Puppet

Prologue

.....

The man sat, staring at the small metalic gears and peices. He adjusted his glasses, a bit flustered. His son, a boy merely shy of turning eight watched him.

His caloused hand reached across the table, picking up a gear. He attatched it to a small figurine of sorts and the young boy watched eagerly. After hours of waiting, the small mechanical puppet was finished. The child got up, and gently began to wind it up....

He released it on the table. It walked gingerly across the surface of the wooden table, before making a sudden stop and with a tilt of its head, it removed it tophat in friendly gesture, before placing it back on its head.

The boy grinned at his father, who beckoned him for a hug. The boy looked at him, his light breathe fogging up his glasses. "Perhaps.... You could make him friends?"

The man sighed tiredly, staring down at the little, mechanic puppet. He looked at its messy hair, to the silk black tophat, and the long, velvet red coat he wore, which in the middle exposed tons of tiny, lifeless gears, which ticked tirelessly when wound up. He looked at the long black pants it wore. Then the man smiled.

"I will make him friends."

Chapter 1

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Alex got up, rubbing the back of his neck, a headache buzzing in his skull. He sighed, shifting his unkempt blonde hair out of his eyes. He stood, yawning, and stretching. He stumbled into the bathroom, lazily shoving his toothbrush in his mouth. After brushing his teeth, he struggled into his clothes.

He wished he didn't have to go to this stupid parade. He didn't find it important to go. Yes, he loved the fourth of July, but he found it wasn't neccisary.

.....

He trudged into his Mother's mini van, rolling his eyes. His little sister, Ellie, repeatedly poked him, simpily to spite him. "Enough!" He shot her hand down in anger. She squeezed her eyes shut and began to wail. Alex banged his head on the seat in front of him, where his father sat. "You two! Quit it, and let your mother drive!" He commanded. "What ever." Alex hissed in hatred. His parents were so annoying.

"Hm. No parking spots at all..." His mother droned on about the neighbors, and parking spots, and anything else she could think of that was irratating. Finally, she found a spot and pulled over. Alex hopped out of the car, immediately wandering off. He walked across a feild, across from the street where loud blearing music played. He sat beneath a tree and stared at the ground boredly. He picked at the grass, when he hit somethong sharp.

His hand immediately retreated, his fingernail cut down the center. He swore to himself. He looked down at what hit him. Something sharp, dark brown, stuck out of the ground. Curiosity won the best of him, and he began to dig.

After digging for quite a while, he began to unearth a box with beautiful, carefully drawn carvings. He stared at it curiously, tracing his hand over the lock. It could easily be broken....

Chapter 2

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The parade seemed to last forever. But finally, Alex was alone in his room, door locked, with the box. He wasn't sure why he locked the door, it just felt right. He began to rummage through one of the drawrs in his desk, when he pulled out a pair of plyers. He took it to the lock, and began to pry at it. It wasn't a challenge.In fact, the lock was picked clean off. It fell to the floor, strangely, without a sound. Alex was too distracted to notice, however.

He contemplated wether he really, actually, was going to open it. What if it was a big let down? Oh well, he'd still have the cool box. He ran his fingers over the smooth wood, where they stopped over the opening. He slid his index finger inbetween the crack, and gently lifted it. It was now wide open. He stared at the inside of the box. Three, mechanical figurines lay inside. He picked one up. It sported a tophat, a long, soft red coat, with buttons lining it. In the middle, where the coat opened, it exposed hundreds on tiny gears. Alex stared at it curiously, before gently placing it down beside him. He picked up the other one. This one was female. She more a very puffy, baby blue dress and a pink petticoat. She had waist-length curly blonde hair, and wore a felt hat, which was lined with flowers and small beads. After studying her, he lay her beside the other one. He picked up the last. It was colorless, a gloomy shade of grey. Compared to the others, who wore happy faces, this one looked depressed. He was dressed very nicely in a tuxedo, however. He noticed all of the figurines had small keys sticking out of their backs. They were tiny, nearly evading his notice.