Puppet

by Ed Kightlinger

  Chloe says, “Please get it off your chest, Robert. Tell us.”

  The others chime in with comments such as, “Yeah, Robert. What do you have to lose? Come on. Talk to us. Please tell us everything. If there is nothing for you to keep to yourself, tell us what you know! We are here to listen. We want to be your friends.”

  Robert shouts, “All right! I will tell you more. Just stop shouting at me!”

  Colette says in a tender voice, “It is okay, Robert.” She winks at Brenae as she moves her head back and forth. “Do not allow Bre to get under your skin. Take your time. Tell us what happened. I promise that Bre will not speak anymore.” She pauses slightly, and then she says, “Also, Robert, Bre’s really doin’ ma dinger! Do you agree?”

  Colette winks at Brenae yet again. Brenae has no clue what Colette has said in her Scottish jargon. She smiles and nods her head, pretending that she understands every word that came out of Colette’s mouth.

  “Okay, okay, Colette,” Robert says in a frantic tone. “Thank you for taking control.” He unexpectedly chuckles. “As I said earlier, I love your Scottish accent. I also agree with what you said. Bre’s really annoying. If you hadn’t said that in your Scottish argot and lightened up the mood; I would have hung up. Also, Colette, of all the members of Chloe’s investigative team, you are the pleasantest, the most proper. Unlike Bre, you have polished manners.

  “Aye, Colette, Bre is correct. I admit it. I murdered my father. I hated him. As I told Jay, he abused me for such a long time. Things were horrible. Sometimes I wished that I could have returned to the time the boys used me for target practice. Over time, they would have pulverized me with their bullets. I would have fallen apart. Once something mutilates a magical puppet it cannot return to life. Then and only then would I be free of my father’s abuse.

  “My uncle, Neville, told me that my father was going to Chloe’s house. He was going to steal the evidence, the incriminating subliminal slides and the original copy of the Disney DVD. For some reason unbeknownst to me, my father decided to go instead. Perhaps his conscience was nagging him, and he wanted to see the place where my mother had died.

  “I was standing in the shadows of the church across the street. I sensed that my father was picking the lock of the door that leads to Chloe’s former residence. Once he had ascended the sixteen stairs, he turned on the overhead light in the kitchen. He turned on the overhead light in the dining room. There is no overhead light in the living room, but I could sense that he was moving about the place.

  “I sensed that he was in the bedroom of Chloe’s parents. After a few moments, he entered the bedroom of Chloe’s brother, Jim, and I sensed he had turned on the overhead light. Finally, he turned on the overhead light in Chloe’s bedroom. The door that leads to the attic is in Chloe’s bedroom. After a few moments, I sensed he had turned on the lights that illuminate the attic.

  “It was at that precise moment, the instant he turned the lights on in the attic, that a sick feeling befell me. I was incensed. I did not want my father defiling my mother’s memory by going to the very spot where she had died. What was even worse, Colette, I could envision that he was removing a brick from the chimney! It was the same, red-stained brick that George Lincoln Marvella had used to murder my mother!

  “I immediately lost control. I instantly engulfed the entire structure in a massive whirlwind. I watched with glee as the three-story structure spun round and round until it gained incredible velocity. I had never achieved such a remarkable feat since my creation! The power I held in my hands was amazingly unbelievable, miraculously overwhelming! As I sensed the structure twirling rapidly within my magical invention, I knew right then and there I was unstoppable!

  “Within a matter of seconds, I forced the adjacent two-car garage to pass into the whirlwind. I was enjoying myself immensely! I could not stop myself, Colette! Then I forced the three-story structure next to Chloe’s house to pass into the whirlwind. Before long, I had the entire city block, every structure, from the corner of Marigold Avenue to the corner of Richland Avenue, engulfed in my amazing whirlwind! It was incredible to witness. It was nothing short of a miracle!”

  Robert suddenly stops speaking. The Septet members glance wide-eyed at each other speechlessly. Assorted expressions of hate, disgust, shock, and sorrow show on their faces. A few of them have watery eyes.

