Ensnaring Darkness

XXV. In which he was reunited with a friend

The dead man's marionette stood over six feet tall. It looked to be standing on its own but Julien caught sight of the gleam of the strings attached to its joints. However, who controls it is a mystery, as the strings seemingly disappeared into the dark ceiling. The male marionette was wearing formal attire and was holding on a black baton from its right hand. The top hat sitting atop its blonde hair, however, was red in color, providing a sharp contrast.

Its design was almost seamless and it could have passed as a human aside from the prominent lines on either side of its mouth running down its' chin.

"Juli, my dear, dear friend!" As it spoke, its' mouth can only open and close in one manner, making it look awkward and unreal.

"Do you remember me now? Because as for me, I have never forgotten about you!"

Julien's mind screamed of the answer as memories so dark and filled with terrible fear rushed and engulfed him like turbulent waves.

~Summer of 1995

A six-year-old Julien ran around the dimly lit hallways. He looked around but he couldn't find his sister! No matter where he turned to, no matter which door he took, he always ended up here in this hallway. There was only one way he hasn't gone to yet. It was up ahead, a maze of mirrors that seemed endless and impossible to escaped from.

A loud thud echoed in the dark place and the little boy trembled in fear. Tears pooled in his bright blue eyes. It was that time when he faintly heard someone calling his name.

But alas, it came from the maze of mirrors!

"Juli? Juli!" The voice was faint that he couldn't recognize whose it was but who will look for him but his sister who dragged him here in the first place?

His legs refused to move and a sob escaped his lips. That was when another loud thud echoed around him followed by shrill screams that squeezed his young and fragile heart. In a split moment of horror, little Julien ran towards the maze of mirrors. He was desperate to find his sister!

Yet more so than before, he felt more lost than ever. It felt like time froze in this place, the mirrors reflecting a dozen reflections of him. When he moved, his countless reflections move in a variety of ways making an illusion that they were moving without his control.

More tears slid down his chubby cheeks. His small hands were trembling and fisted against his red shorts. A soft sob escaped his lips but as it grew louder, so did the echoes that turned to eerie moans.

Truly frightened beyond belief, he huddled against one mirror. It was then that he felt a slight shift as the mirror he was leaning on moved an inch.

Stunned, he didn't move for a second. He pushed the mirror with all his might and the creaking sound as it opened once again bounced off the mirrors and echoed producing a sinister sound.

A narrow and dark tunnel was before him. Little Julien took a step back when a glimmer of light caught his eyes.

Hope flickered in his eyes and grasping it, he ran forward, intent to get to the glimmer of light.

He came into a room that was dimly lit. In the middle was a huge hole leading underground. As he was about to peer down, he stumbled into a bulky thing lying on the ground and ended up rolling downstairs. Fortunately, the stairs were short and he was not badly injured. But the pain and shock made him cry loudly, hoping that his voice could reach his sister.

A soft rattling sound made itself known just as Julien heard a voice say, "Do not cry dear one. You are safe here."

Surprised, Julien turned to look at the owner of the soothing voice and found a teenager with blonde hair and amber eyes staring at him with a soft smile. His complexion looked pale and he was sitting weakly by a small bed. A marionette was on the floor and he controlled it seamlessly to give a wave.

Julien's hope soared.

"I -I am lost... my sister..hic...I want my sister."

The blonde teenager smiled weakly. "They will come for you soon. come and sit in bed with me. "

"W-were you lost too?"

The teenager shook his head. "I stay here."

Julien felt pity for the teenager. In his mind, who would want to stay in this gloomy and dark place?

He limped towards the bed and mustered his bright smile as he made a promise. "Don't worry big brother. My sister will come and get us. You can come and stay together with us!"

Julien felt a headache as he remembered what happened. The male marionette looked like the adult version of the teenager from his memories.

His heart squeeze. He could remember how they talked for a long time, how that big brother teach him how to make the marionette moved. He remembered when he was finally found. But at that time, he found out that the teenager was a sibling of one of the haunted house worker. He had no parents and due to his heart ailment, he could only stay in that gloomy room as his brother work.

Unconsciously a tear slid down Julien's cheek as he recalled that heart-breaking memory. How he tried to convince his parents to take the other boy and care for him. But he couldn't. Since then he didn't know what happened to his big brother and had forgotten about him.

"B-big brother...Henry." The name slipped from his trembling lips and the marionette's amber eyes gleamed and an unnatural smile stretched its cheeks.

"I've waited for you! I've always, always do! And now you're here! But its too late my dear Juli. I won't be able to escape from here anymore. Instead, you'll be here together with me."

A dangerous glint sparkled in the marionette's eyes, as its head turned into an unnatural angle as it looked to its side.

The marionette raised its baton and Julien noticed its pointed tip. It spoke in a shrill voice, "Let's get rid of this man first!"