Author's Note: I'm sorry about the wait. Holidays getting in the way and all. But thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this :)
Dedication: For xAkatsukiEmoFlyx. While I was away you got through my whole story and what was up of this one. Thank you for the lovely comments - you really made me feel like I'm going something right. Thank you - you deserve this dedication :)
*****
“That stupid puppet trick of yours,” said Henric, pacing up and down agitatedly. “Surely they won’t-“
“No.” Said Alexandur “no, they’ll figure it out soon enough.” He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. “This gives us all the more reason to find out what’s going on because, if they don’t...” Alex sighed.
“Do they have no one else to suspect? Why us? Just because we’re gypsies doesn’t mean-“
“It just seems suspicious to them because we arrived at the same time the murders began.”
“Maybe we should leave. Leave your business here, it’s not even yours to fix.”
“No. We have to fix this. Haven’t I told you what the consequences could be?” Henric remained silent “haven’t I? I’ve told you what could happen if this grows any more. Do you want it to come to that?”
“No...no of course not.”
“Well then.”
*****
Just as my arms and legs were beginning to cramp, the lamps at the side of the room went out and only the stage was lit up. I bit my lip, hoping and praying we’d be able to see something and that it wouldn’t just be darkness like last time. Ryba began to whimper so Otto and I shushed her from either side. When she kept on muttering to herself I elbowed her. “Anna...” she whispered.
“Be quiet, nothing has happened yet.” I hissed.
“But...” Ryba decided not to finish the rest of that sentence when we saw the curtains twitch. Slowly, as if someone was having trouble drawing it back, the curtain rose to reveal an empty stage. I exchanged looks with Otto who looked just as confused as I felt. That’s when I heard it. The sound of puppets. Of puppet’s feet.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A figure walked onto the stage, a small figure. A puppet. It ambled to centre stage and bowed its head. I looked at its strings and saw they went up above the curtains. I wondered what I would find if I went up to look. Would there be people there or would there just be...nothing? I shivered.
The lights went out, plunging us into darkness. Ryba shrieked but I ignored her and lay still, confident the lights would come back on. There were a series of taps and I held my breath as the temperature in the room seemed to drop. Maybe it was just me but I definitely felt a chill in the air. Light flickered on around us, as if they were afraid to shed too much light. Afraid of what we might see. I stared, transfixed at the stage that was full of puppets all standing with their heads bowed, feet together. A haunting melody that made the hairs on my arms stand up began to place softly. So softly it was just about audible.
Then they danced. The puppets bodies moved in sync, almost as if they had rehearsed perfectly. Perhaps they had. All except one. The one puppet that stood in the middle twirled in the spotlight, its glass eyes glinting menacingly. It was beautiful in a scary sort of way and if it hadn’t been for my shaking hands and dread in the pit of my stomach I could have enjoyed the show.
I exchanged a glance with Otto and nodded ever so slightly, he winked back so that I smiled and then, in a few seconds, we leapt from out hiding place and headed for the stage. Looking back on it now, it was an act of pure madness, of desperation and I have no idea why I did it. I suppose I couldn’t just sit back and watch, I had to go up and see. See that it was all real. I still stared at the puppet in the spotlight and I could have sworn I saw its eyes widen a fraction. That was when all the puppets scattered in a panic and I came to a halt in the middle of the stage in shock. Just one puppet remained. The one in the spotlight. It looked at me, it’s painted face smiling. Then, it cocked its head to one side and waved at me. I tried to step back but it was too late and I found myself falling.
*****
The Creator rubbed their hands together and put their feet up on a stool. “Dance, my puppets.” Said The Creator “dance for me.” With a clap from their hands the puppets came to life. All of them filing off the shelves and coming to stand on the large wooden table. Their feet tapped, their clothes swished. Their glass eyes gleamed and their painted faces smiled. Some mouths dripped blood some hands clutched knives. The Creator clapped and said “yes, my lovelies. Yes. You do a fine job. A fine job indeed.” The Creator laughed, a harsh sound ringing through the night. “Yes. Once the others get back we can start again. We can see how everything turned out. If my new plan worked.” The puppets said nothing, they never did. They just smiled and danced and tapped.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The Creator laughed again. “Of course it will work, what am I talking about? You’re brilliant, do you know that?” The puppets showed no recognition of the compliment, they just carried on tapping. Although The Creator liked to think their smiles grew a little wider. “My plan has to work. It has to. It cannot fail. But, with you my dears, I am destined to succeed.” The puppets carried on tapping. Dancing.
The dance of the puppets. The curtain was going up.
*****
Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm glad you've stuck with me after the wait and I'd love to know what you think :) Thank you all for reading :)
YOU ARE READING
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...
