Puppet Master: Bloodlines

Written by Vaulk and Moviegal007

Chapter One

The Beginning

The waves crashed beside the shore at the edge of the Bodega Bay Inn. They seemed to echo in the now remodeled hotel. After the events that had transpired over 10 years prior, the owners of the Inn, Rick and Suzie Myers, decided to transform the dilapidated Inn into a museum dedicated to the greatest puppeteer the world had known, Andre Toulon.

The Toulon Doll and Puppet Museum was to be the pride of the Myers family. Everything they had in their lives was due to Andre Toulon. So, naturally, they wanted to thank him.

True, there were collections of other dolls and puppet from throughout the world there now, but they were in other sections of the museum, the largest, the entire third floor, was for Andre alone.

To the world, Andre Toulon had passed on, along with his wife some time ago. Though no one knew that they were in fact still alive in the bodies of the husband and wife team called Dollman and Ginger.

Dollman and his wife had met Toulon and his living puppets over 10 years ago, during the time Rick called "The puppet wars". Dollman, also called Brick Bardo, and his wife had come to the Inn because of her interest in the paranormal and Bodega Bay Inn was full of that.

Toulon, many years prior to that, had been given, by an Egyptian Sorceror, the means to animate inanimate objects and transfer souls into the puppet's bodies. This gave them their own unique personalities, but also instilled immortality to them.

Unfortunately, some of his puppets did not like the idea of being trapped in a shell for eternity and turned on him, using the grandson of the Nazi who shot and killed Toulon's wife, Elsa. She had managed to live on, in a creation of Andre's named Mrs. Leech or Leech Woman.

Toulon himself was being sought by the Germans and in a last act, shot and killed himself while inside the Inn. His puppets that were still loyal to Toulon, were able to resurrect him from the grave and his soul was transferred into his final puppet, Decapitron.

In later years, Rick was called on to become the new Puppet Master and keep the formula of animation and life safe. He did so willingly and stood by the puppets and Toulon when Nathan Krauss, the grandson, created his own army of Toulon's Retro puppets, he fought.

The battle was intense and took tolls on both sides. Dollman and Ginger were gravely injured and the large puppet known as Pinhead met his demise at the hands of his doppleganger.

Using an ancient formula, Elsa and Andre were able to transfer their souls into Brick and Ginger's bodies as they had been given to them as a final, selfless act of kindness upon their death.

Krauss himself, whose only ambition was to find the secret of eternal life, was given just what he wanted in the end. Rick had subdued and knocked him unconscious and was going to kill him when Andre intervened, telling him he had a better idea.

Krauss had awoken, strapped down to a table and unable to move. He saw Rick's face looking down at him as he heard the words, "Well, we decided to give you that which you wanted so badly." And turned the table up to see himself in a small mirror.

An ugly, distorted face looked back at him. A face of a puppet! This particular puppet had been created using the parts of many of the battle's victims. One of Six-shooter's arms, Blade's hook hand, Pinhead's head and body and the feet and boots of Dr. Death.

"We're going to call you…Abomination. Now the ugliness of the inside is reflected on the outside." Said the voice of Andre Toulon speaking through Decapitron.

The serum they had given Abomination was only meant to last a short while. Then, the punishment would begin for his crimes. Krauss would be able to see and hear, but not move for eternity.

Soon after that, Rick's wife, Suzie gave birth to Jacob Myers, commonly known as Jake.

Using the means of complex paperwork and Krauss' signature, Rick and Suzie had "inherited" the Inn from Krauss who was the current owner. No one ever asked what happened to him, only that the citizens of the town were glad someone was doing something positive with the Inn.

The museum became a great success, bringing in people from all over to see the works on display.

Jake was only 10 when his father called him into his private study one day. The dark haired youth had never been allowed in here, always being told it was forbidden. This was frustrating, because being home schooled meant he had a lot of time on his hands here and always wondered what was so bad about that room.

His father walked in with him, setting him on a bench near his table and asked, "Jake, have you ever wondered about your secret friends?"

Of course, Jake knew he was referring to his puppet friends who were able to run around and play with him without any strings or batteries.

"I always figured it was magic. That's what mom always said." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Rick chuckled, "Well, in a way, it is. I figure you're old enough now to know the truth about them."

A cough from behind them, caused them to both turn as a 13 inch tall man with white hair walked in, now sporting a goatee and moustache, the face of Brick Bardo carried a big smile.

"Hello Rick. Jake."

"Hello Andre." Rick said as he got up and walked over to the Dollman, picking him up and setting him on the table.

"I was just about to have "The Talk" with Jake here."

"Ah." Andre said, "Then I arrived at the right time, haven't I?"

Although he had met Andre at a very early age, Jake was told that Andre was "born different" than other people and he would never grow any bigger than he was now. All of that was about to change.

Rick knew it was going to be a lot for his son to take in, but he had to know the truth. One day, he would take over watching over the puppets and had to learn everything Rick and Andre could teach him.

"Jake," Rick began, "Andre wasn't born a small man like he looks today. In fact, this isn't even Andre's real body."

Jake laughed, knowing this was probably just some kind of joke from his dad. He loved to play practical jokes on his dad all the time with his favorite buddy, Jester.

But his dad wasn't laughing, nor was Andre as the grin disappeared from his face.

"I don't get it, dad."

Rubbing his chin, Rick tried to figure out how to start.

"Okay son, let me tell you a story."

Jake nodded and sat back as Rick began to tell him the tale of Andre Toulon, a great puppeteer who had been given the life giving formula a very long time ago. The story continued on as Jake was told about the demon Sutekh who tried to get the formula back and had sent little minions called Totems to Rick and Suzie. How the puppets Toulon had created became their defenders and stopped the evil.

Then, he was told about recent events. How the Inn had been taken over by a very evil man named Krauss. How he had turned Toulon's puppets bad and was eventually defeated and placed in the Abomination puppet.

"So that's why you never let me in that room upstairs? That's where you keep him?" Jake asked.

Andre nodded, "Without the serum of life, he is nothing more than a shell, but we think it best you never even look upon him."

To any other child, this story would have belonged in a book of fairy tales. Stuff like this couldn't be true. But Jake was no ordinary child. He played with these puppets. Talked to the 13 inch tall Andre on a daily basis. Sure it scared him, thinking about these evil puppets that they were talking about. But they were gone now. His father and Andre assured him of that. They had been given the death they so wanted and had been released.

Now, their puppet bodies had been repaired and set among the works of Andre Toulon in the museum beside Decapitron and Mrs. Leech.

Only Blade, Jester, Six-Shooter and Tunneler remained among the living. They were his friends, companions and protectors.

Jake remembered a time playing outside that a mean dog had tried to bite him only to find Blade's knife poking into his nose, causing the mutt to run off, howling in pain.