Puppet Master Book Three: Soulful Farwell

Written by Vaulk and MovieGal007

Chapter One

The Return

It had been two weeks since the abduction of Andre and Elsa by the demon lord Sutaketh and his minions, the Wheelers. Jake had been walking around the museum depressed, knowing that it was because of him they were most likely suffering in the Underworld. Thoughts plagued his dreams about the pair being tortured by who know what means. His imagination was great and thought of the most horrible things.

Tabitha had been doing her best to keep his spirits high, but even she was haunted by the possibilities of what might be happening. To her relief, Jake had thrown himself into the final phase of his latest puppet, Hunter. The mental distraction brought Jake some peace and Tabitha, not wishing to burden him more than he was, had been speaking more often to Blade to alleviate some of her fears. He was one of the few puppets willing to actually listen. Jester and Trickster were never ones to sit still too long.

Hunter was coming along nicely. Jake smiled giving himself a mental pat on the back. Articulating his joints, Jake placed hidden objects and weaponry into the armor the tiny puppet wore and painting exquisite symbols and runes onto the armor in various places.

His father, mother and the puppets were now by their sides during every moment of every day, awake or sleeping they stayed near. Since the puppet's refused to let Jake or Tabitha alone, even with each other for a moment Mrs. Leech and Blade were the only two puppets allowed to accompany Tabitha to the bathroom. Jake had Jester and Trickster, though Trickser still thought it funny to cover the toilet seat at night with cellophane. Tabitha had laughed but Jake was not amused.

The privacy of the young couple was gone, but their safety was now of utmost concern.

"Tabitha." he said one evening, lying next to her in bed while Trickster and Blade, who had been getting along better, watched guard outside the room. Six-Shooter and Tunneler sat on the windowsill looking outside while Decapitron and Mrs. Leech sat on a pillow on the floor at the end of the bed.

"I'm sorry all this is happening. I know you want some alone time as much as I do, but," he motioned around the room, "They just want to keep us safe."

She smiled at him, bringing her hand up to stroke the side of his face as she moved closer to wrap her arms around him, "I understand. We'll have plenty of alone time after we're married."

He loved the way the words sounded. When we are married, that sounded so good.

Smiling briefly, he then sighed, "I just can't get it out of my head. What must be happening to them right now? Are they even still alive? It's all my fault."

She moved her head to look into his eyes, "It is NOT your fault. It's Sutaketh's fault. He's the one who took them in order to try and get us to give ourselves up to him."

Nodding, Jake let out an exasperated sigh before shutting his eyes to try and sleep. He was worn out from stress and Tabitha, he could tell from the dark circles under her eyes that she hadn't been sleeping well either.

Sleep soon overtook him and he found himself walking in the hallway of the museum, hearing tinkering sounds coming from within Tabitha's room.

Opening the door, he found an odd sight before him. Lying on the bed was Tabitha, completely nude, Wheelers surrounding her with various tools and objects. A clicking sound was heard as her left arm was removed, though there was no blood loss. Handed down, the arm was set on a cart as a wooden arm was handed back as the Wheeler to her side began to attach it.

The two Wheelers above and below her nodded to one another as they reached down on her shoulders and below from between her legs as a loud click echoed in the room. Lifting up, they removed her chest, revealing an intriquate series of gears and gyros working like a clock.

All the time, her gaze was fixed up at the ceiling, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. Her beautiful blue eyes seemed glassy, like the eyes of a doll. Jake himself seemed to not have any emotion at the scene he was witnessing.

Setting the chest down, they replaced it with a new chest. Two round orbs with spikes where her breasts had been and long, trailing burns on the wood leading down to her legs.

Another click and her right arm was removed, again replaced by a wooden one. Soon, her legs were detached and replaced with wooden replacements as well, though she still had no hands nor feet.

A circle of flame appeared to the right of Jake as a form appeared and looked over at Jake. Well over 10 feet tall, the scaly creature with burning red eyes stared down at him.

"Finish it." It said as it handed him four spiked wheels.

As if being moved by an unseen force, Jake walked forward, taking one of the wheels and attaching it over Tabitha's left arm, securing it. Moving back and forth between the Demon and her body, he finished attaching the other three wheels as Tabitha rose from the bed beside her fellow Wheelers. She looked at him, but she did not see him. Tabitha was gone.

Walking back to the demon, he looked up into the face of Sutaketh who smiled evilly.

"Well done puppet master." Said the demon, "You shall eventually lose everyone you love and care about to me. You will witness their tortures, be a part of them. All the while, knowing it is you who are responsible for all of it. Give yourself to me and I shall release them all."

With a jolt, Jake sat upright in bed, sweat causing his shirt to cling to his body.

Tabitha awoke with a fright and seeing the state Jake was in gently but firmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What was it?" she asked.

