Quick explanation of the concept:
I use songs from Lanota as inspiration to write a short story each chapter.
If you want any chapter to be turned into a full story, tell me and I'll make it happen (it might take a while though).
Track 1: Broken Marionette
▶PLAY
Jaden had never felt the need to close the curtains in his room at night.
He liked how the rising sun always greeted him by shining into the room and caressing his face with the first rays of sunlight that held the hope of a brand new day to explore.
He liked how it always succeeded in keeping his heart calm; no matter what problems might have plagued it, as soon as his body embraced the warmth, they all disappeared, faded into nothing and only left room for happy thoughts.
Today though, none of that beautiful light could reach him through the tightly closed curtains and nothing of the usual calmness was present in his aching heart as he sat at his desk, trying to make sense of anything.
He'd been sitting there the entire night, not eating, not sleeping, just staring down at the blueprint.
He needed to get to work soon, but he didn't have any motivation to do what they wanted him to do.
Hell, he didn't even have any motivation to get up and do anything at all, not even eating.
The lines on the blueprint blurred more and more due to his tired eyes, yet he didn't try to snap out of his haze and merely watched as everything formed one big wall of pencil strokes and unreadable lines of text.
Move! Get to work!
The words were still engraved into his memory, repeating themselves over and over without break and without actual effect on him.
Now and then he felt his fingers twitch slightly, desperately itching to have something to do to use all the unused energy that was stored in his muscles, but at this point he doubted his need for movement could get strong enough to actually get him to stand up or do something.
Right now, he felt like a marionette with no strings attached, unable to move on his own and being left by its owner to rot in a corner of their room.
He'd never thought he would ever want to have strings in the first place since he'd seen himself as someone who craved their freedom, protecting it at all costs and not letting other people interfere with it in any way and still, right now he felt lost.
Right now he needed a helping hand telling him what to do.
Move! Get to work!
The words were nothing more than a slight tug at his fingertips, but he wished for more.
He wished for strings, gentle strings that would slowly guide his body and heart back on a way where he could learn to walk on his own again.
He was basically starting from scratch again and by the gods, without strings he'd never find his way and be forever stuck in this place with nothing but the memory of what happened to Chazz.
''I can help you find a purpose again.''
The voice was nothing more than an echo of a past conversation and even so, Jaden was willing to listen to it.
He hadn't been able to do this while standing in front of the voice -whoever it belonged to anyway, he'd long forgotten it- because his mind had been shrouded with nothing but doubt and blame.
He'd blamed himself for getting into this stupid argument with Chazz only days before the accident had happened.
He'd blamed himself for not making up with him because of his own pride and blamed himself because now he was never going to.
He'd blamed himself for yelling harsh words into his face that he'd never meant to say.
''I... what happened?''
Even now, his confused, hurt, unbelieving voice sounded in his head, making him dizzy all over again.
''They say it was a suicide.''
''Was it... my fault?''
''I'm sure it was.''
A shiver ran through his body at the iciness of those words and for a second, he struggled to breathe.
How could he live with himself after knowing he was at fault for what Chazz did?
How could he make it up to him?
Move! Get to work!
His hands tensed, fingers slowly curling into a fist on the table.
''But don't worry, I know a way how you can repay your crime.''
''How? Please tell me, how?''
Jaden didn't remember the person's face very clear, but he was certain to have seen an almost sinister smile the day he'd been talking to them.
However, if they could take away what he did, he was more than willing to do whatever they asked of him.
''Well, I'm sure Chazz would want you to help me in order to reflect on your fault.''
They had handed him the blueprint without waiting for his answer and just turned around and strolled away.
The choice had never been his to make.
If Chazz wanted him to help this person, then he couldn't deny this request which was why the blueprint was here on his desk in the first place.
He'd felt lost, alone, cold after the incident, disoriented without strings to show him how to put his shattered world back together, but that could change, right?
Move! Get to work!
The force of the tug that he suddenly felt on his body was enough to make him stand up straight in an instant, hands still on the desk.
At first, he believed it was just a reaction of his body to test if he was still alive.
He braced himself for a hard impact since there were no strings to keep him in this upright position, but after several seconds of him standing there, he realized it had to be something else.
Why wasn't he collapsing?
''I can give you strings.''
It wasn't a question, but Jaden nodded anyway, although he wasn't exactly aware of it.
His hands went to pick up the blueprint and for the first time he actually saw it, saw what the person wanted him to do, saw the strings they had attached to him.
He was a marionette.
And he was okay with that, he was glad to be guided through whatever life decided to throw his way next.
Sure, he might be a little broken, but he was still usable and of worth and he would prove it.
Alright.
Time to get to work.
❚❚ PAUSE
⏭️ NEXT TRACK