The Nutcracker Bleeds (PUBLISHED 2017)

Chapter Seven - Crayon Kama Sutra

                                                             The Nutcracker Bleeds

                                                                   Chapter Seven:

                                                                Crayon Kama Sutra

                                                                                 1

                It was swift déjà vu.  Without much choice of her own, Anne was back in the warm ventilation shafts and leading yet another speaking toy down toward that deep, dark place she’d just emerged from.  In fact, she was certain that she was still wearing the stench of the rodents’ lair on her skin.  Even so, she moved on with the silent nutcracker following behind. 

                She’d carried the cat’s eye marble with her.  He’d insisted.  Since she’d not yet decided if she could play him, she’d not disobeyed.  The path was just as dark and featureless as before, and without much to look at, Anne’s mind was wondering. 

                Would it perhaps be the best choice to try and escape from her new captor?  In a different way, he was equally as terrifying as the jester had been.  If this one had any secret plans, she wasn’t sure she could get away from him.  She found a bit of comfort in seeing that his whole body – clothing included – was made of wood.  There was no cloth to hide any surprises from her.  Anne shuddered at the memory, but also felt relief for this new situation.

                Anne also wondered about the general state of affairs – of this society and their “war”.  This soldier that had enlisted her aid was fairly new to these parts, as was she.  But even so, if the jester puppet had so readily taken her into enemy territory, why had one of the nutcracker’s own not been able to show him the way?  Then again, the jester had confessed to wandering about through the house.  Maybe he was not supposed to?

                Or perhaps this soldier with her had decided not to follow with the Lady Sovereign and was thus exiled?  She had suspicions about him though, and even if she wanted to ask, she couldn’t quite summon the question.  She just glanced over her shoulder at him every few moments.  He was still there, but each time she didn’t have enough nerve to speak to him.

                Eventually, he noticed – or perhaps he’d known all along.

                “Is there something you want?” he inquired, telling her with his tone that if there was something she wanted, he wouldn’t have cared.

                Put on the spot, Anne finally found the courage.

                “Is your name ‘Armand’?”

                They didn’t stop their journey for her to ask her question, and she walked uncomfortably for a few moments with his silence behind her.  Just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer, she heard his voice.

                “That’s right.”

                She remembered Olivia’s words: I’m not leaving until Armand comes back!  Judging by that and the overly concerned way the girl had had treated him when he’d been hurt – even when so many other toys had been broken – Anne had managed to guess this.  Now at least she’d proved it to be correct.  She’d found a link.  He was on the Lady’s side, and not only that; he was her favorite.