One Day Has Passed...
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Nimble, segmented little legs scraped against the cobblestone path. Each step issuing melodious beats.
Impossible...
I could only stare ate awe at it. In front of my very own two eyes, grandmother had one arm extended. Fingers moving calmly yet gracefully, expressing wonderful dexterity. Dexterity seemingly having taken an awfully long span of time to achieve. Five silvery faintly glowing strings reflected the sunset light shining down from the false sun suspended in the sky.
It wasn't long before nightfall again.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
The little hands clapped together at different intervals. It was a being, a small tool made out of wood. Each string was connected to the faceless puppet's body parts.
No... This thing before me had stopped being a a mere wooden marionette.
The wooden doll dancing, doing back flips, and even punching the air dozens of times without fail as if it were a mini stand. It was now an extension of grandmother's body.
"My little grandson..." She called out. The old woman who had a pair of kind eyes and a face full of smiles when talking to me. She resembled a gentle grandmother yet only I know that a wave of her hand can decapitate numerous bodies. Reaping their lives through the use of non perceivable blades.
I looked up at that towering figure. Prying attention away from the wooden puppet that had attained a life of it's own.
"Did you understand anything from that display?" Her hand reached forward. Patting my head, caressing it as her smile turned sweeter.
Delving into the earlier display of fine control. I started thinking, trying to comprehend the essence between every movement of the doll. It could dance. It could attack and it can certainly also do strange masculine poses.
Unsure of the answer, I replied with a tinge of doubt. "Practice makes perfect?"
As of right now, I am not able to replicate any of that masterful display. The soul of mine may be an adult's but the body was that of a child. Unpolished yet brimming full of raw potential.
Grandmother shook her head. Staring at me with patience before muttering a few hints.
"The puppet can dance. The puppet could assault someone and it can also express emotions. What do you understand from all of these?"
"That all of these require great control?" Control is needed in everything. If you cannot control your own fate or even defend it. Then what's the point? Everything would be taken away one day if that was the case. Being weak was alright. As long as you strive to get stronger and find ways to escape such a disposition instead of whining all day long.
"Aish..." Grandmother lowered her head. Sighing and looking straight into my eyes. A pair of gray pupils seemingly peeked into my soul. Our eyes were the same color. I guess I inherited my features from my mother and grandmother. But... Where is my mother? Where is my father?
All I have is my grandmother. I wan't to know what happened to those two.
This world has so far only given me questions. And a good majority of it went unanswered.
"Can you define what puppetry is?" The old woman looked up. A melancholic smile present on her face as she stared into the orange clouds littering the skies. The air of sadness and joy clashed around her. The surroundings turning a bit remorseful.
Staring at grandmother, her frame seemed so lonely and distant. Eyes immersed in a faraway memory as the world became nothing to her.
Unable to understand or put colorful words in defining what puppetry is. I chose the most vasic answer.
"The art of controlling a wooden doll to do your bidding."
She shook her head. Patted and caressed my head once more.
"You small potato... Puppetry is more than that."
Twiin~ Strings connected to the wooden doll dancing stretched. Glowing brighter.
The doll stopped dancing. Bright, silvery light surrounded said doll as if it was producing the steam like light. After a few seconds, the light faded. And a set of silvery armor coated the wooden doll. It picked up a stick, stood up straight before posing with it's sword blocking its face like a knight ready to strike down any foe.
Light surrounded the puppet again.
It was now dressed a fashionable robe. After a few hand gestures, the puppet clapped its hands together, causing small pebbles to levitate off the ground.
The light faded. The wooden doll returned to its bare, wooden form.
"Puppetry is the art of giving life and emotion to something inanimate. A miracle only a great puppeteer can achieve."
Giving life to the lifeless.
I see...
The strings connected to the wooden puppet were cut abruptly. The wooden doll crumpled onto the cobblestone floor lifelessly. Looking at the pathetic doll sprawled on the ground, it was hard to believe that it was the same doll earlier who danced and moved like a living being.
In the hands of a puppeteer. A puppet comes alive.
It can become the mightiest soldier. The grandest wizard. Or the most entertaining dancer.
A soldier just under my finger tips.
A life that wasn't alive. A life never tiring nor aging. And it was under my control.
"My grandson although I love to see you smile... I want to see you smile happily not like an evil villain." Grandmother lightly punched my shoulder. Curious, my steps lead me up the nearby well and looking at it's reflective surface.
I mas smiling. Terribly so.
A smile that radiated smugness and danger. Ah this isn't good. I'm doing it again.
Envisioning a faraway future. A future that I will achieve with my own two hands.
"Grandmother..." I turned to the white haired gentle old lady humming a peaceful tune. She was dozing off into the air. Eyes immersed in old memories again.
Pondering, my eyes trailed over to the griund. Staring at the walking row of ants marching. Carrying bits of leaves in their mouths as they passed by us.
What could she be thinking about?
What does grandmother really desire?
Curious, the annals of this brain of mine kept on asking and asking. Over and over. Eventually I couldn't bear it any longer.
"Grandmother."
Her pupils suddenly became bright and clear. Looking at me, she smiled again.
"Yes little one?"