  Robert says in a whisper, “It is unfortunate that others died. Nonetheless, everyone has to go sooner or later. Am I correct?”

  Although she is trembling, Sophia manages to say in a pretend, calm voice, “Why did you stop the whirlwind, Robert? If you had that much power, why didn’t you continue destroying everything up and down Leroy Avenue? Why didn’t you destroy Diana Jane’s house? Her house is right across the street from Chloe’s. Although I am thankful you did not destroy more dwellings and kill more people, I have to know. Why did you stop? You had already destroyed an entire city block. You killed and maimed many people to include murdering your adopted father!”

  Robert replies with a whisper, “I do not know, Sophia. I honestly do not know.”

  Sophia says in a cynical tone, “I see. It is as simple as that. You say you do not know. Therefore, let me ask you this. Do you feel any remorse in your core for those innocent people who you murdered and those that you injured both on Grider Street and Leroy Avenue?”

  “Not really,” Robert replies casually. “As I said, Sophia, everyone has to go sooner or later, except for me that is.”

  Lindsey suddenly shouts to the phone, “What do you mean when you say, ‘except for me?’”

  “I am immortal, Lindsey. I will outlast you and your friends, and your children’s children’s, children, and then down the line until the end of eternity.”

  Chloe says in a whisper, “Robert, I have a question.”

  Robert replies, “Certainly, Chloe. You are the team leader, and I respect you to the highest degree. Please, ask your question.”

  Chloe says, “You described how your father broke into my former home. You were able to sense his movements as he went from room to room and then up to the attic. You said you completely lost it. You had lost control. Therefore, Robert, I must ask you this. If my family and I were still in the house when your father was in the attic, would you have caused me and my family to die? Please tell me the truth, Robert. I deserve to know the truth!”

  After a brief, uncomfortable pause, Robert replies in a soft tone. “Regrettably, yes, Chloe, I would have caused you and your family to die. You see, Chloe, I was enraged. Therefore, I had no other choice. Once I made up my mind to destroy my father, there was no turning back even if I had wanted to.”

  As she weeps openly, Chloe says between sniffles, “Robert, if I understand you correctly, what you are saying is this. You would have murdered my family and me even though you said a few minutes ago that you would not harm any of us. How could you be so despicable, Robert? How could you lie so blatantly?”

  Robert replies, “As I said earlier, I have come to admire and respect all of you. I will not physically harm any of you going forward. You have my word.”

  Chloe is trembling uncontrollably. She says miserably, “Robert, I want to believe what you are saying. Then again, as you can probably tell by my thoughts, I do not believe you. I cannot believe you. I am sorry, but I cannot. I am certain you cannot blame me.”

  “Yes, Chloe, I can sense your disbelief. I can sense your dislike of me. I am repentant for destroying your former dwelling and for killing and injuring the others. Please believe me when I say I had no other choice. That is the truth.”

  Chloe says in a sorrowful tone, “Robert, will you do me a favor?”

  “Yes, Chloe, anything.”

  “Never speak to me again.”

  Lindsey says, “Robert, I have one more question. Did you destroy Mister Cheaply’s shop?”

  “Yes, Lindsey, I did,” Robert replies unhesitatingly. “The parasite was going to talk to the police about my uncle and my father. W
hatever he planned to say about my father did not bother me in the least. In spite of this, I could not allow him to talk to the police about either of them. If he had, he would implicate my uncle. Therefore, as a warning, I destroyed Mister Cheaply’s business. I think he got the message. He hasn’t gone to the police. If he does, he can kiss his family goodbye.”

  Sophia shouts into the phone, “Are you saying you will murder Mister Cheaply’s family, to include his innocent daughter, our friend Claudia, if he goes to the police?”

  Robert replies in a casual tone, “Yes, Sophia. I would not hesitate for a moment. Given what I have told you and the others, you must know I will do what I have to do. I must protect my uncle. He is all I have left in this world.”

