Read Online Tales From The Wyrd Museum 1: The Woven Path by Robin Jarvis - Free Book Online

up in a metal bucket, a gas mask and, sitting incongruously in the corner, was a grubby-looking teddy bear.
    Neil stared through the glass thinking that he had been correct all along. Somewhere in all that junk there had to be a concealed speaker and one of the Webster sisters had been playing a game with him, disguising her voice to sound like a man and no doubt tittering her dotty head off.
    Huffing in disgust, he ran his eyes over the walls. She was probably hidden behind a secret panel and watching him through a tiny hole or through the eyes of a painting.
    “Very funny,’ he said aloud, stooping to look for the incriminating cable running from the back of the cabinet.
    When he failed to find it, he cupped his hands round his face and leaned against the glass—peering inside.
    ‘Must be in there,’ he muttered, glaring at the suspiciously bulky pile of papers. ‘You'd think pensioners would have something better to do with their time—gormless old duffers.’
    Groaning wearily, Neil shook his head, ‘OK,’ he called to the unseen old woman hiding in the wainscoting, ‘You win, I was fooled.’
    At that moment, he caught a movement in the corner of his eye and he stared into the case once more.
    Something had moved, over there in the corner, near where that tatty bear was sitting.
    Neil hunted for a logical explanation—perhaps it was a mouse. Shuddering, he hoped it wasn't a rat—this old place could be overrun with them. He shivered at the thought, then a slow smile spread over his face as he regarded the lonely-looking toy.
    'They'll be making a nest in your stuffing next, mate,’ he chortled.
    The teddy was old, its grimy fleece and the faded red ribbon tied about its neck told him that much, yet there was also an endearing, homemade quality about it. The face was a little understuffed and, coupled with the patch of leather that served as its nose, a wry smile was stitched into the fur. Two large ears were sewn on to the sides of its head and the left one drooped amusingly just above one of the round glass eyes.
    Neil smirked. The eyes were fixed directly upon him as if the bear was staring back with as much curiosity as his own.
    Suddenly, all expression drained from the boy's face as the fur at the edge of the teddy's mouth puckered and twitched. Then, as Neil stared, incredulous and disbelieving, the toy broke into a broad grin.
    Neil fell backwards and cringed from the cabinet—terrified that now his mind was deceiving him, conjuring up insane and impossible illusions.
    Behind the glass the leather nose wrinkled and folds of dusty fur blinked over the round eyes. With a shake of the head, both ears gave a sharp wriggle and the bear craned his neck to see what the boy was doing. Then the toy's mouth opened.
    ‘What the heck you scared for?’ he cried. ‘Yer ten times bigger'n me!’
    Dumbfounded, Neil could only answer with a choking splutter which gargled within his throat. Then the teddy raised one of its arms and signalled for him to rise from the floor where he had fallen.
    ‘Ya look a real schmuck down there, kid!’ he scoffed. We ain't got time for you to stay gawpin’ down there. What is this? You simple or what?’
    The glass eyes almost disappeared beneath a furrow of fur as the teddy scowled with irritation. Throwing his head back, he glared upwards and shook his paws furiously.
    'This ain't gonna work!’ he raged. ‘Jeezus—the kid's a geek! What the hell am I supposed to do with it? Fifty years I've been kept hangin’ round—an’ fer what? He ain't got no guts, he's yeller'n the rose o’ Texas! I want outta this right now! Pronto!’
    Neil didn't know who the bear was shouting at, he seemed to be ranting at the ceiling, then abruptly he halted and flinched as though a voice the boy could not hear had thundered back at him.
    ‘You gotta be jokin!’ the bear snapped up at the empty air. ‘You tellin’ me I ain't got no choice in this? After all this time? It ain't right I tell