Chapter one – Dress Rehearsal Rag
The year is 1994, the day Henry turned 21, the legal drinking age in most of the world although In his home town the age is only 18 important as Henry was an alcoholic at an early age beginning at the age of 14, many of his friends either stayed the course ending up in jail or even worse six feet under, but Henry now uses his creativity to battle impulses and he has matured enough to know what it is that can lead to disaster. Henry is a timid man, A college student in his own right, Henry studies theater and the art of puppeteering. He is a handsome fellow of averagely yet slim build, he has both British and Indigenous heritages all stemming from a broken family; a Mother and Father divorced at the early age of 9, back and forth together in a toxic match to the death, thus resulting in an absence of Henry learning much about his ancestor’s culture. This carries on into his adult life caring more for the oxymoronic start of abstract thought that impresses on him to bring something static to life. A coping mechanism perhaps but a much better solution than hitting the streets searching for answers. Today is his premiere show with his aptly made creations made from scratch which were chipped, chiseled, stitched, sewn, and given all his extra coffee-induced hours into the last two years of his curriculum into a final act to be analyzed to death, most likely put down into an artistic graveyard unto council conversations and finally marked by the faculty program facilitators.
Henry stands on a medium sized stage with 200 empty glaring chairs, his favorite brimmed black hat slightly tilted and worn sideways, ready for whatever show might be assembled; he takes in the lights that are being set up for the early morning rehearsal. Normally this would be done the week before but he had to wait for a big name rap show – Leon Biz – was in the house with a lineup of named talent performing for a full week. This makes Henry have to set up lights, music and rehearse the show all in the 8 hours before the premier at 7 pm this early May evening.
He watches the lights switch to a center display, while a projector maps out a set of a rioting street in the heart of Los Angeles.
“Ok, Rich that’s it! Right there, don’t move it!”
The light switches off, and Henry shouts, “No No you are not on the right that’s not right, where did it go!?
A shadowy figure above in the tech booth echoes a yell back, “What? I can t hear you.”
Henry shouts back “You missed it Rich the light is out, what are you doing? Do I have to come up there?”
Henry is holding his hand over his eyes to see better, the shadowy Richard stumbles some switches as stage lights all light up in differing arrays of color and brightness surrounding Henry. The lights dance on the floor, and the walls and then rest finally on Henry’s glaring face. He tries again.
The lights go off…”There I got it that’s the ticket!”
Henry pauses a moment, and then sighs, “Never-mind, everybody take 5.”
The green room is full of students also vying for their final marks of the season as they gather props, and wardrobes and apply varying amounts of makeup to enhance the face, resemble a clown or a goblin, or just to highlight the eyebrows – a common trick to performers. Eye shadow to highlight even further brings out the eyes in a full audience as folks in the back struggle to see every fine detail or expression. A few select students are in bodysuits ready to plug into their characters becoming the mouth, eyes, and nose in cohesiveness to moving extremities from their rehearsed direction from the creator and writer of the show. Henry makes certain all main puppeteers are blocked to not be seen by the audience as the show requires a fair bit of movement in sync to a musical piece. Henry selected songs from the current times of grunge to accompany his number.
The show, called Ensemble is an odd collision of early alternative, hip hop, and older r&b music to have a feel like in a nightclub but to tell a story of a man and woman falling in love amidst hardening times, a riot caused by a judgment against a black motorist. It is an urban tale of love amidst the worst of timings.
As the students get ready a knock is heard at the back door. Susan one of the main puppeteers and the assistant director, a redhead lady of Caucasian complexion and an athletic build, she yells, “Can someone get that fucking door?” knocks louder,” GET THE DOOR!”
“I’ll get it.” Mark, a taller British lad with a nerdy complexion quits the tampering of his puppet a green goblin type of character who is a protagonist accommodating the main villain easily scowling at any eager onlookers – this is an audience engagement strategy, he is wearing big thick glasses like a science professor at MIT ready to hunker down to, without a flinch, mark through 150 or so exams on bilinear algebra.
“Who’s there?” He stammers.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Then a different sound like nails on glasse…
SCREEETCH,…
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.
“Who’s there?”
A low smirking voice is heard, “Special…delivery.”
“Special…Delivery.” Marks yells to the room eyes fixated on the door, “Who? Who ordered take out?.”
The door unlocks and opens just a little bit, finer than a coarse piece of human hair. Mark looks at the door and starts, “Is – is….anyone excepting anybody?”
No one responds, they have moved out of the back loading area and into the ready rooms to get ready for rehearsals. The room is completely silent like a rolling green tundra amidst the apache mountain basin, not a word can be heard. He steps towards the slightly opened steel door, various maroon-colored carpets, black and gold chests like a magician might use and bare mannequins surround the door.
SCRATCH….thump…something hits the door and it opens wide in one big push hitting the chest knocking the lid open.
A body falls to the floor. A body of a puppet. It is a white puppet made of smaller puppets. The smaller puppets display a mouth like a lightning bolt when closed. It looks like a wearable cohesive unit.
Mark stares at the body of puppetry before him. Startled and nervous he slowly approaches it bending down. He lifts the head portion or what could be considered a head of this pointy top of the body. Mark lowers his whole body to get in a better position to see, suddenly a face appears in the top portion awakening the eyes opening a mouth slowly wide full of hundreds of razor-sharp metal teeth, making a low gargling sound the mouth opens even wider and in one fell swoosh the white goblin puppet consumes Mark’s body, chomps in one catastrophic chew and cuts mark in half taking the upper body leaving the midsection of Mark, his blue jeans ripped at the torso while his legs flail around squirming, splattering blood and intestine’s over the room. A yell softens as he is devoured. The smaller mouths in the midsection of the white Goblin Puppet turn clockwise around the frame. This action brings the puppet to a standing position, finishing eating Mark chomping, and slurping.
The face opens and it begins to speak, “Delivery into my, Mmmm European sausage, me likey!” A song is triggered in one of his side mouths ushering a familiar melody:
It continues for another two verses.
The hungry puppet hears another person incoming, looks to the chest, and with speed like a spider closes the lid. A long tongue appears out of the chest searching for the torso left behind, it feels around, finding remains splattered about. The Elongated tongue quickly cleans up the mess and finally finds Marks Torso, wraps around, and in an instant retracts into the chest, lid closing quickly behind.
Susan runs to the back room to find some wardrobe items she is missing, she looks around, then to the chest. She reaches for the chest latch.
“Susan, hey we have it forget it, get back your on right now hurray!” Bryce in props calls out to her.
Susan looks down the long winding hall and looks back to the chest hesitating almost drawn to it by some unforeseen force. Bryce calls again, “Susan!” She jumps up and answers.
“Ok coming.”
