the puppet

Part 3: the town

Jasmine slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, realizing she was no longer in the car. Instead, she was in a dimly lit tavern, packed with people.
The old man was nowhere in sight.

She tried to sit up, but her head was pounding, and she felt dizzy. As she looked around, she noticed a familiar face at the bar. It was the old man, now dressed in a bartender's uniform.

"Hey, sleepyhead. You finally woke up," he said with a sly grin, sliding a drink towards her. "I thought you might want something to help with the headache."

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, but her thirst got the better of her, and she took a sip of the drink. It tasted cold and refreshing.

As she took in her surroundings, she realized that the tavern was unlike any she had ever seen. It was a mix of old and new, with modern décor and antique furniture. There were people of all ages dressed in various styles and chatting happily.
Jasmine couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, though. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there, and the old man's behavior was becoming increasingly strange.
The old man asked Jasmine, gesturing towards a set of stairs that led to the upper level of the tavern.

Jasmine nodded, feeling groggy from the aftereffects of the weed. The old man took her arm and led her up the stairs, opening a door to a small room with a bed and a dresser.

"You can rest here for a while," he said. "I'll come get you when it's time for dinner."

Jasmine stumbled over to the bed and collapsed onto it, feeling disoriented and confused. She closed her eyes, hoping to sleep off the effects of the headache.
Jasmine slowly opened her eyes, groggy and disoriented. She sat up in bed and saw the old man standing at the door with a tray of food. "Dinner is ready downstairs if you like," he said with a gentle smile.

She nodded and followed him down the stairs to the dining room. The table was set with candles and a delicious spread of food. They sat down to eat and started talking about their lives. Jasmine found herself drawn to the old man's stories, and his kind demeanor made her feel safe and cared for.

As they finished their meal, the conversation turned to more personal topics. The old man asked about Jasmine's love life, and she found herself opening up to him in a way she never had before.
They talked for hours, laughing and sharing intimate details.

Suddenly, Jasmine felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the old man. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, but he resisted at first. "We can't do this," he said, pulling away.

and he said, "Not the right time, little lamb."
and he left the table and said he would come back.
Jasmine felt embarrassed about it.
Their passionate encounter left Jasmine feeling both exhilarated and confused.
She couldn't believe she had just kissed a man who was old enough to be her father, but she couldn't deny the intense chemistry between them.

Jasmine sat there, feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to do next. She wondered if she had misread the situation, but then the old man returned to the table with a bottle of wine. He poured them both glasses and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry, little lamb," he said, taking her hand in his. "I didn't mean to push you away. It's just that there are things you don't know about me, things that would make it impossible for us to be together."

Jasmine looked at him, curious and confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The old man sighed and took a sip of his wine. "I have a past, Jasmine. I have a dark past that I'm not proud of. And if you knew about it, you would never want to be near me again."

Jasmine listened as the old man opened up about his troubled past, the things he had done, and the people he had hurt. She was shocked and appalled by what she heard, but at the same time,
She couldn't help but feel drawn to him.
"I understand," she said softly, taking his hand. "We all have things we regret, things we wish we could change. But that doesn't mean we should give up on love."

The old man looked at her, his eyes filled with emotion. "You're right, little lamb," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Love is worth fighting for, even when everything else seems hopeless."

With that, he leaned in and kissed her again, and this time there was no resistance. Jasmine knew that their relationship would be difficult and that they would face obstacles and challenges along the way.
But she was willing to take that risk, to follow her heart and see where it would lead.
It was 11:55 pm, and the clock was ticking loudly in the background as the old man poured Jasmine a glass of wine. His voice had turned menacing as he said, "Today is the 12th, you know.
Only a few minutes until midnight and 13." Jasmine felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she realized that the old man was referring to the day when the kidnapper struck.
"It's the day that I protected my daughter from this world."
as he sipped from the drink and forced kissed her to swallow it
Jasmine felt shocked.
Something was wrong.
This was not a kiss of passion, lust, or desire.
There was malice.

The wine was off.

Jasmine tried to resist the old man's forceful kiss, but she was no match for his strength. She felt the bitter taste of something awful in her mouth.
and tried to fight the drowsiness that was quickly taking over her body. But it was no use. The room started to spin, and she felt herself falling backwards.
The old man caught her before she hit the ground, and she could feel his hot breath on her neck as he forced her to swallow the rest of the drugged wine.
and she fell unconscious in his arms.
Jasmine struggled weakly, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. The old man lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the cellar.