Puppet

Ch.02 An Eye for your Disobedience



"Hey, Nath! Guess what?! I found you a hoodie today. It was all lonely by an old factory, it wanted to be worn. Anyways, I picked it up for you, so you won't be so cold. I think it's perfect for you, the image I mean.", Nathan turned around to see a smiling Daniel. He hesitantly took the sweatshirt form Daniel's outstretch hand. It supposed Daniel was trying to be funny, because the image on the hoodie was such an irony. When he unraveled the hoodie, he found it to have a strange looking yellow smilie face on the top center of it's front. Nathan stared at it for a bit, and then slowly, one of his rare smiles crept upon his face. Daniel laughed. Nathan slowly hugged his friend, to so his appreciation for the gift.
"Your welcome, I wished I could have found one for Natalie too, she seems cold at night. Her school uniform isn't enough to keep her warm." Daniel looked around the bridge Nathan and his sister were usually at. It had been a month since the Garnet had taken up order in their school. A little frightened he asked, "Where is Natalie? I haven't seen her." He turned to Nathan to see if he would indicate her whereabouts. Nathan stood there for a while, thinking. Then he began to make motions that looked similar to fishing with a fishing line.
"She went fishing?"
Nathan shook his head, 'no'.
He repeated the same motion, then pointed to his hand, and then made a motion as it he where running his hands on something long, kinda like unsheathing a sword. Daniel thought for a while, and then he got it.
"
"The fishing pole?"
Nathan nodded 'yes'. Then took out a few coins from his pocket.
"She went to buy a fishing pole?"
Once again, Nathan nodded yes, and gave a fake smile, indicating his game little game of charades was done.
"I see, she's gonna try to catch you both some fish, from this creek. I can run home real quick and get you both some fish." I looked from the creek's filthy water, to Nathan, who shook his head 'no'. He had expected that. But Nathan and Natalie hardly accepted others people food or necessities, thinking that they needed it more than the two, and it made them feel ....nasty and selfish. Daniel couldn't understand them. They seemed to nice, almost so nice, that they were so willing to give their lives for a rich man to keep living in greed. He would never be able to understand them. I walked to the top of the bridge and stretched his hands over it's side and rested his there. He felt and heard Nathan suddenly jump up the bridge's side with his left hand to support him, as he swung his legs over the side and sat comfortably to Daniel's right. They both looked up to the polluted night sky. He loved it when Nathan showed his sudden bursts of energy. It was comforting to Daniel, because it showed that even though boy seems so weak, frail, and broken due to the lose of his parents, he still had hidden strength and perhaps hope. Daniel sighed in content and Nathan watched a few crows take flight from a nearby tree.

Suddenly, sirens went off. The sirens weren't like police sirens, but different, they were only supposed to go off in case of emergency. Which was strange, because it felt as if the sirens should have been going off since the Garnet began to exist.

Daniel and Nathan looked all around them. They saw people with confusion come out their doors and poping their heads out of windows to see what was going on. Children who were scared of the loud noise began to cry for their parents.

"What's going on!? Daniel looked around him some more, and then saw some soldiers of Garnet running down streets, barging into houses, stores, and shelters.
"Nathan, they are looking for something. Let's find your sister, we don't want her to get hurt from the commotion!" Daniel picked up Nathan with ease, and carried him in his arms, running as fast as he could to the nearest fishing supply store he knew. He ran to the first store, but couldn't find Natalie. Of course, she wouldn't be in that one, the prices were quite high. He ran to the next one. And then an other. He couldn't find her. He looked at Nathan to see if he knew, be he too wore a confused look. Then, a pair of arms seized Daniel from behind, pulling him down upon the ground, instantly embracing Nathan to protect him from the fall. Daniel felt fear when he felt weight being taken from him. Some one was taking Nathan! Daniel opened his eyes which he had shut tightly when he fell. He looked up and froze. A man wearing the Garnet uniform was holding Nathan and there where other all surrounding Daniel. Then, he felt hands roughly pull him up to his feet.