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
Proofed by CJ Wolf
Chapter 2 – The show must go on
The final rehearsal comes to an end. A few friends and faculty staff are seated in the audience they stand and applaud:
The cast including the four puppeteers lineup for a practice bow; empty seats look on to a round-up of mixed students some in full costumes and some wearing their street attire, a combination of jogging pants in dark satins, stained fabrics, and white sneakers. There are a total of 15 players including 4 still in their body suits with the headpiece drawn to have a look. They line up in a partial oval arrangement, show their right arms high in the air, and then to the tech booth, a common ordinance to give thanks to the two tech experts waiting for the controls for lights and music. A low drum-my hymn overhears the ensemble while they bow and continue, in single file, behind the curtain:
A voice is heard over an overhead speaker. “Ok folks that’s a wrap, get some food and something to drink. Good job everyone, we’re on in one hour.”
The company starts to scatter, heading in an assortment of directions to get dressed and grab some much-needed refreshments. Henry retires to the tech booth to go over a few details. Enrica and Gaby are heading the controls, “Hey what’s up chief,” Gaby asks. “Well, I think in the second act on the road sequence we need just a bit more light on the singers in the back, it’s a moment let’s get it right,” he replies.
“You got it captain, lights on the ensemble, for ensemble!“ She wittingly responds.
“Clever Gaby, I think we’ll keep ya.”
She smirks and continues to the control board making adjustments…”Ok, that ought to do it.”
“Great!” He looks around.
Gaby noticing his nervousness, “Henry, it’s going to be amazing, you have something special here really, everyone is ready we have been rehearsing since the forming of the… Milky Way. We got this!”
“Thanks Gaby, let’s hope so.”
Enrica, a black Latino mixture of dazzling curly velvet black hair adds to Gaby’s optimism, “Ya, Henry this is dope as fuck, let’s get it!”
He looks to Enrica for a long while, then starts to laugh, this brings a giggle to Gaby, she hits Enrica in the upper arm, and Enrica scowls flirtatiously,” Owe, Gaby that hurt my feelers.” She covers her arm, “You’re a strong wench, ya you are.” She hits her back. Henry laughs then becomes serious, “Um, Gaby… did she call?”
Gaby notices Henrys anxiety, she looks at Enrica and continues, “I’ m sure she will just come…Henry, she’ll come. You’re too good, like the Master of Puppets.”
Henry nods his head in disappointment, “Ok I’ll let you two hack it out, good work, continue on.”
After the eager students have a much-needed break Henry calls all of them to center stage.
“Alright everyone let’s gather around.”
The students scatter from various points, some wiping down costumes while others are applying last-minute makeup. Alice a taller woman of 23 with long brown hair is fussing with a portion of pizza trying to figure a way to engulf the half-eaten section quickly as to get to the stage. She folds it neatly and thrushes it into her mouth not allowing anything else to follow. A drink of soda stands in her hand she opens the top, pulls it up looks at it while still chewing, and decides it can wait. She places the soda down, jumps up a few stairs, and joins the rest of the cast.
Henry waits a moment for the players to join, “Ok everybody thanks you for your time and effort, I know this has been grueling work, and now hopefully with some luck, a payoff for each and every one of you my puppets!”
Orson an Asian man with wild hair like a Japanese anime, blue and white painted tips, speaks up, “Fucking Puppets Baby!”
The rest of the company laughs and yells, “Fucking Puppets!”
“Ok, is this everybody? Are we missing someone?”
One of the puppeteers, Hazel a tiny Asian woman in her late 20s with short black spiky hair answers, “Mark, where’s Mark?”
Henry questions, “Where is he? Can someone go get him, he’s probably tinkering in the back.”
“I’ ‘ll go,” Edward another puppeteer, a Persian lad taller with long dark hair wearing a bandana replies.
“Ok, that’s good. Get in a circle people,” Henry closes his eyes,” He starts to chant lowly,
then stomps one of his feet. The students follow his actions to a rhythm they are performing a type of rhythmic chant and beat. It gets louder and faster as they meditate on the beat, they dance in a circular motion becoming the environment easing into a dance giving way to their energy letting the flow take over. Their bodies flow like air and water throughout the stage as everyone’s eyes are shut, they breathe in calming their senses; breathing and stepping they move through the space knowing where they are always having a keen sense of the others. They wind, stand, run, and crawl with the music using only the sense of touch, smell, hearing, and the ability to sense warmth and the moving flow of air that surrounds their auras.
It comes to a beating stomping stop all at once in unison, they are one with each other.
Henry chants, “Oh great father let us come together on this day, to be aware of each other, to help each other, and to become who we are…”
They say a few words in another language and open their eyes.
“Ok people to first positions, the house is open,” The voice in the tech booth blasts.
Edward starts down the long hall to the back, passing other students and getting into starting positions, puppeteers climb the stairs to the top bringing Henry’s creations with them. There are a total of four wooden carved puppets on strings, 3 goblins like furry green hand puppets, and one full body black velvet standing wearable puppet with a shark-like mouth and beady lizard-shaped eyes, this is all covered in a black robe with markings of silver. The puppets are the thoughts and behaviors that occur during the antagonist’s struggles along his journey through the LA riots. His name is Ethan a tall well put together half-black and half-southern state caucasian with Alabama origins, he is on scholarship studying political science. He also is a key member of the school Basketball team. He meets Alicia, another black woman, In school and the two share a date just as the riots begin. The story is about their survival and travels through the chaos, bringing them together in musical eloquence, danger an,d thoughts as the enemy.
Edward enters the loading area.
“Mark?” A moment passes, “Mark? You here?“ He looks around the room and then notices the green puppet Mark was to bring to the stage. He looks around a second-time glances at the puppet and grabs it. A noise is heard behind him, a squeak like something on a rusty hinge opening, and then a leathery slap like something dropped onto a soft surface.
Edward looks behind him…nothing. He looks back at the puppet stares at it a moment, then with a swift grasp grabs the green goblin and briskly turns to run down the Hall.
The front doors are opened as a lineup of faculty Professors, friends, families, and eager fans wait to pay the entrance fee, search through the available merchandise, grab beverages or food and find their seats.
Edward continues down the hall weaving the narrow corridor, passing benches, costumes, and various props from other previous shows. A sound is heard behind him, he leaps over another bench ready to move as fast as he can. He can feel something lurking behind him. A song suddenly plays in the distance, it is a familiar tune :
the song continues to get louder and louder, Edward looks back again and stumbles over some upside-down microphone stands, he gathers himself, stands up, a shadowy figure appears behind him, he looks back as a low rumbling menacing laugh is heard.
The green goblin puppet falls to the floor, slathered in spots of blood…
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
Proofed by CJ Wolf
Chapter 3 – Chaos in the streets
As the show Ensemble, Henry Miles’s creation in school unwinds, the audience is drawn into a chaotic scene where rioting and fighting are all around. A black-robed puppet hovers around enticing the people with his unknown dark power. Ethan and Alice weave through the destruction. Ethan confronts one of the ravagers.
