The Puppet

"We regret to inform you that your invitation to this years' Halloween masquerade show and ball has been rescinded. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you feel this has been sent in error, please follow the steps listed on the next page. Otherwise, we hope you will be able to join us next year."

Misa crumpled the paper in her hands, holding in the scream that threatened to wake up her neighbors at this ungodly, early hour. She had just been sipping her morning tea, when the courier came by to rescind her invite to the event that she's been wanting to for years, and that bastard knew it. Even if she fought it in the courts, it would be too late as the performance was tonight only. Her phone lit up with a message: Sorry, Sunny really wanted to see this show. I'll just bump up your alimony next month. That's all you wanted, right?

Of course it was Sunny. The woman that wanted her life so much, she had literally studied her mannerism to steal her husband. At first, she had been pissed, but after thinking it over, she was happy to have such an easy out. If he'd been that willing to cheat and get a divorce after only knowing Sunny for three months, then who knew what he might have done had their marriage lasted longer. The divorce had been interesting.

Her ex had continuously called her a gold digger while simultaneously volunteering to pay her more in alimony -- in writing. They had no children, her properties and such from before the marriage had remained hers, but he had given her the car. However, Misa had wanted a few more things. Nothing huge or extravagant, but before the divorce they had managed to obtain exclusive tickets to the 'Halloween Magic' show and masquerade ball. As they were still cordial and spoke to each other in a professional setting with no issues, he had agreed -- in writing -- that they would attend together and he'd ensure she got her ticket.

Now he was breaking that promise because of her. She was sure the money comment actually came from her as opposed to her ex-husband, and he just wanted to make her happy. Misa could at least say that Sunny didn't mind her receiving the alimony, but Sunny also seemed to think Misa would kill her otherwise just because she'd come past one of Misa's properties while she was breaking down a chicken for her weekly meal preparations. It had been freeing not to have to worry about her ex's aversion to leftovers. Now, she could've explained, but watching the woman's eyes widen at how easy it was for her to slice through some of the flesh had been a source of happiness at that difficult time.

At present, the anger simmering under her skin made her want to go over there and shove the written agreement in his face, but since he'd gone to the organizers first, everything that was made for her would've been changed to fit Sunny by now. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Her masquerade dress would now go unworn, and after she had gotten it tailored to be able to zip away the longer portion of the skirt in case it had gotten too hot.

Tossing the paper in the trash, she went to her room and put the dress on, twirling in the mirror. It was a one-of-a-kind dress, a mixture of black and deep purple with rhinestones sewn into the bodice in a hidden way that would only show if the light hit them in the right way. She had already gotten her hair done last week, putting the shoulder length micro-braids up in a cute style. All of this and no one would get to see it.

She huffed, lying back on her bed, and letting her legs lightly kick back and forth as they hung off the bed. "Did he have to be a disappointment one more time?" she said picking at a stray strand on her cover. Out of everything else, she would've wanted these tickets more than anything. Hell, she didn't even need the alimony. He had only offered because he didn't want her to be vindictive enough to expose his crazy mistress. If people realized that Sunny was a bit off, they may not support him in business or anything anymore. With a divorce, they could present irreconcilable differences, but a legitimately off spouse, and people talk.

The worst part? Misa would've never put the woman's mental health all over the place to ruin the business. They both still owned it and worked there. She had no interest in starting another business from the ground up unless absolutely necessary. Not to mention, even in her anger, Sunny wasn't at fault. Who the hell knew what her husband told her? The truth? A lie? The mix of a lie and the truth? It was probably that last one.

"I wish the ceiling had interesting TV shows." Misa said with a yawn as she looked up and closed her eyes.

--

Ouch.

What she would do for twenty-year-old knees again...

Misa yawned as she forced herself to sit up having fallen asleep in her dress. She picked up her cellphone and saw that it was 5:30pm. The Halloween show had probably been in full swing for about 30 minutes now, and here she was sitting at home, in her dress, and wiping a stray bit of drool from her lips. "Maybe I could just..."