"Have A-0 come run by here?", The solider directed his question to Daniel, then to Nathan, Daniel found his voice and responded.

"He can't speak, and we don't know what an A-0 is."
"The first success of a puppet. It is important we find it."
"What is a puppet?"
Then one of the other soldier's spoke, "He doesn't know anything, come on and stop wasting time, we need to find it."
"Right", the first soldier holding Nathan spoke again. I suggest you keep up with news, if you don't want to get hurt. And with that, he threw Nathan out of his hands. If Daniel didn't act fast, Nathan would've hit the ground. This caused Daniel to get upset.
"Hey! Watch it, you could have hurt him you fucking idiot!"
An army boot was suddenly swung into his face. Daniel was confused, but then felt pain in his nose and lip. He felt blood running freely down his chin. A few drops dripped onto Nathan's face, who instantly held Daniel's face with his left hand.

"How dare you speak to me like that. I am part of the Garnet Organization. If you savored your pathetic life, you would keep your mouth shut and obey my orders. Keep up with everyone else and learn your place like the fucking dog you are. Daniel's chest swelled with anger, but didn't say anything, only looked up at the soldier's eyes.

"I don't like the way your looking at me. Never set your filthy eyes on my again!", the soldier grabbed Nathan by his dirty blond brown hair, and once again, was taken away from Daniel as he was swung down the concert street. If he could use his vocals, surely he would have cried out in pain.

"Nathan!" Daniel called out to him, and began to get up, but the same soldier picked up Daniel and he could feel the man's incredible strength as he was turned around to face him. They were face to face, and all Daniel could do was glare at the man.

"It's such a same, that you are still looking at me with those eyes, because you are such a handsome boy to waste."
"What are you talking about?"
"But I tend to be merciful towards pretty things like you, so I'll go easy on you.", the soldier said with a disgusting face, and licked Daniel by the side of his face and grinned with his nasty teeth.

"Dude, that is so gross", Daniel responded with disgust.
"Silence! I am already showing you mercy, so don't push it!"
"How the hell are you showing me mercy, by licking me with you sick tongue!!!"
"By not killing you, you ungrateful brat! Instead, I'll just take one of your pretty black eyes. It's like a precious Onyx"

Daniel felt the man, lay him down onto the floor and felt his weight upon him. The man had a crazed smile placed up his face and his eyes were mixed with greed and insanity. He saw the man raise his hand to Daniel's left eye, and fear washed over him. He struggled, but the man was much stronger. He felt fingers dig themselves into his eyes socket and began to scream from such discomfort. The fingers where all the way in and Daniel felt pain he never experienced, and then he felt his eyeball being lifted out of his socket and began to scream even loader.

Nathan turned around to see what was happening. If he could have, he would have screamed. He quickly stood up and ran towards Daniel but was once again picked up by another soldier, who held him tightly.

Daniel felt a sort of thin cord that was attached to his eye break as his head crashed back down to the cement street's floor. Laughter could be heard all around him. The man got up from his sitting position upon Daniel and Daniel instantly held his left hand over his left empty socket, a little fearful of touching the area, not that much more damage could be done. He looked up with his only eye and saw the man with his eye in his left hand. Daniel felt horror, confusion, and disbelief.

"What a beautiful treasure I have no, I'll never forget you for this, Thank you.", after the comment, all the soldiers laughed again except one.

"All right guys, that's enough fun, we have a job to do."
"Oh all right"
The rest of the soldiers sighed and made noises of unwillingness to get away from the show.
The soldier with Daniel's eye then grabbed Daniel with his free hand kissed Daniel on his mouth then threw him aside.
"Be a good dog, and never talk back to me again, and never set eyes, or rather 'eye', on me again."
The other soldiers laughed their sickening laughs again. And with that, one of the soldiers carrying Nathan threw him down by Daniel's side and they all walked away, laughing.