“Why are you doing this, I am your brother, you don’t t have to do this, Fight it. Fight the evil that controls you.” Ethan pleads. While he does the black-robed shark-teethed puppet closes in on his victim moving his hand and speaking. As he does the rioting man speaks,” This is how it is for those who mean to destroy…there is no more talk, only…War.”
“Then war you shall have.” Ethan warns.
The rioting male expeditiously charges at Ethan, He protects Alice pushing back against the controlled rioter, mimicking the Robed Sharks’ melded movements.
Ethan like a critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus venaticus once ran over the grasslands of India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, and the Middle East cashes in on the rioting man. Each blow is devastating as it is all or nothing. He is athletic, dodges and fights his way around the lost mind-controlled rioter. A flurry of kicks and punches dispatches his opponent. The Black Shark entity releases his controlled gambit and continues to find another victim.
Without hesitation, Ethan leaps up and catches the Robed villain in the air and with one spirited sweeping motion brings him to the ground, grabs a nearby metal piece of a broken car, and repeatedly beats down the mind meddler. He becomes body less as the soul is released into the murky air above.
He looks at the lifeless body, wipes his forehead of dirt, he offers his hand to Alice as she sits in the road, “Are you ok?”
She grabs his hand as he reaches for her, “I am ok.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
They run to a stage right and out of sight as the curtains are drawn and the final music plays over the integrated sound systems.
The audience begins to cheer, they cheer to a standing ovation.
The cast comes out from behind the curtains and forms a semi-oval line from center stage. Ethan and Alice take a cue and come from behind the lineup opening up to let the stars of the show come forward, raise their right hands high in the air, and finally take each other’s hands in a bow. Then they follow single file off stage. Henry is behind the curtain, and he holds out his hand up to give a high five to the cast as they walk past.
Henry waits until the last cast member is off stage to follow them to the dressing rooms, a man dressed in a grey five-piece suit comes up from behind, taps his shoulder, and begins to speak,” That was some show.”
Henry responds,” Thanks, and you are?”
The man looks at Ethan and begins again,” My name is Gish, I am here on request by the state department, you are Henry Miles correct?”
“Yes that’s me.”
“Good, we are investigating some disappearances in the area, have you noticed anything, odd Here?”
Henry searches his memories, he hasn’t seen Mark since this morning, also Edward wasn’t around for the show, odd indeed.
“Nothing I can recall, why what’s happening?”
The state department-suited man looks behind Henry, “No one has been acting strange here?”
“Everything is in order here, what did you say your name was?”
“It’s Giche, Henry. Take my card if anything should change. Great show by the way.”
“Th-thanks, Mr. Giche.” He takes the card offered by Giche nods and watches him leave.
The students leave for the night to be ready for another show the following day. The puppets are placed in their resting homes waiting for another show. The four-stringed puppets are placed on a workbench in another room, neatly resting.
The night creeps in, the theatre is completely quiet, empty like a cargo container at the west end dockyard, not a movement in sight, a weary dim light from the waning sun dimly shines through the stained windows.
The chest near the back loading door, now covered from the day’s costumes and clothing begins to open, a shadowy figure dashes out and rushes down the hall and into the room where the puppets now rest. Another song is triggered as it enters the room:
sounded coming from the mouth as this happens the stringed puppets come to life…
To be continued
Written by Colin R. Mah
Proofed by CJ Wolf.
Chapter 4 – The long and winding road.
Henry is in his first semester of puppeteering school, the faculty is an impressive structure erected in the early 1900s to which the designer used elements from European influences. The school spans across an area once enriched marshland and it is said the developers brought in millions of tons of dirt to fill the lands of the excess water. Quite a note able construct, a high tower just offset to the right sits over-watching the grounds. This is a college for many things not just the art of puppeteering, much needed nurses are trained here, and of course plenty of sports pros come from it’s ranks.
Henry takes in the morning sun sitting on a bench in the courtyard, he has a puppet he is working with. Another student, a blonde woman with blue eyes slim, wearing jeans feathered at the bottom and a body suit top, dressed in various designs and Color’s, intrudes on him, “Well, now that looks like fun, do you do this out side all the time?”
Henry adjusting some of the strings replies, “It it is yes,” he looks to her, he is immediately stricken by her beauty, he really looks and immediately is nervous as she continues,”He is a cool looking design,” Did you make this?”
Henry looks at his creation. It is a young boy wooden puppet with a long nose and slim extremities, then replies,”Yes, I did, I am in the puppeteering and theatre studies here.”
She responds,”Do you have a name?“
“It’s Henry…oh and this this is Sam. How about you?”
“Olivia, pleasure to meet you Henry, and Sam.” They exchange a look like they are the only ones in the busy yard, “Well, Henry…and Sam I have to get to class, will see you around?”
“Excellent,” Henry stands up, watches her leave and with excitement speaks to Sam.
“Well, Sam that was, unexpected.” He leaves to class. As he does Sam turns his head and begins to speak, “I am just a puppet, Henry.” He begins to laugh…
Henry wakes during the night, it is the night before the second show, he was dreaming, but this was a dream of a memory, the first time he met the love of his life, Olivia. The rain ponies the window where evening trees sway violently can be seen as a ghost behind a water shell. like a stained glass church where
artisans mixed potash and sand to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit and added various metallic oxide powders to create different colors. A work of art in the Christian world.
He falls back asleep.
The classroom is a full theatre setting with an area in the back for workbenches and machines to cut and round all shapes and sizes of wooden materials, a full area for costume design and tapestry also aligns within the area. The teacher is showing how to attach the strings on this occasion as Henry has had some issues with the attachments staying together.
“No, Henry, that’s not good. Here you have to screw the anchors in all the way. Use a screwdriver to get them to go “
“Ah, I got it now, thanks!” Henry continues to screw the anchor into the puppet. The lights hanging above start to flicker, Henry looks around, puppets all around the room are raising into the air, a laugh is heard in the distance followed by a clash of loud thunder.
Henry is awoken by the thunder from the rain outside, it is late in the night. He looks to the window as the rain crashes down against the glass in a quick rhythm.
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
Chapter 5 – All choked up
Mid-day is the hottest of the summer months, this is the time Henry’s father usually appears home from work. He pulls up the driveway to a quaint home in a suburban area of California. His white Eco van marked ‘Mills heating and Cooling’ brakes into the driveway, a noticeable squeal from the distinctive tell-tale disintegrated carbon pads capriciously sounds the dramaturgic warning to have them replaced, in most instances, but this is Henry’s father’ s van and if an expense can be mitigated, then Alex will do just that. He parks the van in the chipped and partially concrete metal-stained driveway. Alex, a well-built man of 5’10” with fair skin, large muscles exposed from a white tank top shirt and low-rise jeans grabs a case of light lager from the side door of the van, then walks staggeringly into the house, one step over the other covering most of the front yard.