  Brenae screams in a sarcastic tone, “Get over it, Butcher! You were adopted. While you may love him and he may love you, Sorrie isn’t your blood uncle. He is your adopted uncle. Surely you have heard the expression blood is thicker than water? As the saying pertains to you and your uncle, it is full of bloodless holes.”

  “Bre, why do you hate me?” Robert says in a soft tone.

  Brenae yells, “Because you are evil, Butcher! Because you are a murderer, who kills for fun, Butcher. Do you want to know something else, Butcher?”

  Robert says, “Not really, Bre. Nevertheless, I know you will tell me either way. Besides, I have already read your thoughts. Therefore, say what you have to say for the benefit of the others. I know you want to.” Robert laughs mockingly. “Go ahead, Bre. Insult me some more. I could care less what you have to say.”

  Brenae suddenly reaches into the center of the circle and turns off Chloe’s phone.

  Chloe whispers, “Goodness, Bre! I cannot believe you did that. You hung up on him. Do you think he will call back?”

  Brenae replies coolly, “Not a chance. He will brood. He will cry his tearless tears. His heartless heart will break. His unemotional emotions will spew forth hate. He will die from the inside-out if that is at all possible. He will stew from now until eternity because we outsmarted him when I ended our conversation. He may have read my mind, but I showed him who is in charge and who controls who.” She glances around the circle.

  “We are in charge, and we are in control. Don’t any of you ever forget that from this day going forward until you no longer walk on earth!”

  Diana Jane says, “What were you thinking, Bre, you know, when he said that he had already read your thoughts.”

  Whenever Brenae is keeping a secret to herself or is about to proclaim something of a surprise, she flashes a mischievous smile. She flashes that exact smile right now. She winks at Diana Jane, and then she says playfully, “That, my dear, Di, aka the reputable Doctor Watson investigator, will forever remain my and Robert’s secret.”

  Lindsey says, “Okay, everyone. What now? I recorded the entire conversation. How about the rest of you?” The others nod their heads.

  Sophia says, “I cannot believe Robert admitted to all that stuff. He must be crazy.”

  “He doesn’t have anything to lose by telling us,” James says. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think we have enough evidence to put him and Sorrie in jail for a long time.”

  Lindsey says, “What about Mister Cheaply. Is he in trouble?”

  “Cheaply is not in as much trouble as Sorrie and Robert,” Chloe says. “Sure, he will have some explaining to do for conspiring with the others, but maybe the authorities will go easy on him. Even though I cannot stand the creep, I hope he doesn’t go to jail for Claudia’s sake.”

  “Yes, just like us, Claudia is a victim,” Lindsey says. “By the way, who has the evidence?” She looks at Chloe. “The last I knew you had it. Was it destroyed in Robert’s whirlwind?”

  “No,” Chloe replies. “It wasn’t destroyed. I gave the evidence to Missus Davenhill last Friday. She said she was taking it directly to the police. I am sorry I didn’t tell you. I was very distracted with our move.”

  Sophia says to Chloe, “Good move fearless leader! Where do we go from here?”

  Chloe replies, “I think we continue investigating, at least for a bit longer. We need to make certain others at school weren’t involved in criminal activity. After all, that is our mission as Missus Davenhill had spelled it out in her memo. I move that we continue our investigation.”

  James says, “I second the motion. I vote we keep investigating.”

  Chloe says in an upbeat tone, “All in favor nod their heads, smile idiotically, say aye, or do the Septet shuffle!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  THE FINAL ACT

  “It is one more coil of twine!”

  Part I: Backstage

  You undoubtedly are familiar with the jitters if you have ever performed in a play, given a speech, or stood in the front of your class presenting an account of a paper you have written. Speaking or acting in front of others is one of the most dreaded things that a human being has to do, at least until you have done it a few times and are comfortable with doing it.

  The butterflies begin flitting around in the pit of your stomach for days if not weeks before your big moment. Also, may the good Lord help you if your teacher summons you to the front of the class without even a moment’s advance notice. That is even worse than a scheduled speech since you have had no time to prepare!

