Chapter 2 Lying

"Chloe," the woman replied, surprised by her friend's arrival.

"Why is the mannequin with you?" the woman asked in shock, seeing the mannequin fall onto her friend. Panicked and frightened, Irish asked Chloe for help. Of course, the woman quickly descended and lifted the mannequin.

What Irish said yesterday was indeed true; the mannequin's body was heavy, like a human body. "Chloe, this mannequin is strange. It came to me, walked, and spoke like a human. And suddenly it became stiff like a statue," she explained.

"Are you not lying?"

"Do you not believe me?" Irish said, unable to believe that Chloe would ask her such a question. "Why would I lie to you?"

"It's not that, but it's really strange, isn't it? Mannequins can't walk on their own," the woman countered.

"Then what's this?" Irish pointed.

Without fear, Chloe took the mannequin back to its original room, making sure to lock the door. The atmosphere became uncomfortable for both of them, so the owner invited her regular customer to go to the shopping center. She needed a distraction.

"All right, let me grab my bag first," Irish replied, running to Chloe's room and quickly joining her good friend. They then went together to Chloe's mother's boutique, which was still under renovation.

Once there, Irish and Chloe examined each room separately. While the boutique owner went to the production room, Irish went to a room in the corner of the first floor. She was drawn to the room because she heard a sound.

Her slender hand grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open. Her eyes saw two mannequins ready to be displayed, conversing with each other. "Sorry to disturb," Irish said, intending to close the door again, but the two mannequins stopped her.

"You've seen us," said the mannequin wearing a crown on its head. "You must become like us."

"Sorry, I'll close the door."

"We'll chase you!!"

"Irish!" Chloe called from the second floor. "What are you doing there? Come up quickly; I want to show you something."

Irish forcibly pulled the door and immediately ran to the second floor, approaching her friend. Chloe handed her some newspapers she accidentally found in her mother's office.

"Isn't that ridiculous?" she said. "Mannequins attacking humans, even causing death," Irish whispered while looking at her friend's face. "Now you believe, right? I'm not lying, Chloe."

"My mom hid this from me."

"Do you know that in the room earlier, there were two mannequins talking to each other? They threatened to turn me into a mannequin like them."

Chloe seemed to think for a moment and then said, "Show me where they are; I want to see it for myself."

Happily, Irish escorted her friend to meet the two menacing-looking mannequins. They quickly descended the stairs and walked towards the room that Irish had visited earlier.

"You're not allowed to enter that room," warned an employee. Irish and Chloe were shocked.

"Why not?" Chloe asked.

"There are many items inside, and we're afraid you might damage them, so it's better not to go in," the employee explained.

"My mom told me to get her shoes left inside," Chloe lied, curious as to why the employee prevented her from entering.

"Let me take them. You two wait outside," the male employee said firmly. Chloe refused adamantly, lying again, saying that she had to be the one to get them. "Then you'll be responsible for the consequences."

"Chloe, we should just abandon the idea of seeing those mannequins," Irish suggested, holding her friend's hand to prevent her from opening the door. Unfortunately, Chloe stuck to her decision, ignoring Irish's warning and the employee's prohibition.

The door was already ajar, revealing a 3x3-meter room filled with many mannequins. Chloe walked first, observing each mannequin without fear. They all looked the same as those at her home. "Which one is the mannequin, Irish?"

"That mannequin is not here," Irish said nervously.

"What do you mean it's not here?" Chloe asked, turning around, her forehead wrinkled.

Irish huddled closer to Chloe; she looked scared being in that room. "I've looked for the two mannequins, but they're not here. Not anymore."

"That means they've left this room, right?"

Irish shrugged, but her eyes suggested that Chloe's guess was correct. Both rushed out of the room, searching for the employee who had previously prevented them from entering the room.

"Sir, did you move the two wedding gown mannequins from that room?" Irish asked.

"No one moved the mannequins," the employee replied. "Why are you asking about mannequins? Didn't you go there to get shoes?"

"What about other employees? Did anyone see anything?" Chloe interrupted, eager to know the whereabouts of those mannequins.

"We were working, fixing this boutique. I can assure you that no one moved those display dolls," the man explained. Chloe and Irish exchanged glances, with no choice but to check every room.

"Where should we start?" Irish asked.

"Let's start from the left, how about that?"

"Are you going to look for those mannequins?" the employee asked, surprised when the two women intended to find the missing mannequins. Irish nodded in response to the question.

"Would you help us?" Chloe asked the employee.

"Sorry, I'm busy, and I don't want to end up like my friend," he replied bluntly.

"Like your friend?"

The employee pointed to a place, saying, "The mannequin attacked my friend there, in that room, two days ago. And now he's in the hospital, unfortunately, there hasn't been any serious action from your mother," he explained, looking upset.

Chloe and Irish exchanged glances; what they read was indeed true. It even happened to an employee working in the boutique. "I apologize on behalf of my mother for that, but currently, both of my parents are not here."

"If they were here, they would definitely take responsibility," added Irish.

"So, how is your friend doing?"

"He's still in the hospital, and the mannequin is missing; we don't know where it went," he replied. Chloe and Irish offered to visit the employee. She represented her family to take responsibility for the unfortunate incident.

Now they stood in front of the boutique, waiting for their online taxi order. It didn't take long for the taxi to arrive, and the two women quickly got in.

"Why are you standing in front of that store? Aren't you afraid of being attacked by mannequins?"