The home is an old wooden stained white planked bungalow with a front and rear yard, nestled in a poor community on the outskirts of the city. Mona, Henry’s mother is preparing dinner. Henry’s father walks in.
“Hey, that smells good, what do you have us eating, now?”
Mona, an indigenous woman with long silky hair braided,
replies,” Oh, it’s just a stir fry from the leftovers.”
He pops open a can from the case,” Well better than nothing.”
Mona sighs,” You know If you want something then you can pitch in around here, instead of drinking every night.”
Henry is watching a television show in the adjacent living room as his parent’s quarrel.
“Woah, I can’t even imagine how bad this is going to be, Henry you test this first would ya?”
Henry looks over to his Dad and then back to the television.
“Ok fine, I’ll be the first to die.”
Mona brings the prepared dinner over to the table, swats her husband on the arm, and sits down.
“Ok-Ok I am sure it’s fine.”
“Henry come, dinner is ready.”
“Ok, Mom.”
Henry’s Father takes a few bites of the meal Mona had placed moments before in front of him, he chews obnoxiously a few times then begins to choke, he reaches for the can of fermented hops and tries to wash it down struggling to breathe; his lager froths backfiring from his lodged portion, continues into his nostrils, as he squirms, holding his neck, falls lifeless onto the cold metal kitchen dining room table, a slurry bubbly death sigh is released as his body aggregates into a quiet stillness.
Henry is on a bus staring at the floor while he remembers the moment his father died.
The bus loping along the old pavement, continues its path to the school and the second day of rehearsals.
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
materials and placing them through the mirror.
As the white Puppet watches his creations, the green goblin sock puppets and the wooden stringed marionettes gather the materials. He turns to Hazel, walks over to her remains, picks up a necklace stares into it as he stares the necklace begins to glow, he then looks back at the mirror.
It turns translucent, then just beyond the surface, masses of shadowy figures can be seen in a portal, a portal beyond the realms of the earth to another dimension…
Chapter 7 – Gimme Some Truth
Henry’s bus arrives at the terminal at the school, it is just a 2-minute jog to the faculty theatre, where his show is running. He is late so he straps his backpack made of Kevlar fabrics onto his back and runs through the grassy outbound yard through the courtyard garden, stained glass windows from classrooms looking out to eager or late students organized symmetrically watch over the area, then through an arch separator of the center square to the back of the school where the theatre lies. The rain-drenched square makes the ground soft and muddy like a world war trench, Henry has to stride carefully to not be consumed by the ground and lose his footwear. Henry wears high-top hiking shoes on rainy days like these.
Henry walks up the staircase as Gabriella and Erica rush out, he is startled as they approach him.
Gabriella, an Italian student with brown hair notices Henry and warns,” Henry, on my word am I glad to see you!”
Henry smirks,” Gaby, you seem excited.” –
She quickly interludes, “The puppets are gone.”
Henry laughs, “Woah, calm down, what do you mean, they’ re gone?”
She continues interrupting Henry, “They are all missing from the workroom, someone has stolen them.”
Henry looks at Erica and then back at Gabriella, before he can speak a familiar voice is heard behind him.
“Henry.” Henry turns around to see Olivia on the walkway just below the stairs where he stands.
Bewildered he asks, “Olivia?”
“It’s me, how are you, Henry?”
Henry rushes over to meet her he can’t believe it really is her and has to get a closer look, “I thought you couldn’t make it, London and all.”
“My folks came out to see me and I decided to come back for a bit.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Henry hugs her and she reciprocates, they look at each other and set into each other’s eyes, inching closer and closer until their lips find one another. Erica watching interrupts,
“Ok, you two lovebirds can catch up later, we have a situation here.”
Olivia pulls back and asks Henry,” Is this, is this a bad time Henry?”
Henry smiles and responds,” No, no whatever it is can wait, you’re here now.”
Gabriella interjects,” I hate to break it to you but if we don’t find these we could lose credit, Henry.”
“It’s ok Gaby, there are other things in this world other than this.” He looks at Olivia, takes her hand into his.
“I trust you guys, to find them. I am going to be In the green room.”
“Incorrigible,” Gabriella responds,” Ok, girl let’s go find these.”
Gabriella and Erica cross the square to the main campus. This is the sports center, it includes a professional-sized basketball court, outdoor tennis courts, and a football field just to the outside. They enter the basketball locker room. It is a Sunday so the school is fairly empty.
As Gabreilla and Erica leave, Henry motions to Olivia, they walk slowly down the middle path of the courtyard.
“I never thought I would see you again, after our last fight, before you left, I wanted to tell you I was…”
Olivia stops, hushes him, “I know Henry, I said some things I didn’ t mean as well, you’re not the only one.
“Well, I was such an ass.”
“Maybe you were, maybe I was too, I should never have left like that but things are different now, I am in a good place and once I am finished school next year, guess what?”
“What your going to work for the UN or something?”
She laughs, “No…you remember that night the night you arranged for us to get away to the cabin so we could be by the lake, our last night together?”
He remembers they made love seemingly for ever, most of the long weekend in bed, they ate, drank and slept never leaving each-others side; laughing, crying tickling until they both cried from gut curdling laughter, the kind of laughter that makes your stomach ache like it was a full day of nothing but pilates. Henry remembers they barely moved from the cabins king sized bed, this was the happiest Henry had been in a lasting time. He turns to her,
“How could I forget? We spent two days together, just you and me, but then we fought, about you leaving I didn’t want you to leave but you were mad and then you actually left, I found out later you went to see, Pete?” He waits for her to confirm, She is hesitant. He continues,
“We were supposed to stay together, forever Olivia, just you and me remember?… For infinity.”
“It was just such a hard time to be going to school, I had so much stress, and we spent every minute together. But after that I realized, I needed you, I have always needed you.”
“Did you go see Pete? Olivia?”
“It was a hard time, Henry. “
“Did you see Pete, Olivia?”
Her eyes begin to fill with water, she can’ t bring herself to hurt Henry, she trembles at the thought of never seeing him again but she realizes the only way to heal is to tell the truth, she gathers her thoughts,
“I Did.”
Henry aches.” Oh, Jesus, Olivia.”
“But I only did it because I wanted you, Henry. I know this sounds ridiculous but I was immature and just wanted to hurt you for the things you said and the truth is, the truth is it never made you jealous because you moved on before I could even figure it out. I wanted you to fight for me, I was leaving that day and you didn’t fight, I wanted you to FIGHT! Henry, not move on, I didn’t want to lose you.”
He looks at her like he has seen a loved one murdered, “So, you went over to Pete’s, the day after you left, the day after we had the biggest connection, then we had some small fight about you leaving overseas for school and you couldn’t’ t contain that? I was devastated for months, years, after that, Olivia, it affected my life, I have’ t been the same ever since!”
