Puppet

by Ed Kightlinger

  “Before I could shout out for help, a few of the strands quickly slid to my lips. I looked down and watched horror-struck as they pinched my lips together so that I could not cry out! It was like they knew what I had been thinking! I actually did scream, many times, but my shouts were nothing more than feeble, muted shrieks that never escaped my mouth!

  “If everything I was experiencing wasn’t frightening enough, my worse fear had arrived. Two strands of twine entered both of my nostrils! They slowly moved to the back of my throat. One strand continued down my esophagus! The other wound itself around my tongue. It began to squeeze my tongue like it was trying to cut off the blood supply. Before long, I could hardly breathe through my nose!

  “I knew what they were trying to do. The strands were trying to suffocate me from the inside out! I started to gag! While all this was happening, the strands of twine around my chest and stomach were gradually squeezing all the more! The pressure building up in my head was horrible, unbearable! I could feel the veins in my neck popping out. I felt as if my head was going to explode because of the lack of air and the building pressure within my lungs and inside my mouth!

  “I tugged with all my strength with my favored hand, my right hand, to try and free it from the strands of twine that had encircled it. I yanked my hand up and down for Lord knows how long. Finally, I freed my hand from the twine’s clutches! I reached up and yanked the strands of twine from my nose and my face. Pulling the strands out of my nose hurt like crazy! I frantically screamed at the top of my lungs. I was yelling, ‘Momma, Momma, anybody, help me please!’”

  She pauses briefly to dab the corners of her eyes with a fresh tissue.

  “I could hear my mother racing up the stairs. She came rushing into the room followed closely by my brother, Dan. My mother yelled, ‘Diana, what is wrong with you? Are you okay?’ I looked around my room. The heap of twine had disappeared, and I was holding Puppet’s coil of twine in my right hand. I was shaking like a leaf! I was on my hands and knees. I guess I had collapsed to the floor after shouting for help.’”

  Diana Jane briefly pauses as she looks away from her friends and stares across the courtyard once more. She whispers over her shoulder, “I was still gasping for air. I also was hyperventilating. Loops of twine were around all of my fingers, my thumbs, and both of my wrists. There were strands in my hair too! Other than those half-dozen or so strands, the enormity of twine in my room miraculously had vanished! All that remained in my room were one or two-inch long strands of frayed twine hanging from my desk lamp, my bureau, my curtains, and my mirror. There also were little piles of twine scattered here and there on the floor.”

  Diana Jane looks at her friends one by one.

  “My mother took me by my shoulders, shook me pretty hard, and then she said, ‘Diana, are you okay?’ She looked around the room, and then she snatched the coil of twine from my hand and threw it into the trashcan next to my desk. She said, ‘What’s with all these little piles of twine on the floor and the strands hanging here and there?’”

  “I didn’t know what to think, what to say, so I made up a little white lie on the spot. I said, ‘I was messing with the twine when I saw a spider. Some of it must have scattered throughout my room.’”

  Diana Jane stares at the ground with a distant, vague expression.

  “You know me when it comes to spiders. I hate the nasty critters.” She looks up at her friends. “Do you remember me telling you about the spider Dan and I saw on Halloween night a few years ago?” Chloe and Brenae nod their heads.

  “What happened next?” Brenae asks. She glances at Chloe who is giving her a dirty look for interrupting their friend yet again. Brenae shrugs her shoulders and sticks out her tongue at Chloe teasingly. She says in a pretend, sarcastic tone, “I apologize, Chloe, but we have to know, don’t we?”

  Chloe nods her head even as she continues to glare at Brenae for interrupting Diana Jane.

  Diana Jane says, “It is okay, Chloe. Bre is merely trying to help me collect my thoughts.” She squeezes Brenae’s hand lightly. “Now, back to my story. I apologized to my mother for screaming and scaring her. When she left my room, I was still shaking from head to toe. Dan was on his hands and knees looking for my little white lie, my imaginary spider. Naturally, he wasn’t able to find it.