The thought came to her before she could finish what she was saying. Go out anyway.

Misa blinked and looked at her face in the mirror. Why not go out? It was Halloween and even if she couldn't go to the show, there were plenty of things to do in the business district. Fun food stalls, bars that were happily doing contests and making Halloween only cocktails, decorations everywhere, and a few live musical acts in the small park located by the fountain in the center. A lot of people would be dressed up in costumes and who knows, maybe she'd meet a new friend or a good one-night stand -- both were acceptable.

"Alright body... let's do this." she told herself, forcing herself to go get ready before she fell back asleep.

--

By 7:15pm, the Halloween celebrations were well underway, and Misa was having an amazing time. Only an hour had passed so far and she'd already taken a few pictures with other people in masquerade style outfits, came 5th place in a drinking contest she would've won a decade and a half ago, won a black rose hair pin, and bought herself some random Halloween jewelry that she put on to compliment her outfit.

She started making her way towards the center of the business district, hearing a band start up a metal version of Monster Mash, stopping at a few stores and trying samples along the way.

"50% off on all cosmetics!"

Misa stopped for a moment, debating if she wanted to go in there. Makeup wasn't a huge thing for her, but she loved to play around with various eyeshadows and lipsticks every now and then. Plus, how could she say no to a nice, black lipstick at 50% off? She pivoted slightly to cross the street and head into the store, being greeted almost immediately by the shop owner. She asked where the black lipstick was...

... and instantly regretted it.

Besides black, they had a variety of colors that she rarely sees. A sparkly purple, a deep emerald green, and a crimson colored one that looked more like liquid blood than anything else. And that was the story of how she spent $75 on lipstick that she might wear a few times a year, and only to take hot headshots to post on social media to some songs she'd been listening to since high school.

"Come again soon!" the shopkeeper told her with a bright smile.

Misa waved back but shook her head when she was far enough away. Naturally, they were happy. She just bought so much lipstick.

Continuing on, Misa was in her own thoughts and singing along with the next tune played by the band as she got closer to where they were playing. Her steps faltered as she stumbled when some teen took her bag and ran off in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Stop right there..." Misa said and started running after them while trying to weave through the crowded sidewalk. A couple of the people at the bar she won the contest at were trying to help, but the other person was faster. Then, in true horror movie style fashion, she tripped, ripping the larger skirt of her dress and getting it dirty. "Dammit." Misa sighed as she got up. Her hands were red where she fell, the bottom of the dress ruined as she unzipped it just above her knees and took that part off. "At least you're replaceable." Misa counted her lucky stars that the bodice and such didn't get ruined.

"Hope that kid enjoys all the lipstick," she mused. Looking around, Misa realized she was by some of the earlier bars. They were still full of patrons but with a few less people outside. She paused, wondering if she should just go into one or head back towards the festival. Either way, that incident wasn't going to ruin her whole night. Deciding she'd meet more people where the music was, she started back that way.

--

There was a bit of a breeze the later it got. Not enough for a jacket, but just enough to be noticeable. Misa could feel tiny goosebumps on her legs and rubbed her arms a little to warm them up. She walked past people cheering for a few costume winners and some of the shops winding down for the evening as not as many people were coming in. It wasn't until she was passing the 'lipstick' shop again did something catch her eye.

A soft, almost glowing red light, and an ornately decorated door that she hadn't noticed before now. Just on the sidewalk was a sign: One Night Only! The Despair of the Marionette! Tickets: $20. Starts: 8:30pm. 21+ only.

Misa blinked and looked at her watch. It was barely 8:15 and she had wanted to see an exclusive show. This was no masquerade show and ball, but what the hell, why not. She went to the door and raised her hand to knock, hesitating for just a moment. She really hadn't seen this store before, and she was just here earlier. Should she really knock on this door? What if it was a trap or something? Taking a step back from the door, she looked towards the festival and then at the sign. It was very possible that they didn't put the sign out until closer to the show. She'd been chasing down her purchase and may not have seen it earlier.

