Curtain Down

Chapter 40 - Old Friends?

Author's Note: Yes, yes! I'm doing so well. I'm motivating myself with the end in sight...gosh, so close :) Target for my next story probably longer chapters...but we'll see how that goes.

*****

“Ryba!” I banged on the door of the theatre “Ryba, open up,” desperation dripped off my words.

“Anna?” The door swung open so I almost fell flat on my face “Anna, what is it?”

“The puppets! You have to burn them.”

“What? What are you talking about?

“The ones from us, we need to burn them.”

“Why, Anna? I thought-“

“It was my uncle! It was him all along, the traitor,” I spat, walking past Ryba into the hall “he did this to me...he’s going to destroy the city!”

“Anna, I don’t understand. Your uncle?”

“You don’t have to understand Ryba, you just have to help. How many do you have from us?”

“About ten?” Said Ryba, pulling them out from a cupboard.

“Ryba, hurry up. If you don’t, you’ll be dead before you know it.” I didn’t think it wise to start telling her about the living puppets then. Didn’t need her to fall apart completely.

I stood back and watched the flames come up and lick the wooden arms and legs, but I couldn’t stay long. I couldn’t afford to leave everyone else in danger...not that I could do much about it. As I wallowed in self pity, I didn’t notice what was stirring in the grate. “Anna!” I heard a yelp.I raised my eyes from my lap and jolted awake, leaping to my feet.

The puppets were climbing out of the fire, dropping ash on the carpet. I tugged Ryba’s arm, pulling her out of the house and out onto the street where I hoped there would be no danger.

I was wrong.

The place was in chaos. People running around as if the devil was on their tail...perhaps he was. There were fires, screams and shouts. People held crosses, said their prayers. But it wouldn’t really help. They needed to do something...but they wouldn’t. Scared people can’t do much.

Fear is the most powerful emotion, driving some to madness and others to uncontrollable laughter. Although sometimes I wonder if there’s a difference.

In all of the voices, I heard my name being called. Looking about me, I saw no one, then felt a tap on my shoulder. I whirled around to look at the man stood before me.

Alexandur.

“Your uncle...” He said.

I nodded, swallowing “my uncle.”

Alex rubbed a hand over his face “your father...he was my friend, I should have know.” He paused “your last name. I never realised.”

I shrugged “doesn’t matter. Not now. What am I supposed to do? My uncle wants to turn everyone into...into a monster. Just like him.”

“You can’t stop the puppets,” he said, “you can’t burn them, they’ll just rise again. No, the only way to stop the army is to kill the general. The country. The reason they’re fighting needs to be no more. You have to kill The Creator.”

“I can’t!” I said, “he’s still my uncle.”

“I know you can’t...that’s why I’m going to do it for you.”

“No way,” I said, latching onto his arm that was pulling out a long, thin blade. It glinted in the light.

“What else do you propose I do? Let you do it?” He shook his head “I came here to finish this Anna, and finish it I will.”

“Take me with you. I’m not standing by while you finish all this. It’s effected me too...you must understand.”

“Fine. Keep out of the way. Henric,” he nodded to his friend I hadn’t even noticed standing there “I don’t want you to see me like this. I want you to stay here.” With that, he was off, with me struggling to keep up with his strides.

Hesitantly I followed the magician down into the cellar, my stomach rising again at the stench of blood...at the sight of the woman’s body. Was she dead? I didn’t even stop this time to check.

“Pavel,” said Alex, his eyes hardening.

“Alex?” My uncle chuckled “my, my, it has been a long time. Look what comes crawling out when Yaroslaf is gone...his old friend. I never liked you, you always stood up for him. You helped him hide me!”

“What did you want me to do? You know if I didn’t help, you’d be sent to a freak show. For goodness sake man, pull yourself together. Why are you doing this? Think of your brother.”

“Did he think of me?” Pavel snarled “look at me, look what he did.”

“This has got to stop. It’s gone too far, friend.” Pavel snorted at the word friend, “you have been consumed by the magic you’ve used. You think you’re in control, but it’s eating away at you...soon, there will be nothing left.”

“Liar,” spat my uncle “liar. You always did like to lie, tell stories. You always thought you knew most about magic, you and your precious organisation.”

“A mistake. They did wrong...but looking at you now, you’re not much better. You didn’t realise your mistake soon enough, it’s been too long.” Alex pulled out his dagger.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” growled Pavel, a menacing glint in his glassy eyes.

“Look out!” I called, staring with wide eyes at the doll leaning off the shelf, dagger poised. Alex moved away just in time, only to crash into my uncle. Both the men fell to the floor as I looked about me, unsure of what to do with myself.

“Anna, turn away,” said the magician.

“Yes, you’d better,” my uncle laughed “the old fool doesn’t have the guts to kill me, but we wouldn’t want you to see his guts spilling out either now, would we?” There was a clang of metal against metal and I peeled my fingers from my eyes. I backed against the wall and something round dug into my back, turning around I saw it was a door handle.

A door to where?

Then I knew. Giving one last glance at the magician and Pavel, I opened the door and crept inside.

I stood inside a dark tunnel, lit only by a single blazing torch on the wall, I grabbed it and carefully made my way down the hall. Who would have ever thought there would be this network of underground rooms? I reached the end of the passage and paused in front of the door, wondering whether I really wanted to see what was behind.

But hoping for the best I pushed it open.

*****

Author's Note: Ah, wonder what she'll find...although you probably already have a pretty good idea :) Thanks so much for reading, my dear reader, it means so much :)