  “I began to gather up the strands of twine hanging here and there from my furniture and curtains and the scattered gobs of the disgusting stuff on my floor. I threw as much as I could find into the trashcan. Now, if I had to guess, I would say my trashcan is nine to twelve inches high. The gobs of twine, along with the coil, filled the entire can. It was amazing how a small coil of twine could multiply into something at least twenty times in size!

  “We went downstairs to eat. I was still shaking, but I managed to control my emotions pretty good. I didn’t want to upset my parents further. I could barely eat my mother’s delicious casserole. Somehow, I managed to swallow it down thanks to at least four glasses of water. I need to tell you. I was so scared my mouth felt like it was full of sand or something. It was that dry.” She scowls as a shiver creeps along her spine onto her shoulders. “My throat and both of my nostrils felt raw like I had swallowed some of that nasty, frayed twine!” She frowns as she says, “Perhaps I did.”

  Brenae says, “Goodness! That is scary!” She is vigorously rubbing the goose bumps that are popping up on her forearms. “You and Chloe are incredibly unlucky. I do not know what I would do if I had a similar vision. I would probably go insane!”

  “There is more,” Diana Jane says glumly. “I hate to admit it, but that is not the end of my story, my vision. I went upstairs to my bedroom after dinner. Lord knows my bedroom was the last place I ever wanted to be, at least on that evening. I slowly walked over to the trashcan. I peered inside. The little strands and gobs of twine were gone! The only thing in my trashcan, other than some crumpled up papers and bits of shavings from my colored pencils – I had been drawing – was Puppet’s evil coil of twine! It was perfectly intact just as it had appeared when I removed it from my nightstand! I knew for certain no one in the house had removed the other bits and pieces of twine from the trashcan. Everyone was in my sight the entire time I was downstairs!”

  She takes a third tissue from the packet. She wipes away her tears and blows her nose noisily.

  Chloe has the weirdest feeling that Diana Jane has not completed her story.

  As if she has read Chloe’s mind, Diana Jane says, “I hate to admit it once more, but it gets even worse. I grabbed the coil of twine from the trashcan. I rushed out of my bedroom. I was afraid the twine would do something evil once more if I held it in my hand for too long. Therefore, I moved as quickly as I could.

  “I tiptoed down the stairs so that I wouldn’t alert my family. I went out of the house and chucked the coil of twine into the garbage can. I pushed it beneath a nasty-looking clump of vegetable peelings. I felt relieved, more relieved than I have ever felt in my life, at least up to that point. The trashman would come the next day. My coil of evil Puppet twine nightmare would be over.”

  She suddenly bursts out in tears and cries, “There is even more crazy stuff to tell you!”

  Chloe and Brenae are startled with Diana Jane’s latest outburst. They stare at their friend for the longest time. The expressions on both of their faces are ones of pity and concern for their friend along with their individual feelings of renewed terror.

  Diana Jane makes eye contact with Chloe and then with Brenae. Tears are streaming down her face like fast-moving water from a burst dam.

  “But no! It didn’t end. It will never end!”

  She reaches into her backpack and withdraws a coil of twine. It is a nasty-looking, soiled coil of Puppet’s twine stained with blobs of ketchup and grease and the sticky goo pigments of vegetable peelings, raw meats, and other nasty, foul-smelling things one finds in a household garbage can. Parts of it look singed like someone had tried to set the coil on fire.

  Diana Jane
says, “This foul-smelling, evil thing is the same coil of twine given to me by Puppet outside of the shopping mall. I have thrown this evil thing into the garbage can outside my house at least ten times, twice in the dumpster next to CVS, and even into several trashcans at school. I have thrown it into the sewer at least five times. It keeps coming back right here in my backpack! It is haunting me! I tell you, it will not go away.

  “It will not leave me alone!”

  *****

  Part III: The Minstrel

  By this time, all three girls are sobbing. Diana Jane is sobbing because she cannot help but think that Puppet is haunting her. Chloe is crying because everything that Diana Jane had said reminded her of her nightmare and the scary vision she experienced during social studies. Brenae is sobbing because she loves Diana Jane and Chloe with all her heart and is distressed to see them suffering.

  Collectively, the three of them are frightened about what may happen next, especially considering they are supposed to investigate this madness, at least the portion that occurred at school. Their thoughts about a shared terror, a person named Puppet, a high-pitched, tiny voice, and murderous coils of evil twine, are cut short by a female teenager’s voice.