  The butterflies are trying to escape from inside your gut, and you have to deal with the incredibly dry throat. Your throat’s aridity as it desperately calls out for water makes you have doubts you will be able to speak correctly. Worse, there is your tongue-tied, flattened tongue that seems to fill your entire mouth. Meanwhile, your loudly thumping heart is racing a mile a minute. Your face flushes and your ears begin to glow a cherry, red-hot color the instant you open your mouth to speak.

  If all that is not bad enough, you begin to shake at the knees, and you feel faint. The palms of your hands start to sweat profusely. As you look out at the audience, everything turns fuzzy. Familiar faces and those of strangers merge into one abnormal, jelly-like, shimmering shape. You know you are supposed to scan the audience, but you cannot! You have “Glossophobia” – yes, there is a phobia word for everything these days – in this case being afraid of speaking in public!

  Even the most practiced of speakers and actors can experience the jitters before their big moment. It takes a lot of nerve, courage, and tons of practice to calm those heebie-jeebies. The actors and supporting cast members of Claymore High School’s first ever televised play, Peter Pan, are experiencing the jitters. Let there be no doubt about it. Even those who do not have speaking parts are nervous.

  Those with speaking parts worry about doing something incredibly stupid and embarrassing while performing live. What if I trip onstage? What if I freeze solid, and stare at the audience? What if I start to sneeze or have an insufferable coughing spell? What is worse, what if I forget my lines or I accidentally say a cuss word? What if I have to go pee or number two?

  For those offstage behind the scenes, the nervousness is comparable but not as pronounced. What if I trip over the cords or props? What if I drop something and it bangs loudly? (Anyone who has performed in a play knows there are tons of wires and props backstage!) What if I forget to do this or that? Or worse, what if the electricity fails? What if I have to go pee?

  Notwithstanding the worst fears facing the cast and stage hands of the Claymore High Peter Pan play, one thing is sure. They are resolved as a team and determined to make each performance one that the audience will never forget. Besides, Mister Jones has been pumping them up for months. Finally, those who were selected to perform on stage, in particular, the actors with speaking lines, are some of the best Claymore High has to offer.

  As we know, Diana Jane has been practicing her lines at home since the day she was selected to star in the show as Peter Pan. Her fellow Septet teammates with speaking roles, Colette as Tinker Bell, Chloe as Wendy, and Brenae and Sophia, two of the six primary Lost Boys, have been practicing their lines at home as well.r />
  Considering that their characters often interact in the play, Diana Jane, Chloe, Colette, Richard Moser as Captain Hook, and Roger Stone as Mister Smee, have been working together after school. Similarly, James and Lindsey have been busily working in their spare time to ensure everything is all set for the big performance. James is heading up the lighting, sound, and props teams. Lindsey is in charge of the video that will show true-to-life background scenes during the entire performance.

  During her time away from school, Lindsey has been frantically scrubbing the scenery videotape to remove the subliminal messages. It is a long, drawn-out process that keeps her awake until the wee hours of the morning. At last count, she had erased more than five hundred subliminal messages. The other members of the Septet hope and pray she can complete her project in time.

  The team voted to give Lindsey more time to scrub the videotape. They figured if she wasn’t able to complete the scrubbing before the play, it would do no good telling their principal. Their principal would have cancelled the background scenery which would have been a total disaster. Therefore, they took their chances with Lindsey’s encouraging words that she could finish it before the opening act.

  Based on the enthusiastic hullabaloo about town surrounding the play, one can assume that the entire population of Claymore is either going to attend one of the performances at the high school or watch the final presentation live on Channel 6.

  Advertising for the play has been ongoing for months. The Claymore Gazette-owned punk and classic rock station, WWBQ, has mentioned the upcoming performance at least once every hour, 24/7. The station has even played some of the more well-known songs from the animated Disney version of Peter Pan. That is a big deal given the radio station’s favored genres.