Curtain Down

Chapter 38 - Clockwork

Author's Note: 11/11/11 today :) I'm sure you understand the significance, so I'll spare you the story :) But, yes, I couldn't miss an upload on this special day. :D It makes me smile...

So, anyway, this is my favourite chapter so far - you'll understand when you read it!

*****

Alexandur drummed his fingers on the table top, wondering about the puppets and the murders, it was all he ever seemed to do lately. Henric sighed “we need to get out of here soon, it’s almost Christmas you know.”

“I know...I get this feeling we might have to leave this thing, as much as I don’t want to. Yaroslaf, my friend, why did you ever get mixed up in this?” He shook his head sadly.

“I can’t believe he died...” Said Henric “he never seemed like that kind of man. He never seemed like the sort of person to put others in danger...to hurt them.”

“I don’t think he meant to...he was crazy with experiments and he just happened to go a little too far with it. He wanted to know too much and-“ Alexandur stopped in mid sentence and stared at a piece of paper on the table.

“And?” Prompted Henric.

“Oh, good lord!” He cried “Henric, look at this.”

“What is it?” Said his friend, coming over. He looked down and saw a business card, the one Anna gave to them, it looked something like this:

NEDVED: PUPPETEER EXTRODINAIR

THEATRE TO BE FOUND IN THE OLD TOWN SQUARE

OPEN MOST NIGHTS WITH SHOWS AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT!

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT THE SHOP AND TAKE HOME YOUR VERY OWN SOUVENIER

Alexandur looked up at this friend who wore a puzzled expression. “What about it?” Said Henric.

“What about it?” Alex cried, “don’t you see, Henric?” The other man shook his head “grab you coat, I’ll explain on the way.”

“Why, what-?”

“No questions! I’ve just realised, the girl is in grave danger – hurry!”

Henric shrugged, his friend had always been a little like that. He’d see something and all of a sudden he’d understand whatever question he’d been working on. What on earth had that business card triggered?

*****

The smell of blood rose, smothering me and making me gag. It’s metallic harshness hurting me somewhere I didn’t know existed. The steps were slick with it and I had to cling to the iron rail to prevent myself from tumbling down the flight into the darkness. I hardly dared imagine what I would find, but I had to know. I had to see for myself if he really was...well, you know...

I didn’t want to think about it.

Who does want to think about death?

I was very nearly sick when I reached the last step and saw an arm draped across it. Gathering my nerves I stepped down and stifled a scream when I saw a body. My hands shook and tears streamed down my face...but wait.

There was something wrong.

It wasn’t quite right.

The body...it was a woman’s.

A thousand questions ran through my head at that moment but I pushed them back, not having the time to think about them. Carefully, I took the woman’s hand in my own and felt for a pulse. It was very faint, but there. Hurriedly, I dropped her hand, not quite being able to stand touching the almost dead form anymore. “Uncle?” I croaked, my voice hoarse “Pavel?” There was no answer. I turned a corner and walked down a small hallway, funny how I’d never realised how big our cellar was...

“Uncle?” I said again, sobbing. I stopped in a doorway, my heart freezing, turning to ice. So cold. All of a sudden, I felt the urge to run back the way I had came, to run away as far as I could and hope against hope that I’d wake up. It didn’t make sense. I had to be dreaming. Didn’t I? “Uncle?” I said, my voice a high squeak. Something wasn’t right about his turned back, about the blood surrounding him. About the puppets on the shelves...

He turned and I saw his face. I screamed. I screamed like I’d never screamed before and clung to the wall for support, my head whirling.

It was my uncle, that was for sure but...it wasn’t him. Not really. Not the uncle I knew and loved. This man...he was a stranger.Half of his face was missing but...there was no blood. There was no screaming apart from my own, there was no pain on his face. In fact, he smiled at me, his eyes shining.

Where his face was missing there were cogs and reels, ticking away, spinning round.

Clockwork.

“Anna,” purred my uncle, or the man who I thought was my uncle once upon a time “I see you’ve finally found me out. Perhaps I should have been more careful but...” he shrugged “I suppose I was rather hoping you’d discover my secret soon enough. It’s why I didn’t clean up the blood, why I left the door open. What do you think?” He gestured to his face.

“I...I...” I didn’t know what to say so I settled with “why?”

“Why what, my dear child? What exactly are you asking?”

“Why?” I shouted, my head still spinning “why did you do this? Why are you like this?” My eyes filled with tears, the room blurred “how?” I cried, stopping to draw a shaky breath “I trusted you!”

“Didn’t we all...” said my uncle, grinning.

*****

“You think we have hope?” Said the man, “you think we have hope when we’ve been here for all this time?”

“We always have hope,” spat the boy.

“Whatever lights your candle, sonny,” the man chuckled at his crude joke “my name’s Tomas, I think it’ll help if you know it...pretty dark in here.”

“Quite,” said the boy “but really, why can’t you think positive? After all, what else have you to do? May as well make your time here an enjoyable one.”

“I’m not one for giving myself false pretences kid,” said Tomas “I’m all real, I need to be to survive. You know what they do with the ones who get dragged out?”

“No, how could I?” Said the boy. But he’d heard all right. He’d seen it when the figure came and dragged one person out screaming. That was the only time they ever saw another person, when the figure came to add another, or take another, or to bring food.

“Well I heard rumours,” Said Tomas “some say they kill them and make them into something else.”

“A pie?” The boy snorted.

“Nah, something worse. Some say they get killed and brought alive again as some slave.”

The boy snorted “what utter rubbish!”

“Is it?” Tomas said “is it really? Because I’m not so sure anymore. Apparently, the figure has them dancing for him, doing everything he asks.”

“What, like a puppet?” Said the boy, a chill running down his spine.

“Yeah, like a puppet. Like them murders.”

“Maybe he is doing something like that...” The boy’s doubt faded quickly “why do you think he’s doing it?”

A rustle of fabric was heard as Tomas shrugged his shoulders “search me, kid. Say, you never told me your name.”

“Otto.”

*****

Author's Note: I have a big smile on my face now and I hope you're pretty jaw-dropped :P I hope you have questions and, well, I hope I got you with this. This is my big twist, the one I hoped nobody would see coming. If you haven't commented yet, please, do so now - I'd SO love to see your reaction! And, if you are one of my commenters, I can't wait to hear your thoughts :)

Thanks so much for reading, it means so much - I hope it's been worth it!