  “Chloe, I am sorry to interrupt you three. It is important that I speak to you. That is if you do not mind.”

  “Oh, my goodness, it’s you,” is all that Chloe can manage to say. She grabs one of the tissues out of Diana Jane’s packet. She dabs at the corners of her eyes. “Please excuse us. The three of us must look like a horrible mess. Diana Jane just gave us some bad news.”

  The female teenager asks, “May I sit down for a spell?”

  Chloe and her friends nod their heads. They move over so that the new arrival can sit with them on the bench. Instead, she sits cross-legged on the grass.

  The teenager says, “It is all over school. Everyone knows the principal has assigned you the task of investigating the cafeteria food fight. All the same, there is more to the fight than meets the eye. I am certain of it.” She looks at Chloe, Brenae, and Diana Jane one after the other. “I may have some information that could help in your investigation. Is it okay if I share it with you, or is this the wrong time?”

  Chloe glances at her Apple Watch. Then she looks at Brenae and Diana Jane who are nodding their heads. She says, “Now is as good as a time as any. First, I would like to introduce you to my two best school friends.” She points to Brenae.

  Chloe says good-naturedly, “This lovely lady is Brenae, Brenae Sharon Woodbine. We call Brenae by one of her two nicknames, Bre.” She points to Diana Jane. “This gorgeous lady is Diana Jane Bower. Diana Jane likes to be called by her first and middle names, Diana Jane.” She chuckles. “Naturally, seeing as Diana Jane is an okay kind of gal, we comply.” Chloe smiles at Diana Jane.

  “You seem to know me. I am Chloe Alexandria Brown.” As her friends reach out to shake hands with the newcomer, Chloe says, “Bre, Diana Jane, I would like you to meet Colette.” She blushes slightly. “I am sorry, Colette. I do not know your last name. Do you mind—”

  Brenae interrupts Chloe when she shouts, “Oh, my goodness! Are you the new senior, Colette? Are you the musician everyone calls the Hammered Dulcimer Minstrel?” She eyes Chloe suspiciously as she addresses her. “I assume this is the same Colette that you met,” she glances at Colette, “while you were in social studies of all places?”

  Before Chloe can reply, Colette says in a soft, eloquent tone of voice, “Aye, I do play the hammered dulcimer. Nevertheless, I did not know others referred to me by that title – minstrel. I think that is, as we say in Scotland, very braw. Braw essentially means that’s great in American vernacular.

  “My full name is Colette Kristy Campbell. As you can probably tell by my accent, I was born and raised in Scotland, Renfrewshire to be precise. Renfrewshire is one of thirty-two council areas of my country. It is a divine place with a population nearing 200,000. It resides in the west central Lowlands on the southern bank of the River Clyde.

  “My hometown is about twenty-five minutes from Glasgow. Glasgow also is on the River Clyde. It is home to the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, and National Theatre of Scotland. It is in Glasgow where I studied music as a child.

  “Renfrewshire’s distance from the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, is around 95 kilometers, perhaps a little over an hour via the M8 motorway.” Colette abruptly stops talking. She smiles the most charming grin imaginable. Her bright smile emphasizes her light brown eyes and her chocolate brown hair that falls gracefully to her shoulders.

  She suddenly bursts out laughing.

  “Goodness! Will you listen to me! I could go on for hours talking about my country. Talking about my birthplace is not the reason why I asked to join you three. All the same, hopefully, you can visit my country someday.” Colette looks at Chloe expectantly as she says, “Excuse me a second if you please.” She withdraws three business cards from her purse. She begins to write something on each of the cards. While Colette is busily writing, Brenae studies her.

  Brenae is a very observant teenager. She speaks her mind without hesitation, although she is respectful when she does it, well, more often than not. Her intellect is unquestionable, and she is articulate as the day is long. Brenae is a sound judge of others’ character. She instantly knows that Colette is a charming young lady with high standards.