Before she could continue to her debate, the door opened.

"Hello, are you interested in our show?" a young man, impeccably dressed, asked with a smile as he pushed his glasses back up. "I was about to grab the sign as we only have a few more seats left and figured no one else was coming."

She hesitated again and the young man simply put a door stopper under the door and went to grab the sign. Misa could see the inside of the place. It was a small theater, and all the seats seemed to be filled. Seeing this made the last of her hesitance slip away. "I'd like to see the show."

The young man smiled. "Thank you, ma'am." he handed her his phone so she could tap her card against it. Once the payment went through, he led her to her seat at the front in the center.

Misa could hear people whispering and talking to their friends around her. It reassured her, but there was something off about the way they were talking. She might be a bit overdressed to be here or underdressed, she wasn't sure. It was a little too dark to make out anyone's faces in the crowd but rather than shrink away from the potential criticism, she held her head high. A confidence that faltered once she realized that she was in the front row, center seat.

...

Wasn't this usually the most wanted seat in the house? She went to ask the young man, but he was already gone and the lights were dimming for the show to start. The strange feeling was back, but Misa pushed it aside to enjoy the show. She had wanted to see a show tonight and she was going to see one.

--

A series of hollow wooden clacks filled the auditorium, each strike ringing out in a deliberate rhythm. The sound grew louder, faster before stopping abruptly, and a man appeared beneath the reddish lights. The soft glow of the red lights didn't distract her from his clothing. He stood beneath them, in a long, deep wine-colored velvet coat that seemed to shift between burgundy and a crimson that reminded her of blood. An ivory shirt contrasted with the darker fabric, making it look almost pink under the lights. The open collar revealed a black choker and delicate, yet intricate necklaces. His loose black trousers not only blended into the shadows but completed the sinful look along with the jewelry decorating his hands.

Misa stared at the man, finding herself feeling a little too hot, and wishing that she hadn't needed to get rid of the longer portion of her shirt. Her eyes moved from his trousers back to his face and she could see the tiniest smirk at the corner of his lips when their eyes met. His eyes were dark, piercing, and never left hers.

"Welcome everyone to my latest masterpiece: The Despair of the Marionette! My name Haru, but you can all call me master!" he said with wink.

It was the audience's strange laughter that broke her out of the trance she found herself in while staring into his eyes. Something about it was bizarre and disjointed, but her attention was back on stage as Haru clapped his hands. "Let us begin!" He disappeared backstage and suddenly a soft, haunting violin and piano melody was heard through the auditorium.

The play began and two near human sized marionettes dropped down from the rafters. Misa couldn't look away from them. They seemed almost human like with soft glowing looking strings controlled them through the silent performance. Misa could feel her breathing become a little more labored as her body sensed something she couldn't see. She could admit it was strange that the strings seemed to be glowing, but it could just be reflecting off them to add to the atmosphere. It was... fascinating.

She watched the marionettes dance through the scenes, each twitch of their master's fingers as they went through the stages of their tragic tale: a meeting, a kiss, a secret, a dance -- love, happiness, betrayal. It began with a simple meeting against a backdrop of flowers. The male marionette handing one to the female before they danced in the field and it changed through the different scenes. Misa followed along as they seemed to have their first kiss, their wedding, and then the female marionette began to hide. Several scenes showed the male marionette reading and searching for something before it did a happier dance with it found it. The female marionette's movements were now less fluid before she ran away to a lake. A gasp left her lips as the male marionette found the female one has severed the strings of their bond and fallen into a lake assumed to have fallen to the very bottom. Misa could almost feel the freedom that she felt once she escaped but then the music changed to show the male marionette's path. The movements showed anger, obsession, and need as it smacked into the wall and the dancing showed it spinning and spiraling. The music got faster, harsher, angrier before the male marionette turned to the audience and for a brief moment, Misa thought its eyes focused on her.