"What is it that you truly want?"
I stared at my old grandma awaiting an answer. I know what I truly desire. And that was a peaceful life. And to get that I need to control everything. My fate. And even the fate of others.
To guarantee a peaceful life. I need to keep on moving forward. I need to keep thinking ahead of everyone else.
As for Antionette. This old woman.
She never really actively wanted something. For the past three years since I was a baby. All she did was watch over me with a content smile. Protecting and guiding.
I still felt guilty about this treatment.
She's too kind to me. And I'm too indebted to her. I may never be able to pay back this act of devoted kindness. But...
Maybe I could do something for her in return.
"Kukuku... That's a difficult question Dominic."
She giggled. Went up to the well and stood besides me before scooping me up into her arms. She soon put me on her back, giving me a piggy back ride.
You... Stop that.
Grandmother was old. But she was still as strong as a buffalo. Yet this... I don't want her to give me this stupid ride.
I don't want to hurt her.
"It's already getting late Dominic. We should head inside or They would hurt you." Mind reeled into the ground from the clouds, the wake up call made me anxious.
They... Who could grandmother be referring to?
Assassins again? I could kill them if given enough information an preparation. The last bunch were too stupid.
Chirping birds stopped their chatter.
Warmth receeded into the ground. The false sun was starting to hide behind the horizon again.
Night was coming.
The forest fell eeriely silent.
ROAR!
From afar, a loud bestial howl shook the land. Wincing in pain, I covered my ears as my heart started beating faster and faster.
I felt unsafe.
I wanted to run.
A primordial fear shook my very being of existence. It was a fear originating from the soul itself.
Grandmother tightened her hold on me and we entered the house.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Grandmother locked every entrance to the house.
For a brief moment. I saw something.
My eyes were focused on the ground.
I saw it. The ants working hard for a living had stopped moving. Their bodies falling limp. Devoid of a single shred of life.
That roar alone had managed to kill the ants.
Dread awakened in me. How terrifying would the source of that roar be then?
Ah this isn't good. Everything is too unsafe.
I still don't have enough knowledge. The world so far was only teasing me.
It kept on giving questions. It kept on making me curious.
It wanted me to go and explore it. Explore and discover the lands beyond Grandmother's house.
I wanted to explore.
I wanted to sate this torturous desire to know.
But I was too weak and too young. I hate it.
"It seems that a menace I forgot about had gotten a tad bit too relaxed." Grandmother chuckled. Her eyes were starting to glow silvery. Strands of strings soon appeared around her, connected to her finger tips.
"Grandma. What... What was that?" I wanted to know. I needed to know.
The old woman blinked. She stared at me and bitterly smiled.
"My cute grandson. No matter what you hear. No matter how curious you get. Do not open the door. And do not look through the windows." Her tone was grave and ominous. The only time I saw her this serious was when my life was at stake as a baby.
Don't tell me...
"Grandmother... Don't go and fight it." Fearful, I tugged at her sleeve.
No...
I refuse such a thing.
I do not want this person to be hurt. I owe them too much, they've done too much for me. She was strong but what about that thing?
Antionette chuckled again. Tapping her chin she giggled. "It? There isn't only one of those things."
Stunned, I forgot to move. My grasp at her sleeve had loosened.
Bang!
Grandmother left. And she locked the door after slamming it shut.
No!
Damn it!
Running up to the door, I tried opening it but it wouldn't open. It was jammed. Stuck closed.
Grandmother did something to the door.
Damn it...
Looking around the house, the door to the graden was locked, the same with the front door.
A scream startled the night
"T h E y A r E h E r E!"
"H e L p M e !" Cries rang through the night.
"MONSTER!"
"SAVE ME!" They came from afar. But close enough to be heard. Voices mixing and distorting. Some sounded a bit off and creepy.
Our house was close to a village full of people hating me. And a good portion of that poppulation was running past my grandmother's house.
Pleas for salvation entered my ears. Bloodcurdling shrieks fueled my fear.
What... What's out there?
Gritting my teeth. I wanted to know. I wanted to know so bad!
Anxiety intensified. My heart felt like it was pricked by needles. I felt suffocated.
Grandma... She's out there!
I want to know! I want to damn know if she's fine!
"No matter what you hear. No matter how curious you get. Do not open the door. And do not look through the windows."
Don't look!
Don't open!
Don't look!
Her words resounded like a gospel. A warning that repeated itself.
Yet at the same time. That gospel was tainted by my desire.
"You must look." Curious, afraid, and anxious. My body slowly made it's way into a neighboring window. The brown curtains were concealing what's behind the glass window.
I won't open the window... I'll just peek.
This should be allowed right?
With trembling hands, I grasped the curtain and prepared to shift it slightly to the side. It was at that moment that I remembered a saying.
Curiousity killed the cat.
Pressed against the fragile glass window was an image I would never forget.
Distorted giant faces crying in blood. Manic grins flashing towards me as slobber trailed down the mouths. Numerous Hands pushed against the windows.
Their bleeding eyes locked onto me.
Their grin widened.
" H e L p M e !" It moaned in agony and started laughing.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The window started breaking.
CRASH!
"GAH!"