The Marionette

Bob pushes the number five on the elevator keypad. Tobias leans his back on the railing to the side. The light from the elevator did not do justice to the migraine he was having at that moment. Bob turns around to see Tobias in an uncomfortable manner.

“Another one of those nights?”

“You know, same shit different day”

“You know I need you sober when we do these assignment. I don't need what happened in Corpus.”

“If I knew she was a guy I wouldn't have tried to touch her,” Tobias explained as embarrassment starts to set creating his face to turn a brilliant red, “besides that was 6 years ago.”

“Toby, she... he was a material witness and it was at gay bar. How could you not see it?”

Bob hold his mouth trying to muffle the laughter. He places his hand on his shoulder and puts his head down and in a mocking shame gesture.

“By the way, did ya see the new secretary. I mean yummy. I would lick her from head to toe.”

“Yeah, I did and well...”

Tobias demeanor changed from playful to a more serious action. IT was four years since he had been with another woman and this was a subject he rarely like to talk about even with Bob, his most beloved friend.

Feeling the atmosphere change, Bob switch to the subject at hand. He gave the folder he was holding with the title “marionette killer” placed on the tab. Tobias opened it to see graphic images and reports of the gruesome details that happened on that night.

“So one man did this?”

“yep, the notorious Jack Brewster also known as the Marionette killer. So far the kill count was one hundred.”
“yeah, but how cold one man do this? I mean it could not be impossible, but all the bodies don' look that old.”

Tobias thumbing through the pages concerned about the information that was given to him. He finds himself at the last picture.

The picture was markings of old text. He was familiar with this, for he studied dead languages in college. The words were painted over the altar where he noticed that there is something strange there.

He moved his head closer the the photo. His eyes focusing on the item, When distortion subsided the item was clear. It was a dagger. The same dagger as in his dreams.

His feelings turned from inquisitive to almost fearful. The eyebrows lifter and his pupils dilated. His face shows disgust as he quickly closes the folder. The pain in his chest screaming its ghostly cries and he sees himself as a child. He feels the flashback of the shaman slamming the knife in to his chest. His hands began to shake and his body was trembling. He is truly scared and of what.

Bob notices something wrong with his long time friend, He moves his hands waving them in front of Tobias face.

“Earth to Toby come in.”

The sarcastic words brought him back from his horrific state. His eyes focusing on Bob now. His forehead sweating little beads of water. He wipes his head and smiles at Bob.

“You know, its sure is hot in this building,” Tobias said, masking his true feelings of what he saw, wiping his forehead.

“yeah, its a hot one,” Bob agrees as he turns to see the elevator hit the fifth floor.

The doors open revealing a series of offices on the sides and cubicles in the middle. The sound of people talking, phones ringing fro afar and the furious typing noise are abundant here.

The rich aroma of coffee boiling in the small break room near the entrance of the area aroused him. He follows the trail to small room full of vending machines and chairs with small rounds tables. He walks to the counter that had the freshly made pot waiting for his consumption.

Bob following him as he was a lost puppy, not even going to argue that Toby needed something to wake him up. He walks to the vending machine grabbing a bag of doughnuts.

Toby picks up the Styrofoam cup from the shelf above and placed it on the counter. He grabs the pot of coffee and began to pour. The steam danced around his nose leaving water drops on his face. HE see Bob reach into the vending machine with a pack of powdered sugar doughnuts.

“What happen to the diet last week there big boy,” Tobias laughingly commented on his choice of morning foods while he pour Bob a cup.

“ Well it didn't help by the time I was done with the veggie burger, I had at calls, went into relapse and ate 5 double meat, double cheese burgers. I guess I am a weakling for good food.”

Laughing at Bob's joke he found an empty spot in the room, a small oval table with two chairs, and sat down nursing his coffee. He places the other parallel of his seat.

The strong taste of the coffee made his face pucker up. He put little to no sugar and light cream. Each sip was warm and it slowly heated up his throat before heading to his stomach.

Bob sits down across from him. He opens the package and began to eat, leaving bits of crumbs through out the table and on his suit. Bob starts to clean his mess he is OCD, obsessive-convulsive disorder, which makes him have to keep an area clean.

“Look through the other files, they are more recent”

He opens the other folder mark with Detective's Rodriguez’s name on the tab. The folder has pictures, reports and witness statements. He looks at the forensic's report while holding the pictures of the crime scene.

The report suggested that the items and the way they were used were conclusive to the original Marionette Killer. Each word detail the exact specifications of each part in its entirely.

“So what do you think?”

“You were there, weren't you? Did you see anything else that might rise your suspension?”

“Not that I can recall. All evidence was confiscated and tagged. We took everything, the only thing left was the bathtub.”

“I think I need to go to the house.”

“Okay, but first why?”

“I have an hunch.”

“Can you please enlighten me then bud,” Bob put down his food and moved closer to Tobias.

“I believe that there can be two explanations to why everything is exactly like the same. That the ghost of the Mr. Brewster is haunting this lovely city of Dallas or He had an accomplice.”

* * *

Many miles away from the city in the town of grand prairie, sits a small house. The house was old and frail. The windows bordered up securely and the reminiscence of a fire scared the front of the dwelling.

Inside of the house was worse. The living room lays in wreckage. Overturned furniture, broken water logged electronics riddled the area. Broken items scattered everywhere and the small of mold arose from every orifices. The blacked stain walls barely holding the house together now cracks and crumbles.

The dweller hidden by the darkness of the house, sits on the floor weaving fabric from a reel of thread. The noises of grunts and growls were the only thing coming from room as it stitches the fabric together with small skinny fingers. Next to the person was a stage.

The stage is a makeshift wooden platform with two wooden planks on each side. The planks are connected together by rich velvet red curtains that is down covering what mysteries it has behind it. Next to the stage lays a naked wooden doll connecting to eight strings with a handles on the other end.

The doll is made of oak with a light brown stain. The hair, auburn is short with small curls. The face painted to the creases that are the freckles. His eyes are a dark brown, laying there lazy and apart. It had an eerie smile painted above a short stumpy nose.

The figure grasp the doll and places at eye level to put the finished white shirt made of wool on the naked body of the marionette. The the buttoned shirt looked similar to a security guard's outfit. It had patches and a badge on the front right pocket.

The pants came next to be put on. The ironed naval blue fabric has a long vertical black line that goes from the belt loop to the cuff. The fabric of the pant was also of the same type of material. It fits the doll with pin point measurements.

The doll now in it's completion stands on the stage as the strings began to lift. The body stats to move with life like abilities. As the movement begins the stage curtain falls and reveals a warehouse backdrop.

The warehouse stage had many props not only painted, but life like replicas. Boxes made out of paper worn to make them more realistic. Still pictures of forklifts in the background with lines of shelves in rows behind them. The model was a real life replica of a warehouse, but miniature

Like a child playing with toys, it makes stage come to life. The lights start to come on as the security puppet makes it way to the desk on the opposite corner of the stage. The doll is placed on the chair and the strings fall to the back. Another doll appears from the shadows in the back. Dressed in an all black hooded outfit, it starts after the security guard with a small model of a butcher knife. The closer the one doll gets the slower it starts to go. Then it finally reaches the security officer. All this going on the breathing of the person starts to accelerate. The hearts starts to rapidly increase it's beats. It is an excitement of anticipation.

The string that is connected to the hand lifts, raising the arm that is carrying the knife. The string is drop and the knife plunges into the dolls back. The spray from fake blood starts to exit everywhere after the plastic cutlery pushes a button just above the shoulders and below the neck.

The security officer bleeds out till the blood subsides. All that is left is a pool of red food coloring staining the wooden floor. Overwhelmed by the act the dolls are put down. The figure gets up and walks away. Still the shade made the room hard to visualize as the sun vanishes from the covered windows. Once was yellow coming from the thin pieces of plywood starts to make a light gray, bringing the room to a more gloomier atmosphere.

As the shadow collect the killer opens the door. It is night time now and all is dark that surrounds the house except for the two street lamps across the street. The hands grab a coat lying next to the entrance and proceeds outside. It hunt is now in effect and like a savage animal it hungers for blood.