Strings Not Attached

Missing Persons Report

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The clock keeps ticking, but what does it mean? Time is ticking down. Too much to do, too little time. So much time, not enough things to accomplish. Too many years, too many minutes, and yet they are all wasted doing trivial things. What is a person? What is time. Time is a construct, something we all believe in but don't want to believe. Will time set us free? Will it catch up to us in the end? Who will live. Who will die. 

Sitting up, Ben stared straight into the fire. The fire that had taken his life. Wait, he wasn't dead? He felt dead. His body was sore and cold. A puppet sat at his side, staring up at him with her cold eyes. Right. He had something to do. Something that would change everything for the better. Getting to his feet he lifted her up out of the cold snow. No words were exchanged. Nothing was said. There was nothing but silence now, no words to be said. Nothing had to be said. Walking off into the woods, there was somewhere he had to be now. Ben finally understood his purpose in life. The ticking clock at the end of the road was quickly approaching. But he had no time to waste; the clock would be there within the next few days. He had to prepare.

Prepare... prepare for the fight.

-----

"Late last night in the sleepy town of Warsaw, another child was kidnapped. A young boy named Michael Evans, aged 4, was playing in the snow when a black car reportedly pulled up and yanked him inside." 

BZZZT

"A teenage girl was found dead outside of her home last night, seemingly scalped. The girl's mother tells us that she turned her back for one minute, the next thing she knew her daughter was laying in the snow bleeding out."

BZZZT

"The week long search for Roberto Aldarez was brought to an abrupt end last night when police officers found his dead body laying in the river. His head had been sliced right open, but no evidence concludes this was a homicide at this time."

The tv was shut off, and Blade looked up at the sad face of Jester. Jester shook his head and slumped over onto the floor. This was difficult. They were practically stuck here, and now that Torch was present the tensions were getting even worse. Blade stared at his knife for a moment, and then up at Kaitlyn, who was writing something in her journal. He tapped his hook against the metal rod of her bed, and she looked up at him with raised brows.

"What do you need now?" She asked, slightly annoyed. They had been running her around all day now, and she was getting the least bit sick of it. Though Blade stood up from his sitting position and climbed up onto the window sill. He pointed out the window, and she looked out. 

"Yeah.. it's snowing. What about it?" Though he persistently pointed out the window. She squinted and shrugged. "You want to go out there? I mean, okay... but it's not a good idea you know." she rolled her eyes. Blade looked back at the group, gesturing for them to follow. Torch stood up first, however, and moved to the doorway.

"Where are we going?"

"Where do you think we're going? We must find Decapitron."

"What about Leech Woman?" 

"She is most likely going to find him as well. Don't start trouble with me right now, Torch. We need to move quickly. Our time is running short. Pinhead is already starting to become sluggish." Blade spoke quickly and harshly, moving Torch out of the way with his hook hand. Torch fumed, but he didn't say a word. He didn't have the energy to. They were all running low on serum, which was scaring Blade. The leader of the puppets had began to notice it in Tunneler first. His body was slow, and he looked like he was in pain. Pinhead would walk with him, but he looked the same. Even Jester, who was always clowning around and making them smile, was starting to wear his frown-y face more frequently. Blade tipped his hat and headed down the stairs with the others following. Tunneler moved up next to him and shook his head.

"Blade, we cannot go out there. It is too cold and dangerous. We won't last a minute." he panted a bit, trying to keep up with the still peppy puppet. Though Blade was determined. 

"We must. How else will we find him? Time is running short. We have to hurry." Blade spoke quickly, jumping off the last stair to head to the door. Kaitlyn walked over and opened the front door for them, shivering as the cold air hit her. Blade held his hat a bit and looked out into the snow coated suburb. Pushing through the wind, he stepped out into the snow...

... And promptly fell onto his face. He could hear someone laughing behind him, and he assumed it was Torch. Trying to stand back up, his knife simply pushed through the snow, sending him further into the bank. He kicked his feet, trying to get back up, but he further burrowed himself down. Thoroughly embarrassed now, he wildly flailed his feet back and forth, trying to get himself unstuck from his snowy prison. He felt a strong hand around his foot, and he was hoisted back up. 

"Don't you dare say anything-" he radiated embarrassment, and all of the puppets could feel it. Torch was laughing wildly, pointing at his now snow covered coat. 

"Hey Blade! Did you have a NICE TRIP?" Jester giggled, which made Torch's eyes flash in delight. The two began to howl in laughter, Torch almost falling over. 

"Will you two knock it off!?" Blade shouted, brushing himself off and grabbing his hat from Pinhead. "Let's just go already! Who cares if I fell!? Who cares!?" he quickly hid his face and carefully stepped over his body shaped hole in the snow. Kaitlyn watched as the line of puppets disappeared from the house, and she huffed.

"Geez. Thought they'd never leave." she muttered, heading back upstairs.