The room went completely dark for a few minutes.

Misa's fingernails dug into her palms until the lights came back and Haru was standing there with a smile. "A small intermission until Act II." he said and left the stage again.

People resumed talking, but this time Misa couldn't ignore how strange it sounded. Everything sounded the same as when she walked in.

Exactly the same.

Misa tried to tell herself that she was imagining it, but somehow, she knew. The cadence was the same, the tones, even the inflections were identical to earlier. She needed to get out of here. No reason to check or ask. Her entire body could tell something wasn't right this entire time and finally her mind caught up.

She stood quickly. The loss of the longer skirt now a blessing in disguise as she could maneuver a lot quicker. She moved past two people in her row only to trip as one of them stuck their foot out. Misa went to pick herself up and that's when she accidentally bumped the person's leg who tripped her.

That was not a human leg. Misa looked up at the person who tripped her to see the same 'young man' that had opened the doors earlier to get the sign, but he wasn't alive. It was another marionette. Her eyes narrowed and looked around the theater to realize the auditorium was filled with marionettes. The only human was her... and the man behind the curtain.

Barely holding in her scream, she did her best to get up and leave hoping that 'master' didn't hear her. Standing up, she started to run towards the end of the aisle, surprised when no more of the 'audience' tried to stop her. The door was in the behind the audience, right? She just needed to get there, leave, and maybe have one... seven drinks before she went home for the evening. Haru hadn't come back on stage yet, but she wasn't going to slow down to wait and see.

She ran as fast as she could, not even stopping to remove her hair from her face, and just as she made it to the door, she was lifted high above the audience and pulled back towards the crowd. Misa did scream then as she looked down to see the entire audience of marionettes looking up at her with smiles on their cold, lifeless faces. Her heart was pounding and her trembling caused a few of her bracelets to fall into the crowd.

It wasn't until she was suspended over the stage did, she notice the thin glowing strings attached to her. Instead of the soft glow earlier, these seemed more solid, the color matching that of Haru's clothing. Misa could feel a presence behind her and tried to fight against the strings but then her body stopped when the stings pulled tight. There was a warmth behind her and she knew he had come back to the stage.

"Now where are you going? We can't lose our main star before Act II." he whispered against her ear, before placing a kiss on his captive's exposed flesh. He stepped out from behind her and looked at the audience and with a huge flourish, brandish a black, almost ceremonial looking dagger.

"Welcome to ACT II: The Claiming of the Marionette!" Haru turned towards her and with the dagger, easily sliced through the dress as it fell to the floor leaving her in only underwear.

Misa heard it again, and somehow even knowing what they were, the disjointed laughter and jeers made her skin crawl. She wanted to speak and tell him to let her go, but for some reason she couldn't move her mouth. She could only move her eyes and that is how she screamed.

Haru turned towards her. "Don't look so frightened. I won't hurt you." he told her. His smile seemed warmer until he turned the lights on just a little bit. "See?"

The realization of what she was seeing made her body tense as her mind screamed for her to move but her body was no longer under her control. There in the crowd, she saw the shopkeeper who had sold her the lipstick, that teen that had stolen her purchases, the people she had taken pictures with earlier, and the pressure to scream built up inside of her.

"I'll be nice." Haru said as his right hand came to touch her cheek. He leaned close to her lips. "Go ahead... scream..."

A blood-curling scream was heard throughout the auditorium.

One... Two... Five seconds until the sounds were drowned out by the press of Haru's lips on hers.

Pulling back, he licked his lips. The lights in the auditorium went dark again except for a softer, pink light bathing the stage. He turned to the audience. "Act II begins... now!"