“I did’ t sleep with him, Henry. He was just there, someone to talk to but I wanted it to be you, always. The reason I m here now is…” She continues.
“Well I want to continue that and well start a family with you, Henry.”
Henry looks into her eyes, his nerves overcome him not a good nervousness a profound feeling of failure if he should give in, give all his heart again, and this time maybe not survive a blow to it, confused not knowing if he can give her another chance, the anger slowly starts to fade, he still loves her, but can he trust her? He looks deep into her eyes again hoping for the sake of his life she is being sincere, another whirlwind would most certainly kill him or at the very least wind him down a dark and lonely path maybe forever, he thinks for a long while, decades in a far off planet, he asks,
“Like kids and the whole ceremony and all that?”
“Yes Henry.”
Henry is taken aback, as Henry thinks, Olivia bends down on one knee and pulls out a small jewelry box, she opens it revealing a 2 carrot diamond ring, she saved up for two years working late shifts at a local London pub all the while attending school, she settled for law, international law. She continues,
“Henry William Milles, will you have the honor of being my confident, my one and only for times in sickness and times in health, in bed or out for richer or poorer, until the sun sets on our old wrinkled faces, our kids grow up and have lives of their own, our souls bond together forever, will you give me the honor of being my Husband?”
Henry watches as she waits anticipating his response. He doesn’t answer. She notices his hesitation and continues,
“I love you and will always love you….Henry…for Infinity.”
Just as she is about to ask him, again, Henry responds quickly, “Not good enough…
…Infinite Infinity?
Just you and me?”
Olivia smiles,
“You and me.”
They embrace, laugh and exchange a kiss as they run into the green room. Henry picks Olivia Up into his arms and yells, “I am getting Married!”
Jude a tall black man with bald head yells over to Henry, “Hey, Supe! Congrats!” (a pen name Jude uses for Henry, as Henry loves the comic hero superman, he owns a set of pyjama’ s with the famous logo that he sometimes wears to rehearsals) Jude who plays Ethan and Shivon who plays Alice for Henry’ s show are chatting near the stage. They are reading through pages of lines rehearsing together. Henry and Olivia pass them on their way to the green room. Henry acknowledges them.
“Jude…Shivon. How are things?”
Jude looks to Shivon, he is not sure if he should ask the questions they have been chatting about. He hesitates and then asks.
“Hey, Henry I know you have a lot on your plate, but this scene where I am confronting the raider, it…it doesn’t feel right, man.”
Henry stops a moment then looks at Jude, and then replies,” It’s basically for contrast Jude, we can’t all be perfect heroes in the story, gives it some depth, plus you are badass in this, really.”
Jude looks to Shivon, she shakes her head, and speaks, “It’s our fellow brothers, Henry! I don’t think we would fight them like this, not on any day ever! After all this shit that went down, the people in charge need to be accounted for! We have been at their mercy for far too long, it has to stop!”
Henry ponders this a moment then speaks again, “You know you’re right, but isn’t there a bigger issue here? Evil can creep up on us all. Shouldn’t we take the higher ground? To seek out peace? The world is full of war, we really don’t t need it here, my Great Grandfather died trying to keep his land and they took his kids, forced them to do unthinkable things, rape, torture, and take from their families, they were thought of as lessor beings like rodents and then the people in charge said: ‘Ok we’re sorry here is some money but stay over here in the corner and keep to yourselves.’ So I know how you feel, but it all comes full circle, what is good will always find its way, maybe there is some good to come after it all if we choose, and let guilt play its part.”
Shivon thinks a moment, then shakes her head. Jude looks at her and begins to add, “Ok, I can go with that, hey, let’s go help them look for the lost puppets.”
Shivon is angered, her eyes well up, and becomes distantly aggressed as Jude comes in to comfort her, he looks for a kiss but she is reluctant. He consoles her and she agrees to go with him, they kiss and walk down the stage front to the exit on the other side.
Erica and Gabriella walk through the empty basket ball gym, Erica immediately sees a rack of basketballs near the foul line.
“Oh, hell ya, lets play 21!”
Gabriella responds,”Eri, come on we have to find the puppets.”
Erica playfully grabs a ball out of the rack and starts to dribble, her skills are better than most as she weaves the ball between her feet in a quick motion she spins, jumps and throws the ball to the net. The ball arcs in the air and perfectly falls through the net not touching the rim.
“Swoooosh, nothing but net, oh baby!”
Gabriella looks at her and grabs another ball, “Ok one game, then we search.”
Jude and Shivon leave the theatre, they walk around the outside of the complex where long ryegrass fields surround them they walk along the path, a small river flows to their left. As they make their way to the main front entry they hear a scream.
Jude recognizes the voice, it’s Hazel, he listens intently, then another gargling scream:
originating from the music room as he looks to the window he sees faint light flashing through, “Come on that’s Hazel, let’s.” –
Shivon looks at him, “You are not going in there are you?”
“If Hazel is in trouble.” –
“You ARE NOT going in there are you?”
“I have no choice.”
She cant stand to be alone, not now, something doesn’t sit right with her, she takes a moment and responds.
“I’m not staying here alone, take me with you.”
They hold each other tight and enter the door to the hallway just outside the music room.
Jude holds Shivon’s hand as they tread ever so lightly making large but quiet steps. They come to the crossroad in the royal Hall where Orson has twisted apart only moments ago. They are about to turn the corner but as they turn, they notice a piece of footwear laying untied on the floor. Jude recognizes the shoe its his friend Orson’s shoe distinguishable from its blue color with a yellow lighting stripe down the side. He stops looks at Shivon, she is looking at the shoe then looks at Jude.
She whispers, “Let’s get out of here.” Just as she does a thump is heard knocking against a door nearby, then again louder, and a third even louder yet until a final thud and accompanied by an incinerating scream. They look at each other Jude rushes over to the door it’s locked.
They hear a song playing just behind…
Jude presses his right side ear against the door trying to listen in. He hears a barrage of heinously sounding growls then many small footsteps like 100s of canine paws scattering around. All at once a thud against the door as his ear is flattened against it startles Jude. He backs away then again it thuds the door handle turns and opens, as hundreds of marionette arms and hands shove through the opening, He backs away even more and speaks, “
“Help me hold this!”
He can hear the snarling and smell the vileness like someone left as full carved turkey carcass under a sink for a full month. Shivon gathers her courage and rushes the door pushing it shut. The arms are wringing out the crack in the door snap and fall to the ground. The door handle turns rapidly, rapid fire knocks on the door become louder and louder, the door handle snaps off as the door opens a second time, as it become harder and harder for Jude, he looks at Shivon.
“Yep, time to go.”
They grab each other’s hands and run out the side door again onto the pathway that surrounds the campus.
Erica takes another ball from the rack, dribbles then starts to set up to throw the ball, as she does the lights in the gymnasium all turn off. Suddenly music comes over the intercom:
Erica looks around the gymnasium, it is empty she then remarks to Gabriella “I have a bad feeling about this.”
