Shadow Puppets
Chapter 1: Don't Help Them
It was only his first day here and he could already tell that something was off.
Momo had told him that he had a power to see strange things. Strange not like the heroes from story books, but strangely normal, the smallest things that would escape other people's notice. Even the adults'.
That's what she told him anyway.
"You really don't remember anything?"
He shakes his head no, and he sees the smile on his teacher change. It became sad.
"I see. Well, if that changes, please tell me, ok?"
The 'teacher' talks strangely. He talks to the rest of the children, normal eleven-year olds like Shintaro as if he was one of them and asks them to call him only by title, not by name.
His name was the first thing that Shintaro had asked, to which he replied, "Call me Teacher. It's easier to remember."
Shintaro was smart. He'd figured as much from the ease with which he thought, and the way he grasped things quickly, he was smart enough to remember a name at the very least.
He was also smart enough to know that teacher hid his name from them for an entirely different reason.
It was only his first week here and he feels something is wrong.
Even with this weird air around them. He'd slowly grown used to it, enough so that he can tell that no, something was different.
The other children at the house acted like children, but recently he'd seen enough of their behavior to notice that they seemed...more secretive somehow? More withdrawn?
At the same time he notices this, Teacher calls him again, this time to ask him how he was, whether he was adjusting to life there and did he have anything to say to him, to confide in him.
He refuses to think this is a coincidence.
"Is that so? Is there really nothing to tell me, Shintaro-kun?"
He shakes his head no and he sees Teacher's eyes change. Into what could only be called 'suspicion'.
Teacher was never suspicious.
Teacher was gentle. Kind. Scruffy, with shoulder-length messy hair and a sleepy face. Warm hands.
He sends Shintaro off with an instruction to interact more with the other children, not just Momo. Evidently, he'd noticed how the boy hangs around the very edge of the group, watching silently.
He has nothing to do, so he agrees.
He talks to a little girl, silent and thoughtful, and shy, who looks like she would disappear into thin air at any moment.
He talks to a little boy, who talks to birds and has a smile like sunshine.
He talks to a little boy, who says lies and half-truths with a cat-like smile and laughing eyes.
He talks to a little girl with long, fluffy white hair who is shy as well, but is surprisingly energetic and hangs around the boy with the sunshine smile quite often.
He talks to Momo, with her cheerful face and lovely singing voice, who seems to care a lot about him, even though she fights with him a lot.
He talks to a little boy with sad eyes and a fiery attitude, a sharp tongue.
He honestly doesn't know why they're all here, but he assumes they're all like himself; a helpless child with no place to go.
But was this the best place for him? For all of them?
Teacher meets him after dinner and asks him how he was again. He replies that he's fine and Teacher nods. He looks somewhat thoughtful, before he adds, "Hey, Shintaro-kun? If I told you that there was a World unlike our own, would you believe me?"
He replies no, of course not. Teacher smiles and says, "You're mature for your age, Shintaro-kun. Well, it's only a fairy tale. But...if there ever was a choice that you had to make, a choice exactly like that, it's best if you don't open the door.'
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Kano, the little liar boy, tells him of the whispering that comes from the second floor.
"Help me...help me!" He says in that same theatrical manner that he uses whenever he has a new story to tell, "They always yell and cry that every night. I'm a light sleeper, I've heard them more than once."
"Have you ever gone up there and seen what was happening?" Shintaro asks.
"What?! No way! I really don't want to get caught doing that." Kano grimaces, "Second-floor's off limits and Teacher may act like a ditz half the time, but he's really scary when he's mad."
Kano's probably had a lot of experience with that.
But Shintaro has this horrible, horrible habit of being curious. Whenever he heard something that perked his interest, it would eat away at him, like a constant itch under his skin.
And he was curious about the voices.
That night, when he was sure everyone was asleep, he snuck out his room and went upstairs.
The voice weren't coming from the library, but instead the door next to it.
The store-room?
He opens the door and sure enough...
Help me...please! Please help me!
It was coming from the very back of the library. From that huge wooden case where thousands and thousands of colorful butterflies decorated the surface in a rainbow.
When the sun came through the door of the room, it mostly illuminates the case and the colors sparkle and shine in the otherwise gloomy room.
...Butterflies can't talk, right?
But the voices were coming from there...
He walks up to the case and the voices grow louder with each step.
He finally stops in front of the case and stares up at it.
A cluster of voices surround him, and they're so loud. It's almost impossible for him to think...
So loud...
Shut up...I can't...
I can't...stand this!
His hand reaches for the nearest butterfly, a pretty deep blue one. He pulls.
And a large shadow falls upon him.
He looks up to see the case wobble dangerously, before it leans over him.
And finally falls.
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Blindfold House Rules and Regulations:
Rule #01
Going up to the second floor after night-time is strictly prohibited.
If in the event that you find yourself on the second-floor landing, please return to the first floor as soon as possible.
Refrain from accessing the storage room during those hours. Whatever noises heard are most likely a trick of the wind, or the house creaking in the storms.
And most importantly;
Never approach to the butterfly showcase
Never touch the butterflies in the showcase
And never pull them free.
Never 'help' them.
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