Chapter 2: 2. Marionette Wooden Doll

"Your girlfriend?" that man chirped.

I turned around to fix the meanest misunderstanding I ever heard.

"A relative" That sharp-tongued said curtly.

"I'm Erick's relative," I lied.

"I know you are not" He pulled a wooden box for a seat. "That boy has one brother only and he is younger than you".

'Crap,' I cursed to myself.

"You are his girlfriend?"

"I am Tha, Erick's friend," I had no choice but to explain that.

That old man's name was Stone. He was Erick's employer. Mr. Stone was an artist. He made and fixed all dolls made of wood, especially the marionette for a performance in the city hall. In my place, marionettes were very popular, not only as a luxury performance that was usually conducted in the downtown art hall, but also as a common performance on the streets.

Mr. Stone asked me to follow him to go to a room. There were more dolls displayed than I saw from outside. Some were hung up on the ceiling. Some others were as big as adult size. He asked me to sit down. I ran my eyes around and I felt as if each of them were alive.

"They are all my creations," He said proudly.

One of the dolls caught my attention. It was placed in a glass box. A couple of bright sapphires looked so dominant compared to others dolls' eyes which were mostly brown or black. The hair was dark black and it bore a cold mysterious smile. I walked toward it, and slowly touched that glass box.

"He is so beautiful," I said. "His face makes anyone seeing her feel calm and relaxed, although his smile reflects a different state. It is mysterious" my words were beyond my consciousness.

Mr. Stone laughed. "You have an expensive taste my child" He patted my shoulder. My eyes were locked to that doll. It looked amazing. "Unfortunately it belonged to someone else," He added, "It is my most difficult piece of work."

"Wow..." I was amazed.

...

We shared stories until dawn, especially Mr. Stone. He talked a lot about his up and down in his business, his family, even his beloved cat, Mickey. I listened to all his stories attentively while once in a while I looked around feeling like another participant was around us. I just wanted to make sure that there was no other but three of us.

Mickey jumped on my lap and curled up like a fur ball. This fatty grey cat was tame, even to someone he just met.

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'Knock... knock... knock...'

The sudden knocks shocked me. In between our laughter and our chats, I heard the knocks several times. It sounded like footsteps but it was too loud. It sounded like an object collided with the floor. Anytime the sound was heard, I looked around. But I saw no one. Mr. Stone and Erick did not seem to hear anything. They acted normally. Was it only me to hear those knocks?

...

"Tha,"

A very familiar voice in my ears just called. When I looked at the front side, a boy was standing right there. We were wearing the same school uniforms. He smiled at me and handed me a sandwich and a box of milk. The next second, an explosion was heard. That boy collapsed right in my eyes. Red liquid was flowing from his head. I felt the time stopped instantly. Fearful, confused, and whatsoever you called it were mixed up in my head. I did not know what I was supposed to do. I was shattered in grief. I roared any requests of seeking for help as loud as possible. But it was for nothing. No one came out to help him. My voice was echoing in me. And something inside me ordered me to wake up. I opened my eyes in confusion on my bed as if it had all just happened.

...

It was 08.00 a.m and I just finished taking a bath. I went downstairs to pick up something to drink in the kitchen. 4 slices of sandwiches and 2 boxes of my favorite milk were served on the kitchen table. Confused but happy, I saw no one at home but me. It could have been Erick dropped by and sent me some breakfast

Nearby, there was a traditional market. There were various things people could get from that market, from daily needs, plant seeds, and pets. A group of people were bargaining for some stuff in a kiosk that sold second hand things that drew my attention. I bought up a small bear shaped gold colored alarm clock, a pen-knife made of Damascus steel after going through a quite tough bargaining process.

After being satisfied with what I had bought that day, I wanted to leave that kiosk, but my eyes caught a dog that was sitting next to a seller. The dog's hair was so clean white with a pair of blue eyes. He looked calm and unaffected among the boisterous buyers. For a moment those eyes reminded me of the eyes of the doll in the box. They looked similar. When I looked down to put my stuffs in my bag, that dog had gone when I looked up again..

...

Three days in a row, that nightmare kept visiting me. Everything was so clear as if it was real in front of me. This made me reluctant to stay at home alone. There was a strong urge to go out somewhere but not at home. My room, my living room, the kitchen and all the spaces in my house reminded me of that horrible moment. It made me really uncomfortable. I kept myself busy by visiting some old friends after breakfast. In the afternoon, comic rental became my place to spend my time, and in the evening, I spent my nights at an internet café until 3 in the morning. I went home only for cooking and taking a bath. Or sometimes I ate out.

On the 5th day I started feeling bored with all my activities. I planned to go home early. I sat on a bench in a park while enjoying cup noodles and some cookies. I was so deeply drowned in my daydream that I did not know fatty Micky sat next to me. He sat calmly and his expression was calm, too, offering a distinctive cat's purr. Then I felt someone was watching me. I looked around but I saw no one. So, I finished my noodles quickly and left that place.

I walked past that park. As I walked I heard tap sounds coming closer. I tried hard to ignore it, walking fast, and half running. But that sound came even closer, as if chasing me. At home I could not bear that fear anymore. There were precise words to define this uncomfortable feeling. I packed my things without locking the door. I would run as fast as I could to the bus stop. A short message was for Erick to tell him I went back earlier than my previous plan. Another minute, my phone rang.

"Why? What is going on?" His voice was panic.

"I want to go back," I said in low voice. I could not tell him all weird things I had faced so far, my horrible dreams, and the knocks I kept hearing. I did not stay at home for a long time, how could these things happen? "I am going home today" I added.

"Where are you now?"

"Bus stop," I replied shortly, then I hung up. 15 minutes later, my bus came. I called Erick again, asked him not to pick me up or asked him to lock the door. Once I went on the bus, I felt so much relief. Staying away from that place would also mean to put me away from any troubles which might be waiting in the future.

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