Gabriella is having none of it, “Ok, very funny, you can turn the music off and the lights back on, jokes on us!”
A low rumbling voice voice is heard in the distance, “Hungry.”
Erica turns to Gabriella, startled and nervous she speaks quickly with assertion, “Who was that?” She waits for Gabriella’s response then speaks again yelling into the dark.
“You’re not funny you know?”
“WHO IS IT?”
A gargling voice speaks again, “Bel-leth.”
Suddenly a door opens at the far side of the gymnasium as multiple shadowy figures scatter throughout the darkness, hundreds of tiny figures too small to be even a small Child’s height, not human, another song echoes through the court as the figures growl and scowl like rabid wolves.
“Da, da, da da dum, dum didy… dum da dum dudu de dum, Didy dum dudu du dum come ad go, A Woah Woah whoa whoaha”
Gabriella shakes, she has heard this name before, and she yells at Erica, “Let’s go someone is citing a demons name, a demon that uses music, whoever it is, well let’s not find out, you know how movies go, curious, the characters die. Let’s go…NOW!”
Erica nods and follows Gabriella, they start to run as they hear tiny footsteps far off on the other side of the gymnasium. Gabriella remembers she left her car at the theatre, she pulls Erica strong on her arm almost hurting her; they run through the doors, through the courtyard to the theatre parking lot. She looks at Erica.
“What about the rest?” Erica asks as she is catching her breath.
Gabriella thinks a moment, hesitates then gives in, “Oh no…” She places her hands on her head nervously she adds, “Ok, ok we can do this quickly let’s go.”
They run to the theatre through the stands and into the green room where Henry and Olivia are laying together on a futon. They are making out under a blanket as Erica and Gabriella enter, Olivia and henry are laughing together.
“Henry, I think we got to get out of here, somethings happening, maybe it’s what happened to the puppets. I’ll explain later.” Gabriella explains, that just as she does, Jude and Shivon enter, Jude is worried, and he rushes his words, “Guys there is blood in the Royal Hall, and.” He is stricken by fear…”Orson’s shoe is right at the crossroad. No sign of him. Blood everywhere …and..and …I heard screams, It sounded like..” He has trouble saying the name, “Hazel.”
He continues, “I saw something, somethings lots of them, hundreds….”
The door to the Music room slams open. Thousands of snarling puppets escape into the Hall, as Beleth stands in the center of the room in front of the workbench with the portal mirror a continuous path of mixed puppets enter from the portal into the new world, Beleth begins to laugh, low and continuous…
“Maybe thousands…” Jude announces as the puppets rush in…
Just as dawn appears with a misty morning the river to the east is seen flowing red.
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
Chapter 8 – Love and War
The evening sky arrives over the setting sun birthing shadows rise to the darkness, the school is quiet like a tomb on a frosty out lying patch of unattended grass for a relative, one who killed their family over a flame never extinguished from a lovers wrath; near the theatre. a mouse scurrying along the broken pavement is looking for a tasty morsel, he finds some crumbs on the pavement and starts to nibble. In one fell swoosh, a night owl grabs the unsuspecting mouse and rises off into the moonlight.
Henry throws the blanket off revealing Olivia, underneath. She is half dressed, and she giggles,” Henry Milles, there are people!” She rolls over accidentally falling off and onto the floor, she laughs as Henry peeks over the edge of the futon with a somewhat serious face,” Why are you on the floor?” She looks up as they both exchange loving laughs, she reaches for her shirt, sprawls, and grabs her jeans that were scattered in the heat of celebration. Henry helps her with her jeans passing them to her then turns over to greet his friends,
“Olivia and I are getting married.”
Gabriella responds, “Well, that’s great but it will have to wait, I think there is something big coming our way, and I don’ t mean in a good way.”
Henry asks Olivia if she has everything. She nods while she places one leg into her jeans followed by the other leg, she jumps up into the air zipping the jeans in the front, she lands on the floor and looks to Gabriella,
“What is it, Gaby?”
Erica jump’s in, “We heard a voice from the basketball gym followed by some music, then we saw something across the way, lots of little things and no not my brothers and his annoying friends, small like a doll or something.”
Jude is eager to join the conversation, “It was the puppets, Supe. They seem to be alive. I heard someone scream so we went to check it out, then the door wedged open, I saw hundreds of little wooden arms poking through. They looked like” He swallows, “Marionettes. “Gabriella adds,
“It’s the puppets, they have been, I don’t know, all I know is I heard someone or something say a name, a voice just before whatever it is; entered the gymnasium, it said it was Beleth.”
“Who’ s Beleth?” Olivia now dressed asks.
Gabriella looks to Olivia, then to a bookshelf, she walks over to the shelf looking for something, searching. She has seen this somewhere before the name resonates with her.
“Where is it, I know it’s here, I was researching for a creative writing project in class.” She scans the shelves until she finds an old leather ripped book. it is titled ‘The Encyclopedic History of the Demonic World.’
“Ah, here it is.”
Shivon is annoyed, a common trait of hers when she is scared, “What the hell is going on? I was with Jude and then we, I, I …this is all too much, this can’t be for real?”
Gabriella speaks to the students, “I think this will explain everything or at least give us a clue, I hope you guys are spiritual because this is going to get, Real.” She dictates, turning to Shivon.
She continues,
“Okay, Beleth, spelled B-E-L…here it is, Beleth. A demon from a king of Hell who has eighty-five legions of demons under his command.” She looks up.
“Well, that’s comforting, great start.” She continues,
“According to Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Noah‘s son Ham was the first in invoking him after the flood, and wrote a book on mathematics with his help.” She takes a breath,
“When appearing, he looks fierce to frighten the conjurer or to see if he is courageous. The conjurer must be brave and place a triangle in his hand, he must strike it towards the south, east, and upwards, then commanding Beleth into it.
The Dictionnaire Infernal states that to summon Beleth, the person should hold a silver ring on the middle finger of the left hand against his face, to pay respect to Beleth’s rank as king.”
Henry questions, “A conjurer? That means someone brought him into this world?”
Gabriella,”I suppose so? How else can he just appear, here and now out of all the years he’s here this very moment.”
Jude interrupts her as she continues to read,” It’s your creations, Henry. Did you conjure this?”
“Did you conjure this!” Jude is maddening.
Henry steps back, “Never, I don’t know anything, Jude, stay calm.“
Gabriella continues to scan the book looking for ways to defeat Beleth,” Look it says here that to defeat him one has to find the ring that was used, place it on the left ring finger, and sing, a new song provided by the lyrics of the…” She is it erupted.
Shivon defends Jude, “That’s right…It’s all Henry, he’s the conjurer!”
Gabriella yells, “Past! The songs heard before he kills someone.”
“IT’S NOT ME!”