Looking over to her, his heart continued to beat against his chest as he grabbed her, he ran his hands along her body quickly feeling her arms, legs and torso. Convinced she was whole he held her close to his chest.

"Another nightmare?" She asked rubbing comfortingly against him.

He nodded without saying anything as he felt his parents climb onto the bed and place hands on his exposed legs.

"How is he doing this?" Jake demanded to know, "Every night since Andre and Elsa were taken, I have to live out these nightmares. First it was the puppets being disassembled and burned, then mom and dad being skinned alive, then Tabitha having thorns growing out her skin. Now it's just varying nightmares. Tonight it was…"

He shuddered under her touch afraid to speak, "Tabitha being turned into a Wheeler."

Her hand rose off of his shoulder slightly before gripping it tightly.

Looking down at his father, he said, "More than anything, I needed to talk with you now."

Jake dropped his head in defeat.

"Son."

Looking over at the puppet by his left leg, he asked, "Dad? Did you just say something?"

Decapitron looked over at him and nodded slightly.

"Do it again." Said Jake, now excited.

"You can hear me?" came the voice, though Rick's mouth had not moved.

Jake laughed, "Yes, I can hear you!"

Decapitron's hands rose in the air as Tabitha grinned broadly.

"How can you now hear him?" she asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jake replied, "I don't know. Maybe it's because of the stress level, the emotional toll, who knows? The point is I can talk to him now."

She didn't care how it was happening, all she knew was that Jake was happy again and that was all that mattered. Then, a horrible thought entered her mind as the smile on her face faded.

Jake was quick to notice this as he asked, "What is it?"

Frowning slightly at both Jake and then Rick, she voiced her fear.

"What if it isn't your dad's voice you're hearing?"

Jake looked confused at this, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Well," she explained, "If Sutaketh can enter your dreams and control what you see and hear, what's to stop him from making you hear things when you are awake? After all, only you can hear him in your mind. What if this is all some type of game to torment us more?"

Slowly, Jake's head turned to his father.

"Dad? Think something to me like you did before." He pleaded.

"She has a point, Jake." Was heard in his mind.

"He just said you have a point." Stated Jake.

Decapitron nodded.

"I know you want to talk to your dad Jake, for now, what you are hearing might be true. But what if this is all just to lull you into believing that everything you hear is true. What if later, he uses this to give you false directions? To lie to you and make you believe something that isn't true?" she said, still frowning.

Jake frowned. He had just been given that which he had wanted for so long, to talk with his parents again, and now if anything went wrong he would be the reason why it all went bad.

"But what if that's the game?" Jake asked, rubbing his hands against his head, ruffling up his hair, still soaked with sweat. "Demons are evil but, what if I really am hearing dad? Maybe the same way they came to life in the puppet bodies is the same way I'm hearing him. Andre could do it, after all. What if my mistrust in it is what leads me down the wrong path?"

She shook her head, "Oh God, Jake, I don't know. This is all so…I don't know."

"We can't be second guessing ourselves." Said his father, "for now, let us just be glad we can talk again after so long."

Jake nodded before looking over at Tabitha and explaining what he had just heard.

"We just need to be careful." She added as she grinned.

The puppets from outside had come inside, curious as to what all the talking was about as Tabitha smiled down, reaching over and picking each up and setting them on the bed.

It was now, in the time of great joy, that a small burst of flame was seen as Abomination emerged. Quickly scanning the room, he saw what he was after as his hands reached back and removed a small rope from behind his back. Whirling the lasso, he threw it at the windowsill, wrapping around Six-Shooter's head and pulling as all six arms were pinned to his sides. One quick yank and the puppet toppled from the height.

Blade was already running to the edge of the bed, leaping off, his knife hand extended to strike into Abomination's chest.

At the last moment, the figure spun around, sending a roundhouse kick to the puppet as Blade got knocked back against the bed.

"What the hell?" Jake shouted, witnessing it as Abomination pulled Six-Shooter closer into the ring of fire.

Trickster and Jester were already nearing the ring as one of Abomination's hands reached in and yanked out the gun from his holster, firing two warning shots at their feet.

Now mere inches from the fire, Six continued to struggle against the rope as, with one last tug, he was pulled inside to lay by Abomination's feet.

"This is only the beginning!" yelled a voice from Abomination's open mouth and with a burst of flame, they were both gone.

"Oh my God! No!" yelled out Tabitha as she and Jake leapt from the bed, running over to where they had been.

"He talked!" Jake yelled out as Tabitha looked over at him.

Tabitha nodded, fear on her face, as Jake continued "More than that, he's no longer a puppet. No puppet has moves like that. I saw his face when he talked. He was smiling and enjoying himself. Sutaketh has made him real."