The Puppeteer

Chapter 5

        I'm wandering through the woods. Confused. "What am I doing here?" I say to no one in particular. I look around, trying to see anything but tree and leaves. A road! Cabin? SOMETHING! I begin running. Running through the neverending woods, at least that's what it felt like. 

        When it felt like there was nothing in these woods, I caught a small glimps of something yellow. I slowed down to a jog, looking for the yellow again. Then I saw it. I started walking now, towards the flash. When I got close enough to see it, I realized that it was the yellow thread I saw in my last dream! "What the..?" I said, touching it lightly. I decided to follow it, holding onto the thread so I don't get lost. 

        For what seemed like forever, I finally came to an opening. I looked up and there was thread everywhere! Going in all kinds of directions, including the one I was holding onto. "Whoa, Jake.. You must be trippin' or something." I said, not believing what I'm seeing. "Maybe DJ hit my head harder than I thought.." Then, I started hearing laughter. I raise my head up and see a silhouette of a man, the yellow thread coming out of his fingers, floating there in the middle of the clearing.

        "Foolish, child. What you're seeing is real." The man said, smiling at me. 

        As I looked closer, I could see he had glowing, yellow eyes. I gasped and stumbled back, tripping over a rock, causing me to fall backwards. The man laughed and moved his hand, making a few of the threads head in my direction. I tried moving away from them, but they wrapped around my feet and legs, climbing all the way up to my waist. He moved his hand towards him and made the threads binding me move towards him. I tried struggling free, but the thread just tightened with every move.

        "No need to struggle, boy." The man said, chuckling. "I'm not going to hurt you."

        I stopped struggling, but I still kept my guard up. "Who are you?" I asked.

        The man smiled. "I am The Puppeteer!" He said, slightly bowing his head in introduction.

        "And I'm--" 

        "Jake." He finished for me. "I know everything about you. The bullies. Your mother. I've been watching you Jake.."

        Okay...That's not creepy, stalker-ish at all. He's been watching me? What the hell! That's so creepy! My eyes widened at a sudden realization. "Y-you are the one I saw in my dream! I'd remember those eyes anywhere!" I managed to stammer. I gasped. "You're the guy who used to play with me when I was a little boy!!" I dramatically pointed at him. All he did was laugh. Geez.. was this guy on happy pills or something? 

        "So, you finally remember me! I was wondering when you would." The Puppeteer replied with a smirk. "You had completely forgotten about me when you started middle school." 

        I thought you were an imaginary friend. A kid's gotta grow up sometime. "Mom never believed me when I told her about you." I told him. "She told me to stop making up stories and she hit me." 

        The Puppeteer made a face like he smelled a skunk or something. "I couldn't stand watching any of those beatings she gave you!" He said bitterly. "I couldn't do anything. You could see me anymore, so I did nothing, no matter how bad I wanted to."

        "But then, I finally found a way to communicate with you." He smiled. "Dreams.."

        I knew it! I knew that was him in my dream! But, why wait until then to show up? I mean, it would've been nice if he did something before I was nearly beaten to death. "Yeah, well, that would've been nice if you figured it out a loooong time ago." I replied, slightly irritated. The Puppeteer frowned.

        "Enough chit-chat! Let's get down to the point.." He exclaimed. "I'm growing tired of seeing you suffer through beatings. I've decided to make you a deal."

        This caught my attention and I raised my eyebrow. "What kind of deal?" 

        "I can make all the pain go away. Make the suffering stop forever." He answered, with a big smirk crawling up his face. 

        I thought about this for a moment, turning it around and around in my head.

        "Well..?" The Puppeteer said calmly. "Do we have a deal?"

        I took a deep breath and nodded. "Deal." I replied, sticking my hand out for him to shake.

        Just when you think it couldn't get any bigger, his smirk grew. "Excellent.." He said, shaking my hand.  Once again, he started laughing and disappeared. The threads keeping me safely above the ground disappeared as well. "Oh shit.." I said, realizing there was nothing holding me in the air.

        I began to fall. I screamed as I watched the ground get closer and closer. 

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        I jolted awake. I looked around, realizing I'm still sitting on the sidewalk. "What the?" I said, slightly confused. "Oh yeah.." I said, remembering the beating I took from DJ and his gang. I shivered. Brr... I could tell it was early in the morning, because there was a little light in the horizon. I grabbed my backpack, which was still laying where it was left, and slowly got up. 

        I winced as a sharp pain up my chest. "Ow..!" I said to myself, fall down on my knees, a hand on my ribs. 'Great.. I think I have cracked ribs, if not bruised." I mentally noted. I slowly got up again and slung my backpack over my shoulder, making my way back home.

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**One walk home later**

        Good thing I have a house key. Mom locked the door. I don't think she actually cares that I didn't come home last night. She probably thought I ran away. 

        I unlocked the door and quietly walk in, slowly closing it behind me. I take off my shoes and walk up the steps to my room. I drop my bag on the floor and flop down on my bed. I look at the clock and it reads 4:00 am. I can't believe I slept on that sidewalk for most of the night! "Damn, Jake..." I mumbled under my breath. Well, I have a few more hours of sleep left before the witch screams at me to "get the hell up." I stare at the ceiling for a little bit before a wave of sleep washed over me.

        Too bad I didn't notice the little yellow thread that was strung across the living room ceiling when I walked in. I would've been prepared to see what I was about to face in the morning...

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A/N: OMG!!! Even I can't wait to write the next and (sadly) final chapter of The Puppeteer!!! But, I'm going to take a break from the updates, so there might not be one until later tomorrow evening or afternoon. I love torturing people with cliffhangers. >:D Don't hate me though! You'll still get your chapter!! Comments and votes are greatly appreciated!! :D <3