Author's Note: I'm sorry it's been so long, but my hand has been hurting from all the writing I do. It's ok now but I think it will probably hurt again soon...I just can't seem to get away from my stories. Anyway, enjoy! :)
Dedication: For Bnsmommi. Thank you for supporting me with comments and for reading and enjoying my work. It means a lot :)
*****
“I don’t know what to do.” I sighed, burying my head in my hands. Otto drew up a chair beside me at the table and waited a moment.
When I didn’t reply he said “what’s wrong?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
I chewed my lip and then shrugged. Otto didn’t have to believe me but it’d make me feel better to tell someone else. “Well...” Then it all came out. Everything about the puppets and seeing them move. When I’d finished I paused for breath and it dawned on me just how ridiculous my tale sounded. I glanced over at Otto and noted how his face had drained of colour, his clenched fist and closed eyes. I put my hand gently over his and said “Otto?” A little worriedly “are you alright?”
“So it’s true.” He whispered “it’s all true.”
I squeezed his hand “what?”
“I didn’t dream it. It was all real.” He blinked and looked at me “what’s going on, Anna?”
“I...I don’t know. Listen Otto, what happened?”
“I saw them. The puppets...I saw them move.” He shook his head as if trying to get rid of some persistent thought “we were...we were all just messing around.”
“Where?” I said.
Otto looked uncomfortable “around that old building.”
“You mean the one that’s falling to pieces?” Otto nodded “oh, the one that just happens to be really dangerous and-“
“Haunted?” Otto grinned and I blushed red “yes, we’ve both been there, Anna. So don’t give me a lecture.”
“And, just remember, you didn’t scare me that night.” I mumbled, looking down.
“I always know when you’re lying.”
“You were at the old building,” I prompted.
The smile fell off Otto’s face and he became serious again. “We were just messing around, like we always do. It was getting dark and, just as we were about to head off, we heard a noise...like a mouse. It was a sort of scrabbling and then...a tapping. Except it wasn’t a mouse...it was a puppet. It was just...walking. Its strings all,” he made a gesture with his hands “cut. Just lying there. Of course, everyone was really scared and we weren’t really sure what to do. And then, next thing I knew...I woke up and saw-“ Otto’s hands shook violently and he shuddered. I put an arm around him “oh gosh, Anna. He was all cut. There was blood...so much blood.” He shook his head again “he’s not so hurt. Not dead or anything. It’s just...the message. A message was cut into his arms.”
I went cold then, a certain terror gripping me. “What did it say?” I managed to say.
“Leave this place.”
My eyes widened “you don’t think that place really is haunted...do you?”
Otto shrugged “but he had something on his other arm too, Filip did. It said: we’re coming.”
*****
A child lay crying, screaming actually. Sobbing and yelling until it was purple in the face, the veins sticking out on its forehead. Where are its parents, you may be asking? Why don’t they attend to its needs? The answer is: its parents weren’t there. This baby had been stolen. Stolen by a puppet. It lay on a table, surrounded by staring glass eyes. The puppets awaited the creator’s decision. Eagerly awaited the child’s fate. The creator studied the child with cold eyes, looking at it struggling and thrashing. The creator laid a hand upon its beating heart in its chest, feeling it flutter under a thin layer of skin.
The baby stopped crying and looked up with frightened eyes, red from crying. The creator looked back into them emotionlessly. The child’s heart fluttered again, its rate far faster than normal. The creator shook their head a little and pulled forth a knife. The puppets still stood in a circle, staring at the glinting blade...and down it went. Blood splattered over their wooden faces but they didn’t blink, they just stood. The creator pulled something up from the small body...something bloodied and red. So very red and raw. A heart. Still warm to touch. Still beating just moments before.
*****
“I don’t know what to do.” I said again, looking at Otto.
“I wish I had the answers, Anna. I really do. But I don’t. I suppose the main thing is is that we’re in this together, right?”
“Right.” I said, smiling “and Ryba and Erik too. I’m going back to help Ryba tonight, do you want to come?”
“Well....”
“You never know, we might find something out.” I shrugged “and I’m going to need someone other than Ryba to count on. I could barely get her to come down the stairs.”
“I can imagine that being the case.” Said Otto, smiling at the thought “alright, I’ll come.”
“Great! It’ll be just like good times...but with puppets.”
Otto pulled me into an embrace “if only it was like all the other times...so much less dangerous.” I’d never really thought about hugging Otto before, it was just something I did. But, ever since Ryba put thoughts into my head, I couldn’t help finding it a little uncomfortable. I knew he liked me...sort of. But he knew I wasn’t interested in that sort of thing and he knew that I knew so we never talked about it. I didn’t particularly want to. But Otto wouldn’t bring it up, I was pretty sure of that. He knew me better than most people and I don’t think he’d risk losing my friendship for anything. But it worried me. It worried me that he might do something stupid for me, especially since all these puppets were about. He always got himself hurt because of me when we were younger, for just stupid things. He’d better not get himself into anything worse now.
“A baby disappeared yesterday, you know.” Said Otto, releasing me. “It wasn’t murdered and they haven’t found a body or anything.”
“Maybe it’s still alive.” I said.
“Maybe...” But neither of us really believed it.
“Perhaps we’ll stop it.” I said, smiling “maybe it will be us to find the truth tonight.”
“Because we’re heroes like that.” Said Otto, something that reminded me of a game we used to play once.
If only this was just a game...
*****
Author's Note: Sorry about the baby! I was debating whether or not to let it live because of all the comments but the creator...well, the creator wanted to kill it. Sorry but the all powerful creator can be scary and I didn't want to argue. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and I'd love to hear your thoughts :) Thanks for all the support!
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Curtain Down
HorrorIn the early 19th Century, Prague’s streets are cold and cobbled. The astronomical clock chimes on the hour and life goes by as it should. Puppet theatres have always been a big part of the Czech culture and Anna and her uncle rely on them for a liv...
