Chad had just finished suiting up in his football scrimmage uniform, when somebody shoved their hand inside the back of his shirt. It felt like the hand was inside him. He froze, he was stiff all over. His feet were no longer on the floor. The locker in front of him was growing bigger, so was the hand inside him.
"Yo, Chad, you're a real dummy! A ventriloquist dummy for next week's talent show. We got a week to practice the act, and if you don't want to be a wooden dummy forever, you will help me win the talent show," said the voice of the person whose hand was inside him.
"Win a talent show with a ventriloquist dummy? It's 2022, not 1922! Vaudeville is dead, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking, if you wanna be a real live flesh and bone boy, you will do what I say. Capice?"
Chad was silent. He saw the open suitcase that soon would be his home.