Nathan could hear heavy panting from Daniel. He tugged at his sleeve and heard Daniel groan.
"My first kiss was by sick ugly faggot." Nathan rolled his eyes and helped pull Daniel into a sitting position.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. The pain will probably go away in a few days. We have to find Natalie and make sure she's ok. Those Garnet soldiers are twisted, they could have hurt anybody."
Nathan nodded and helped Daniel. He deeply frowned, thinking of how it was his fault Daniel was now missing an eye. They walked in silence except for the occasional whimpers and groans from Daniel. Sensing Nathan's thoughts he tried to ease Nathan's mind," It's not your fault, you know that right? People always knew this sort of thing would happen to me. And I'm sure this won't be the last.". Nathan flinched. "Oh, come on, those guys had no right messing with you. It was all worth it, talking back to them for you." Nathan gave a slight sad smile and a single tear fell from his face. Daniel stopped, and hugged Nathan for a while.

"Nathan! Daniel"
Both Daniel and Nathan turned towards the direction of the voice. The street was now empty. The commotion died down but there was still tension in the air. Natalie was hoping towards the two with her one leg and a large tree branch. It was obvious, she must have lost her wheel chair in the commotion. Nathan's knees buckled under Daniel's weight and they both kneeled upon the floor. They were both happy to see Natalie unharmed and well. She hurried to their sides and embraced Nathan and smiled widely. Daniel tried to hide his empty socket with his hair when she turned to face him. She gave her a slight smile but continue trying not to make eye contact. Feeling something admiss, she let go of Nathan and held her friend's face in her left hand. She turned it slightly and his right bangs moved away from his face to revel an empty socket. Natalie quickly covered her mouth with both hands and had a look of pure horror. Daniel felt tears coming to his only eye, and shamefully looked towards the ground.
Natalie recovered, "I'm sorry for freaking out like that. I'm very sorry. It must be painful. Come on. Don't speak. I'll take you home. I'll clean you up and bandage you up. You know I excel in the arts of healing. You'll be fine. Come on.

She and Nathan helped Daniel up. and began to walk him to his house.

Daniel was sitting on his dingy old coach as Natalie was apply antibiotics into his socket. It burned horribly and he very badly wanted to push away Natalie's cures, medicines, and herbs. She performed light white magic to heal a few of Nathan's and Daniel's scratches. She couldn't do more complicated magic and began to feel worthless, when she couldn't take away her friend's pain. Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder, seeing her distress, "Nana, your doing a fantastic job, so stop freaking out." And he smiled broadly. She felt a little lighter. Daniel's mother came into the room with milk for all four of them.

"I can't believe the Garnet are such monsters. What is this world coming too", his mother asked in disbelief.
"An End! Haha ha ah aha", Daniel laughed at his literal words. Natalie smacked him across the head.
"Well, Ma'am, Daniel will be wearing bandages around his head for a few days. I've put magic herbs within his socket, which he can remove in a few days when he removes the bandages and can wear an eye patch if he likes -," then Natalie was interrupted by Daniel.
"Hell yeah! Hey mother, Imma be a pirate! ARGH!! Ha ha haha haha haa!"
Daniel's mother laughed along with her son.
"This is the strangest family I have ever come across," Natalie pointed out as her little brother slightly smiled.
On a more serious note, Daniel's mother began to talk, "I wonder what it was The Garnet were looking for. I couldn't watch the tv, or listen to the radio to hear what was going on, because it was all in my and my husband's room."
"Is he still acting strange?", Natalie asked out of concern. Daniel's mother sadly nodded.
"I have no idea why. It's very curious.", Daniel's mother looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully thinking.
"Well, it's way passed eight, and so I need to get back to the school as fast as possible. When they let Nathan and I go tomorrow, I'll let you know what's going on after I ask around the school. Tomorrow is Saturday, no school, so I'll bring the news for both you and Daniel. OK?"
"That would be lovely, thank you dear."
"No problem"
"And Thank you for helping Daniel"
"Your most welcome"
Yeah, Thanks a bunch!" Natalie smiled at Daniel.
"See ya'll tomorrow. Bye"
"Bye!"