Henry’s face grows angered, he steps forward as the veins in his forearms extrude from the skin, His heart races as the warmth flows through him.
“Step, away both of you! I have NOT AND WILL NOT be accused of this!” Henry’s anger fills his bones, he is conditioned to defend himself, conditioned enough in the ways of Aikido as a Second-degree black belt starting at the young age of 5. Most of the theatre students already know this as they have had conversations and demonstrations throughout the school year. Shivon backs away,
“We we’re just…you know…making sure.”
Gabriella asserts, “Henry, we have to find the ring.”
Erica watching the tension quickly adds, “Henry, can you sing?“
Henry nods, “Well I was in the school choir in grade four.”
Erica responds, ”Good enough, okay where do we find this ring?”
Gabriella adds, “We have to find out where he was conjured and who conjured him.”
Erica starts to laugh, ”Well that’s easy enough, A school of 1200 students and 100 or so teachers, we’ll find them in no time, not to mention it’s Sunday!”
Shivon leads in, ”It’s the music room, that’s where we saw the, whatever they are, escaping.”
Jude backs her statement, “Ya, Supe, ya that’s it, that’s the place, it has to be, man.”
VIVEK ABHISHEK https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA
Gabriella answers, “Okay we go there and look for it.”
Just as Gabriella finishes her explanation, the lights in the school go off. Then like a wind-up toy a song is heard off into the distance:
The students can hear a mass of growling screams and tiny footsteps outside the door, somewhere down the long gothic hall, leading right to the theatre, the noises engulf the empty hallways. Jude stands firmly in front of the group protecting them, as they look at the door where the noises can be heard they are faint but as they charge down the hall, the noises become louder and louder. Henry speaks,”
“The loading door, let’s go.”
Henry leads the group through the winding back hallway into the loading area where the chest still remains. The noises reach the green room door, they crash through it and scatter the theatre, this is no audience Henry wishes to perform for, at least not yet.
Jude grabs the chain and releases the door to the back entrance as some students are arriving. For an early morning jog. They yell to the students to leave, and just as they do an army helicopter flies directly overhead.
The helicopter hovers over the grassy area directly above Henry. Ropes flash down from it for a total of 20 or so as special forces slide down the ropes together in unison. They are wearing headgear, carrying assault rifles, and full army protective gear.
“Vector one, get behind us Now.”
Henry and the group acknowledge as the wind from the helicopter blasts the students. They look up and scatter to the parkade, they duck down and continue to watch as the special force officers enter the building.
The group meets other students arriving and explains what is happening or to the best of their knowledge, Henry is sitting on the grass as Olivia and the rest join him.
Shivon asks.”Well, all that and the military will take them out I am sure,”
Gabriella responds,”This demon, he cannot be stopped with material forces, we have to find the conjurer, they turn to Henry.”
“I’ll do it, it’s my fault these are here If I hadn’t made them.”
“It’s not your fault.” Erica concludes then extends,” I’ll help any way I can.”
Jude and Shivon add,” We will too…Supe.” Jude exclaims.
Henry looks at Olivia, she is worried.”Okay, you go with the military and get a ride out of here.” They look at a military man standing guard in the grass. She agrees. The group walks over to the military man, he looks at them and acknowledges them. As they do multiple trucks enter with a full battalion of tanks and other such vehicles.
“You’ll be safe here,” Henry comforts.
“You come back. We have a life to share.”
Henry agrees hugs her and continues,” Don’t go anywhere Infinity?”
“Infinity”
Henry, and the rest gather themselves and run off around the military through the parking lot and to the pathway that leads around the complex. Just as they do multiple machine guns fire, then screaming from inside.
Suddenly a barrage of snarling puppets run out through the loading doors, the puppets charge with cheetah like speed rushing through the wide doors and onto the tundra of the grasses of a darkened landscape.
The unsuspecting battalion is surrounded by two hundred thousand mixed snarling puppets. With another 2 million ready to spread their paws out onto the grass filling the school, They pause, looking for their next prey and then attack like a swarm of army ants covering a piece of forgotten fruit, anything in their path. They finish quickly and begin to move swiftly through the grasses…
The mass of hungry snarling puppets close in on Olivia, as they approach, Olivia realises this will be her last day to see the sun shine, to have the heat fill her face turning skin slightly tan. This is unlike her journey escaping to London to start a new life from nothing, bettering herself for a bright future that is no more; there is no escaping, this no tipping hope to endure…
…her eyes spring like the lonely waters of a glacial melt, with longing tears, wishing to have longer on this earth to watch as her children grow, celebrating birthdays over a picnic table dressed in bright colour’ s over green parkways or with her family dancing, singing, making sand castles on a hot summers beach with the warm breeze flowing through her golden hair, admiring her husband, Henry the father he would become, playing like one of the children she would never know in the morning sand…
Olivia turns to Henry, as she reaches for him,
“Infinity.”
Henry Reaches for her, she is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of unrelenting puppets, she falls back as they rip her to pieces.
“Olivia, NOOOOOOOO!..Nooooo, nooooooo….
Henry continues his screams for her as Jude and the rest of the students struggle to grab him, he forces himself through, they finally grab him dragging him off into a treed area around the campus and out of sight.
To be concluded
Written by Colin R. Mah
Chapter 9 – You’ re Betrayal
The students make their way to the side entrance of the music room; they pause for a regrouping while consoling Henry, he is sitting on a rock stunned. He grows restless, rises up pacing around as he shouts,”Is this what you want from me? To relinquish myself and suffer the consequences? I can”t be who you want me to be!”
The students worry about Henry he seems to be giving in, Shivon walks behind him lifting her hand then taps him on his right shoulder,
“How is this going to help? This is not you, get yourself together man, you can beat this, you have the power to do something now get over your fear, do it, do it if not for us, then for Olivia. You owe it to her!
Henry turns around, he looks at Shivon, the rest of the group approach Henry to console him as he lost his true love only moments ago; after she proposed to him; after two years of never being able to muster up the courage even to call her on a telephone; she broke the silence herself saved up her money for two years and travelled over an ocean to be with him forever.
They hug for a seemingly endlessly long time.
Gabriella watching the students help Henry slips out of sight as they console and continue to hug Henry and each another. Garbriella runs up the stairs silently into the hall following the streaks of blood smeared on the tiled floor from where Orson was killed. She Enters the music room glancing to the mirror portal now seemingly quite, she looks into her pocket and pulls out a ring. A voice is heard as she walks to the stage directly behind her.
“Conjurer, come.”
Gabriella looks behind her.
“Oh great Beleth, I am but your humble admirer, do with me as you please, I am at your device.”
Beleth speaks in another language,”You have been a loyal servant. Lure the people who seek to destroy me to the mirror.”
She acknowledges, but just as she does the students run in through the side door of the music room, they see her with the ring.
Henry trails behind the students, entering to see Gabriella already there in the centre..
