills me.

Come alive you mannequins I say!

Off you perch and follow me home!

Vanquish my palpable fear I implore you

to murder me with your bloodless hands.

Submitted: February 25, 2025

Horror dark poetry strange poe

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KateWrites

There is something quite unsettling about mannequins and their soulless, fixed stares. I understand that. Of course, in the film, there was nothing harmful about the mannequin, she in fact was pretty vulnerable. As usual, it was people who were the problem.

Typo second last stanza? Off "your" perch.

You really convey the power of these mannequins and how they elicit fear within the speaker. Love that image of shattering the grass to destroy a part of them but the futility as - it sounds as if - they would simply regenerate. There is the unwritten probability that the speaker would probably be injured in the assault; needlessly. Very effective.

Tue, February 25th, 2025 5:11am

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I posted a corrected version of this which addressed that typo you mentioned, but for some reason both versions are still here on Booksie. I can't figure that one out. Anyway, good catch and thanks for the excellent feedback.

Tue, February 25th, 2025 4:34am

Thomaswcase8'.

Excellent and eerie.

Tue, February 25th, 2025 2:29pm

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Thanks Thomas. I watched some of your youtube readings last night. You read it very well. Not easy to do in front of a camera. Thanks for reading my work.

Tue, February 25th, 2025 6:56am