Misa felt more tears slipping down her eyes as she was made to move around and dance, much like the female marionette had done earlier in the play. The soft hue of the pink lighting against brown skin made it almost look like she was glowing as she was forced through the motions of the beginnings of the play. When Haru walked around and handed her a black flower similar to the pin in her hair, she realized how little control of her night out, she truly had.

Her feet touched the floor and for a very brief moment, she wondered if she could escape. Instead, her arms moved on their own accord as she reached behind herself and undid her bra. The distorted laughter sounded again when she threw it out to the audience and one of the other marionettes caught it though she couldn't see which. She knew that nothing out there was real, but for some reason, she couldn't stop the burning feeling of humiliation that flooded her entire being.

There were noises again, like clapping or something, but she couldn't tell what as she brought her own hands to her chest and began to play with them. Misa tried to hold back the sounds, but they refused to listen to her. Moans spilled out to the continuous inhuman cheers from the audience. Her fingers toyed with her nipples, pinching and rolling them between her fingers and she couldn't stop herself.

She felt something near her, but it wasn't Haru. It was the male marionette from earlier in the play. It had no face, no identifying features that she had thought she'd notice before. Had it all been an illusion? Her arms were forced out at their sides, and she could feel the cold, hard wood of the marionette's fingers cupping her breasts, mimicking the way she had just played with herself. The control of her own strings gave just enough slack that she could fully enjoy the way her breasts were being played with, even as she tried to remind herself of the danger that she was in.

The next action was forcing her to remove her panties before her legs were lifted in the air, exposing her to the others. Her mind kept screaming at her to fight it as her own hand was made to slip between her legs. It was strange the way he seemed to know how she loved to pleasure herself as her fingers moved over her clits, slow and deliberate forcing her arousal to build against her will. Misa's body began to relax into the sensation, chasing her climax, as her mind tried to drown out the sounds of hollow cheers and jeers, encouraging and wanting more from her body.

"Ah... ah..." she moaned louder, wanting to reach her climax. Had it not been for the marionette that was toying with her nipples with an almost scary proficiency, she might have been able to forget that she wasn't alone in her room, watching porn, and enjoying her night. There was a soft buzzing sound that confused her before she realized what was going on. The marionettes fingers seemed to vibrate at the perfect speed against her nipples, bringing her impossibly close to climax. She just needed a bit more, anything more.

"Anything? That's a loaded request."

Misa didn't know when Haru got closer to her, but she kept trying to press harder against the fingers that he made lighten their pressure in the pursuit of her happiness. "I... I just..."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Haru turned a moment to address the others. "It seems our marionette wishes to reach the climax of our show. Shall I give it to her?"

The chanting was loud, rehearsed, and creaky like an old tape being played over and over again.

"As my audience wishes!" Haru says with a flourish.

Misa wasn't sure when he had stripped himself of his own clothing, but she didn't care as he finally allowed her to add more pressure with her fingers. She wasn't sure what he said when she let out a loud moan of 'yes!' before she felt him enter her just as she climaxed causing her body to shake with the intensity of it all. He didn't stop, pushing her body further and further past her limits. She wasn't sure why there were suddenly so many hands on her, teasing, vibrating at different speeds, as she chased one climax after another. The only thing that was definitely on her mind was the way that she could feel Haru inside of her, filling her with his seed. There was a part of her that wanted to scream that she was still fertile, but she couldn't.

Her back arched against something, but she didn't care. When her hips moved more in tuned with his and Misa hadn't realized how much of the pleasure she was chasing on her own now, not under any control. Her knees felt as though they were on something soft. Glancing down, she saw her hands on his chest, her body riding on top of him as she begged for more. Each time she begged, there they were... more hands... more cold, wooden hands breaking her very sanity.

In the haze before her next orgasm, Misa could barely remember what she agreed to. Her mind wanted her to remember right now and she wasn't sure why.

"Will you surrender your autonomy to me?"

Misa tensed in fear moments before she climaxed again as she recalled her answer.

"Yes. It's yours."