She looks up at Henry, “Henry, it’s here, I know it is here somewhere.”
Henry walks through the students with caution, “
“What are you doing here by yourself?” He asks.
Gabriella smiles, “Ah, Henry you are so beautiful, predictable however. Do you know how much power is in music? It can be used to effect a person so so much.”
Henry realising Gabriella is not herself asks, “Gaby, did you have something to do with this?”
Staring into the ring, she laughs, “So much power indeed.”
Henry assertively questions Gabriella again,”Gaby, is all this because of you? Is my fiancé dead because of you? Are you the conjurer?”
She is annoyed at Henry and mocks him,”So many questions, blah blah Blah blah blah blah blah.” She walks to the mirror and turns around to face Henry. “Do you like Music, Henry?” She doesn’t wait for his response this time,
“You know it is said as long as 43,000 years ago the first remnants of music were heard by the ears of that time. When it comes to specific songs, however, the oldest known examples are relatively more recent. The earliest fragment of musical notation was found on a 4,000-year-old, Sumerian clay tablet, which includes instructions and tunings for a hymn honoring the ruler Lipit-Ishtar. But for the title of the oldest song, well most historians point to “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” an ode to the goddess Nikkal that was composed in cuneiform by the ancient Hurrians, sometime around the 14th century B.C. Interesting isn’t it, Henry?”
Henry warns,”What are you talking about?” He comes to a conclusion,” It was you, all along? “
She adds, “So much power.”
Henry pleads with her, ”Gaby, stop this, you can stop this.”
“It’s for our own good. I made a deal, in exchange for this world, I will be rewarded with power over it as Beleths wife, thus using music to destroy the human race. I must say there are so many songs about sorrow, I really am doing this world a favour to be honest, riding everyone from their misery of love, trauma, anxiety. This ring will control well, everything if one can hear at least, do as I wish. Even you Henry.”
Henry realises she will not stop ,”Gabriella it’s not to late, give me the ring, I’ll stop all of this.”
Gabriella is locked into a dark trance, “Beleth will set us free!”
The rest of the students run into the music room, A laugh is heard just beyond:
Henry looks over to the instruments scattered around the music room, he notices a triangle and remembered in the text a triangle was to be stricken, used to send Beleth back to his realm, to be rid of the demon once and for all. He thinks about the music he used, turns to Jude and Shivon, “Tell me now all the songs you heard, we have to write it, now!”
Jude and Shivon scurry to find a pen and paper they find them on a music stand, Jude calls out the songs from his memory. Shivon writes the song names on the paper and hands it to Henry. Erica joins them and adds what she heard to the list.
Jude looks at Shivon, “Okay.” Shivon looks around for something to use, she sees a piano in the corner, “Here, we can use this!”
Puppets are heard in the background beyond the room, snarling, they remain in place as Beleth enters a song is triggered:
As the music starts playing Shivon, uses the piano:
Henry holds the triangle in his left hand, strokes it in each direction and begins to sing:
“I saw a twinkle from your eyes,
Like a glow from a morning star,
Your tears and your sorrow,
Laugh, Punchinello,
For the love that that never fades,
Lead me to you on this lasting night.
I saw a smile inside your hardened tears,
wo oh oh oh oh oh oh!
I saw a passion in your dying love,
the kind we used to think of.
Some People come and some people go,
But we can be free this I know,
for,
I see you,
I see through!
The darkness inside our faulty hearts,
Let it not control,
The music lets us go! Woah oh!
I see you now from the Grassy hills,
until the darkness begins to wane,
I see you,
I see you too!
Honeyed smiles feast the fear,
we’ re so very close so close so near.
Gabriella charges after Henry, she grabs a knife from her pocket quickly stabbing him in the chest. Thunder followed by a flash of lightning flashes through a window just behind her. The ring drops to the floor unbeknownst to the ravaging Gabriella, she grabs another knife from her leg forcefully raises it at Henry as he continues to sing,
“We fight with all of our might!
Courage becomes who we are,
I stand tall and prepare to go.
I see you
I see through
This lonely night
to love each other, near and far.
taking down our foes,
Henry looks at the knife pressed into his heart, he grasps the handle, falls down onto his knees, he weakens at the knife in his heart, he can feel it beating slower and slower draining his body of energy as his vision fades out blurring, Henry remembers Olivia and her kiss, a flash of his life fills his mind, his father like him to be, his Mother’s instructions to just breathe, he breathes in and out controlling his pulse, he sees the first time he met Olivia in the courtyard the very day he had his first puppet in his hands, he knows it is time right now, right his moment, second to take control of his life, to become who he was meant to be even if it meant this to be his last day, this would end right now.
Henry regains his composure, tenses his muscles, looks down to see ring half way nestled in between Gabriella and himself.
Gabriella takes a swing at Henry with the second knife, he quickky removes the knife in his chest ducks under her attack, rolls and grabs the ring, he slides to a stop, places the ring on his left ring fingure and whispers,
“infinity.”
He looks at Gabriella, blood flowing out of his wound he stands tall, places both feet firmly on the ground and continues to sing even louder.
“I SEE YOU!”
“I SEE THROUGH”
Gaabriella. charges at Henry again stabbing Henry a second time, and a third, fourth, he wavers but stills his footing, his chest caving, sending sharp pains up his left arm, he collapses again, looks over at Beleth now hovering above Gabriella, he places his hands over his chest stands up and contines to sing,
“Laugh Pichello, no more sorrow, laugh.”
Henry laughs holds the triangle and strikes it with the ring on his figure down (south) right and then up north, then places the ring on his face, causing a sound wave from within the mirror to disperse outward, instantly killing the puppets jumping through the door, Beleth is pulled in as the wave recoils back into the mirror and closes the portal shut without a sound.
Henry watches as Gabriella is hunched over, he falls to the ground, struggling to stay alive, the students run over to him hoping he can endure, Gabriella noticing this becomes maddened by rage, she looks to harm the students but a platoon of military men run through the door just as she charges shouting commands surrounding Gabriella, she shrieks, takes her knife and charges at the heavy gunned forces, they do not hesitate and open fire instantly killing their target; her body blasted backwards onto the mirror breaking the one way reflectively coated glass into tiny pieces, she lies on the workbench silent, lifeless like a thousand words lost on a page, the workbench Henry spent most of his time preparing for his original show from his abstract mind. A time before the chaos.
The rest of the students arriving to the school from the faculty rush into the music room, they gather around in the center of the room, circle Henry as he is lay in a pool of his blood, they sing as they pick Henrys body up and off the floor hoisting him over their heads, they pass Henry over to each other paying respects as other students run in to the music room to see him, to offer help, a salute to his courage for standing up for them.
Henry the timid indigenous young man who stood up to fight the evil Demon Beleth and become the true,
Puppetmaster.
The End
Written By Colin R. Mah
Proofed by Cj Wolf
Credits:
Music and Sound:
