Puppet Ch. 01 by Viol3t

Puppet
Written by Viol3t

Ch. 01: Intrusion

"Why do you smoke such cancer-causing-sticks for? I don't understand you. It's stupid."
"Shut up, you want us to get caught?"
"It might do you some good, to get a time out.
"Oh, get over it Natalie, I'm not gonna drop dead."
Guiltily, Daniel lightly dropped the cigarette to the bathroom's grungy floor and stubbed it out with his beat-up army boots. He crouched down next to his friend to look through the hole that she was intently looking through. The wall's tiles were horribly cracked and the cement holding it together was giving out. Many holes could be found, and it always unnerved Natalie when she had to use this girl's facility, afraid there could be some lurking pervert on the other side of the wall.
Then, a door could be heard opening on the other side, and two voices began to converse with each other.
"I knew it. I knew they would come", whispered Natalie, triumphant in her knowledge.
"Shut it, genius", Daniel whispered harshly and Natalie gave him one disapproving look before going back to ease dropping.

"I'm telling you, head Master, the boy will not talk."
"Then make him talk! I want to know what he knows!"
"Sir, you don't understand, he can't talk. There is no way for him to."
"Then make him write, draw, play charades, anything, I need his information!"
Daniel could see two men. One in a dirty brown business suit, with patches on it, the other was a bit on the heavy side and wore a blue old looking suit, but was kept clean and sharp. More to the left of the room and by himself, sat a little boy of 12 years with short dirty blonde and brown hair that slightly waved out at it's ends. His eyes where hidden beneath his bangs and he seemed to be unphased by the two men's presence. The man in the blue suit began to hastily walk toward the boy and violently picked the small boy up off the floor by the collar of his school uniform.
"Tell me, what did you hear or see when you were in the Garnet's presence. They must have been discussing something! Why would they be here at the school!!?"
"Sir, please, he's a child, and I've already informed you, the boy can not spe--"
"Silence, Dortan!!! You are Vice Principal! You are to assist me, not to defy me!"
Sir, I beg your apologies, I am trying to assist you. I know your intentions are for the good of this school, but please, release the boy"
The principal's eyes softened and a slowly dropped his gaze from his assistant. He looked to the boy and sighed.
"My sincere apologies, Nathan", the principal gently put the boy back on his feet, and laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Nathan, please, if you can, help me to know if Lancet is planning anything for this school. I know you didn't mean to, but you over heard the Garnet's plans, and all I want to know is if my school and my students are in any danger. I am worried for all of you. I don't want our city, to be the next to fall beneath the Garnet's rule.", the principal clearly showed worry, and a bit of fear upon his face.
Nathan silently looked up to the principle and nodded to show his understanding of his intentions.

The sound of a cell phone went of and Daniel instantly recognized the song, it being by a band known as The Cure. In realization of his mistake, he literally smacked himself on the forehead as his friend cursed him aloud.
"You fucking idiot! I can't believe you!

On the other side of the room, Nathan gave a slight smile as the two men looked around confused and searching for the source of the sudden music. Finally laying eyes to the wall on their left side, they could hear a a feminine voice attacking another person behind the wall.

"uh, sir, do you know that there are cracks and holes in your wall?"
"I'm not surprised the whole damned city is falling apart, along with everything else", the principle held up his fist in frustration.

The vice principle, cautiously, walked toward one of the holes, and realized who the voice of the boy being attacked, because of the many times he had given him detention. "Daniel?"

The beating, ceased, and a dizzy Daniel spoke up, "yes mom?"
The vice principle sweat dropped, and lightly laughed. "I'm not you mother, Dan, I suspect it's Natalie there, teaching you a lesson?", He laughed some more.

The principle gently pushed his assistant aside to look into the hole, "Daniel, Natalie? Where you both ease dropping?"
Natalie responded, due to Daniel's temporary condition.." No, sir, of course not"

"Please step into my office, both of you."

"Yes, sir", Natalie sighed

Natalie nudged Daniel, to let him know, she needed his help getting out of the girl's facility.

The door to the principle's office slowly creaked opened, as Daniel wheeled Natalie into the office. He lead her in her old rusty wheel cheer in front of the two men. At first sight of seeing her, people always acknowledge her wheelchair, and immediately look for a reason, as to why she is in one. Then is when people realize, that she only has a left leg and is missing her right. She had a look of guilt with an apologetic smile that looked absolutely adorable on her. She had wavy dirty blonde and brown hair that waved around her shoulders and crawled down the middle of her back. Her eyes were golden brown that shined like stars and matched her leather boot and belt. She wore her schools black uniform with her brown and pink striped socks and a pink headband in her hair. She looked over to the small boy, who also looked up at her to revel the same golden brown eyes, and a dim smile slowly appeared then disappeared, as he sat down by the wall as he was before the principle interrogated him. He sadly looked at his hands as if they were telling him a story. Natalie looked up to her friend, Daniel, he was looking straight as the principle. His eyes were black as a cave, that you could just fall into, and his hair was just as black with his left long bangs pushed to the side a little over his eye. Sometimes, his hair would be streaked with unusual hair colors such as pink, blue, or purple, but today it was just ink black, and a little above his shoulders. He to wearing his black school uniform, with a black and red striped tie, and a chain on his right pocket. His appearance normally scared people from him, but it was a wonder why Natalie hung out with him so much. They have always been inseperateable childhood friends, who always took care of each other.

The principle was the first to speak. "You both have been caught, ease dropping on a confidential conversation in the girl's abounded restroom. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"For a lazy principle, when it comes to the safety of your students, you act fast, but sadly, your actions are sometimes reckless. You care, but you might as well not act if it's going to harm your cause", Daniel responded to the principle question without thought of consequence.

"You should talk, moron!," Natalie wheeled herself backward upon Daniel's foot as he yelped in pain, "Don't be so rude!"

"Fucking shit, your heavy!
"Excuse me, I am not!", Natalie sharply turned her head in Daniel's direction and her eyes screamed murder.
Daniel made a strange sound in his throat, coughed, and mumbled an apology both to the principle and to Natalie, then turned his head in embarrassment.

The principle rolled his eyes as his assistant chuckled.

Natalie then spoke with a more serious tone, "sirs, Nathan accidentally received information by the Garnet organization that they were making a base in this city. I'm sorry to say, that no one here is safe anymore."

With the comment just said, the principle face drain all of color and his assistant was speechless. The principle looked down sadly, and said with regret, "Then it is as I fear", he turned to the vice principle, "We all know, that they will not allow families to leave here. The children are to....", the principle broke of in mid sentence, but did not continue.

Daniel then spoke, "Everyone here in the city is fucked. There is very little chance for anyone to escape. This being the only school in the city, I'm sure the Garnet will be using the school as a new base, and will be using the children. I'm sorry. There is no way. It will finally be our turn to face the end. A lot of our surrounding cities have no more children. Adults have suicide or lost it. The towns are in ruins. We are next."

Daniels words rang in everybody's ears. His words were very upfront, but true. He held no fear, just misery.

Two days later, his words did begin to show it's self. The city was guarded by soldiers of the Garnet, most were at the school. They allowed children to go home, only to come back to the school. Everyone tried to continue with their studies, as if things would be okay. But they all knew it wasn't. But there was no other thing to do get their minds off their fate, and so, they took tests, answered their teachers questions, studied and ate lunch with friends. Daniel was one of they few who did not do this. He was usually found smoking a cigarette of causing trouble with one of the soldiers. Many kids bet that Daniel would be one of the first to be selected to go with the Garnet to a lab. They weren't sure what happened there, but the kids who go never come back.

Daniel, looked into the dirty pot he had beef stew boiling in. She fell asleep and lost track of time. The stew looked very mushy, but he put what was still good, into a small bowl. He walked carefully to parents room. He walked in and caught sight of his father. He looked ill and was bleeding from his mouth. He walked timidly to his father who was huddled at a corner. Daniel kneeled by his side.
"Father, I brought you and mother some dinner. There is not much, I'm sorry." He waited for an answer, but none came. Suddenly, the bowl was smacked out of his hands, and the next moment, Daniel realized his father was upon him strangling him with his hands. With difficulty, Daniel pleaded with his father to let go. And out from the shadows behind his parents bed, his mother came rushing to his side.
"Dear, let go, he is your son, please let go of him! She fought back with the little strength she had, and he pulled away from his son to set his murderous eyes on her, and then she screamed as he lunged at her. Daniel, held him back, and took out a syringe from his jacket and inserted it into his father's neck. His father fell limp and sprawled onto the floor, into a deep sleep. With his mother's help, they both pulled him up onto the bed and covered him with a sheet.
"I never thought your father would scare me, or ever try to hurt us."
"He is not himself, it's not his fault".
"Oh, I know dear", she fell apart in front of him and began to weep uncontrollably. He held her up and let her cry, her black long hair was tangled and messy. He got a near by brush, and began to work out the tangles. He pulled out her favorite ribbon, from the pocket of her nightgown, and braided a loose braid for her. When he was done, she had cried herself to sleep. She was deathly pale and extremely weak. She was loosing the will to live everyday, and it pained her so much, to have to keep fighting off her husband. He always frightened her horribly while Daniel was at school. She knew he could not leave the school, for the Garnet always took count for all the children there. They had to be present everyday. It broke Daniel's heart to see his parents in such a state. He lifted her up into his arms with ease, and carried her to his own room, so that she could rest. The stew he had just made was wasted on the floor, so he decided he would have to make his parents some buttered toast for dinner. He went to his parent's room and walked inside. He closed his father's window, so the night air would not cause him a cold. He then walked to his father's side, and gently kissed him on the forehead. He walked to the door, turned around and said his good night. With that, he locked his father within so that he could not harm his mother and proceeded to the kitchen to make them all toast.

Natalie took the note Daniel was nudging towards her notebook. She gave him a disapproving look, before picking up the note and reading it to herself.
'Where is your brother? I didn't see him at breakfast this morning,.'
She began writing upon the same note.
'He is being registered to live within the school'. I was registered this morning, along with a few other kids who have lost their home.'
She flung the note back at Daniel when the teacher wasn't looking and it smacked him right in the face.
'That wasn't very nice, I was just worried is all. With the Garnet in control of the school now, I'm not so sure living so near then is such a good idea.;
She gently put the note back onto her desk, and gave her a wide smile, knowing it would make her angry.
'We do not have much of choice, where bound to be taken to the labs anyways. Might as well get it over with. Besides, you can't expect Nathan and I to live at the bridge forever. It's a rainy season and I'm tired of be so cold and sick. It's not healthy of Nathan of I.'
'Nana, you know you and Nath can live with me. I don't mind.'
'You parents need your company more than we do, besides, There's no way passing around registration. What they say is what goes.'
When Natalie nudge the note towards Daniel, the teacher snatched it away and began to read it aloud while students began to giggle. When he came to the part of registration, he stopped and glanced sadly to Natalie. He crushed the note in his hands and threw it to a near by trash can.
"No passing notes in class.", with that, he gave her one more sad look and resumed to teaching. All the students realized Natalie would be registered to the school as 'housed', but that meant she would more than likely be one of the first to be taken away and never seen again. Silence was what came from the students the rest of the class period.

The bell rang and a mass of children began to walk towards their homes or to other places.
"You and Nathan are allowed to leave the school grounds?", Daniel asked curiously, as Natalie and Nathan walked with him to the streets.
"Yes, but we have to be back by eight for curfew."
"Damn that's early, but I guess no one can complain at least you can still walk around, right?"
"Yes", Natalie turned to her brother, and smiled. "Let's find something to eat".
"Daniel searched his pockets, I can contribute three bucks to the 'Feed Nana and Nath Fund - Save them from starvation", he gave a slight smile and held out his money. Natalie searched her pockets and found two bucks. Nathan did the same and also found two.
"Nath, you don't work, where did you get money?" Daniel ask curiously staring at the dirty money in his hand. Nathan pointed to the street's drain, indicating that he found it washed up on a street drain.
"Oh, I see. pretty lucky. Well, prices certainly have dropped dramatically here, we have enough to by a nice meal, and a little extra for my 'rents if you don't mind."
Nathan shook his head to indicate he didn't mind and looked to his big sister who smiled back, "I guess we are off to dinner". "Where to?"
Daniel smiled a toothy grin and put his arms around Natalie and Nathan's shoulders. "There is a place down the street and around the corner, that sells the best tacos! Let's go!" And with that, Daniel grabbed the small boy and set him on his sister's lap, then he himself got behind Natalie and put his feet on a stand he added himself to her wheelchair. Nathan held on to his sister for dear life as Daniel sped them down the street with Natalie's wheelchair.
With her eyes shut tight and tightly clasping the arm of her chair, she started to scream with what seemed to be mixed with laughter, "Danny, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm no means of transportation for you!!"
He laughed and responded, "yes, but thing of all the time we'll save. And money on life insurance!!!"
"Oh, shut up!" But Natalie couldn't help but laugh.