  Consequently, Brenae’s first impression of Colette is praising. She considers Colette is soft-spoken, honest, and very intelligent. She thinks Colette’s mannerisms and gestures are well-refined, almost imperial. Brenae also believes that Colette is extraordinarily classy when it comes to her choice of clothes.

  Colette is wearing a lovely yellow dress that fits her well. That she is wearing a dress to school attests to her audaciousness, at least in Brenae’s opinion. Only the most self-assured of female teenagers, usually always seniors, wear dresses to school. Unlike their underclassmen, they don’t have to worry about fitting in, and their self-confidence clearly speaks for itself.

  Brenae suddenly realizes she has been staring. She quickly looks away and ponders Colette’s excellent qualities.

  Goodness! I like Colette’s style. If she is the same person that Chloe saw in her social studies vision, and I bet she is, she will be a tremendous asset to our investigative team! There is no doubt in my mind.

  Colette slides her pen into her pocketbook. She looks up and says, “I have two things to say along with one question. One, I am the replacement for Terry McDougall as Tinker Bell in the upcoming Peter Pan play. As you probably are aware, Terry broke her leg while skateboarding. I know the three of you are in the play, so I thought I would tell you that news.” She looks at Diana Jane.

  “Now, for my question. Diana Jane, considering you are Peter Pan, I would like to discuss the possibility of practicing our lines outside of school. When considering Peter Pan and Tink often interact during the last act, the additional practice would help me tremendously. Would that be okay?” Diana Jane smiles as she nods her head enthusiastically.

  Colette says, “Thank you. You are too kind.” She looks at Chloe squarely in the eye.

  “Now, for the second item of importance, I wanted to say. If my suspicions are correct, Chloe, you and I have something in common, something unusually peculiar, at least starting today. Moreover, I think you know I am not talking about being a fellow actor in Peter Pan along with your friends, Bre and Diana Jane. Am I correct when I assume we have something in common?”

  Chloe says in a hesitant tone, “If you are talking about the weird vision I had in my social studies class, then yes. We have something in common. Then again, how could you know possibly? Did you likewise have a vision, a vision of you and me, along with somebody else, in a darkened place? By the noises I heard upstairs, the musical instruments and all, I assume that we were in the school basement.”

  “Aye,” Colette says. “I likewise had a vision. I was in my calculus class when the vision occurred. Oddly, I was writing a formul
a on the whiteboard in the front of the class when I saw you. At least I think it was you. Amazingly, I was in two places at once.” She pauses for a moment, and then she says, “Then again, no one else was with us. It was just you and me. I was playing my hammered dulcimer.” She frowns, and then she chuckles.

  “The music I was playing was discordant at best, pretty creepy and unlike the cheerful music I usually play. As I said, I did not perceive a third person in the room. I also had a strange dream last night. I am going to pursue something related to what I dreamt in a little while.” She glances at her watch.

  “Tell you what, Chloe. I have an appointment to go to in a few minutes, but I would like to talk to you more.” She hands a business card to Chloe, Brenae, and Diana Jane.

  “I played in a stringed band in Renfrewshire; a six-person group called a sextet. Obviously, without, well, you know,” she giggles, “the first three letters of the word, sextet. As you would have guessed, I was the hammered dulcimer. Our sextet also had a harpist, two violinists, a cellist, and a bass player. We would sing and play Scottish ballads, usually for charitable purposes and for those who had experienced a family calamity. It was delightfully enjoyable. As you can see from the front of my business cards, we called ourselves the Minstrels. Maybe that is how I got my nickname in our school. Anyway, the address and phone number on the front of the card are incorrect. As you can see, I penned the correct ones on the back.”

  Diana Jane suddenly exclaims, “Goodness, Colette, you live just a dozen or so houses down the street from Bre! Are you living in the old Johnson place at the end of the avenue before you get to the mansion?”

  “Aye,” Colette replies with a cheerful grin. “It is a wee bit tight since we have six children in our family. There are but four bedrooms. I am the oldest which has its plusses and many more minuses.” She grimaces, and then she says with a chuckle, “Other than Mum, I am the only girl. Nonetheless, it is all good. I get spoiled a lot, especially by Daddy. Besides, and this is very important. I have my own bedroom which is wonderful. I have a bathroom to myself as well!”