"Lauren?" The mass under the thick comforters groaned and shuffled. "Hey, Lauren?" A tan well manicured fingernail poked the polka dotted blankets earning a small groan and rude grumbled word. The tan woman rolled her eyes and yanked on the covers. "C'mon Lauren! You need to get up, like, now!" she gave the blankets another good tug but to no avail, the mass didn't move an inch. She sighed and stared at the bed, watching the gentle rise and fall of the breathing. With a roll of her eyes she walked into the bathroom a few feet from the bed and gripped the shower hose and stretching it, the woman then walked to the blanket covered bed and stuck the hose into a gap, walking back into the bathroom.

"I swear Lauren, you never learn." With that, she twisted the cold water knob and watched the hose stiffen as the water flowed through. A scream and a heavy thump greeted her smiling face as she twisted the water off and poking her head through the door. A soaking wet Lauren laid sprawled on the floor, a giant water puddle darkening her light purple sheets. Lauren huffed and shuffled to her feet, sticking her pink painted nail into the woman's face.

"Was that really necessary, Liane!" She yelled, swishing her wet hair over her shoulder and glared at the smiling Indian woman.

"I do believe it was- Liane jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the wall clock - We're already twenty minutes late to the shop." Lauren's eyes bulged and stared open mouthed at the smirking Hindi woman. Lauren tossed Liane to the side and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door into her still smiling face. Liane sauntered out the room with the echoing profanities flowing behind her from the bathroom.

After ten minutes in the shower, Lauren flew out the door (clad in a towel) past Liane (who had her face in a magazine) and into the laundry room. The Indian woman chuckled behind her magazine, flipping the page and crossed her right leg over the left. Five minutes later the laundry room door busted open and Lauren finally dressed in light blue skinny's and a black lace camisole, flew up the stairs and back into her room. Liane sighed and threw the magazine on the table and looked up the stairs.

"Hurry the hell up, Lauren! We need to go!"

"Give me a freaking second!"

Liane rolled her eyes and slumped into the couch cushion. Lauren quickly blow dried her hair and lightly straitened it before putting on eyeliner and gripping her purse. She quickly flew down the stairs and slipped on her flats.

"Okay I'm ready lets go!" She waved her purse in the air madly, gripping her keys as she flew out the door.

Liane sighed. "Such an immature child."

After berating herself on being a sorry ass shop owner, Lauren was able to make it and open up her antique shop. Her grandmother owned the establishment for thirty years before she passed away a few summers ago, passing the family business to her. The shop contained many many items that were donated from other people that were a waste of space, but Lauren didn't see them as junk. She saw them as treasures that had stories imbedded into the wood or fabric, she just adored the old stuff.

A tap on her shoulder brought her from her thoughts to see the cutest old woman with her white hair in a bun, making her smile. "May I help you?"

The woman fidgeted with her pocketbook strap. "Yes, I was wandering if you had any items ranging from the 20's to the 40's." Her expression held hope and her eyes shined just a little.

Lauren smiled and lifted the counter section and walked out with a beckoning hand. "I'm sure we do, follow me." The woman followed Lauren to the back room where they held the largest items, like couches, tables, pianos ext. The old woman smiled and followed Lauren to the back room. They passed Liane who was scrubbing down the exhibits and glass display windows. Lauren smiled and held the door open for the woman and waved her inside, flipping the lights on to show what they had to offer.

Lauren smiled at the woman agape expression. "I'll let you wander and come find me whenever you're ready, I'm Lauren by the way." The old woman smiled and slowly began to walk around the warehouse filling with different objects, smiling as she ran her hands over the delicate furniture.

Lauren turned and walked through the door, seeing Liane restring the marionettes. Lauren's family held a strong part in their hearts for puppets, dolls and marionettes. She could recall her grandmother, whom she visited regularly because of her mothers job, and always being able to see her little friend.

"Grandma!" An eleven year old Lauren cried as she ran into the old timely, Victorian styled home. An old woman beamed a bright smile, bending down to
give her giggling granddaughter a hug.

"Oh sweetheart, how are you doing?" Grandmother smiled. She was a very unique, classy woman, always wore dresses, the pretty dangle earrings, and rings that claimed every finger.

Little Lauren smiled up at her.

"I'm great, Oh where's Jester!" She hopped up and down looking for the little puppet she called friend. Grandmother laughed and walked to a beautifully carved, dark cherry wood trunk. She opened it and pulled out a hand piece, strings, and finally, Jester poked his head out. She placed his feet on the ground and moved the hand piece around till he was dancing. Lauren giggled and clapped her hands. My mother smiled, kissed her little head and left for work.

Grandma handed Lauren the hand piece and left the living room to go cook lunch. The little girl sat down with her purple dress sprawled about and just played with Jester, giggling when he would do a funny trick.

Her giggling became much happier when he began to dance around without the movement of the strings, making Lauren smile and clap her hands. His face spun around till it was at a happy expression, twirled his wrist and bowed. Lauren held her small arms open for the colorful puppet to run into them.

Lauren smiled and kissed his cheek before picking up the hand piece as Grandmother walked in, with the lunch on a fine silver tray.

Lauren smiled at the memory, seeing the old woman walk out with her own smile on her face. "I believe I found what I was looking for." Lauren nodded and walked behind the counter, picking up a truck form and a pen. "Alright I just need the item number and your address." She smiled to the woman as she placed her purse on the counter and opened up the little note in her ring cladded hand.

"It's item 3482, the purple velvet high back parlor couch." Lauren wrote down the information and checked the delivery box. "Address please." She smiled.

" My address is 3345 An-kin's street." Lauren wrote down the address and continued with the rest of the delivery sheet. The old woman watched every pen stroke Lauren made, her eyes scanning the movements of her wrists.

Lauren placed the pen down and folded the paper. "Okay, I will have some workers get the truck and have it at your house within the next few days." The old woman beamed and gripped her pocketbook before nodding happily and lightly tapping Lauren's hand. The door bell ding announced that she left and Lauren placed the folded delivery form into the truck loading pin, walking out of the counter to go check on Liane.

Lauren crossed her arms and popped out her hip at the sight of Liane laying sprawled out on the display couch, Peoples magazine clutched tightly in her hands. Lauren cleared her throat, causing Liane to look up from her reading to Lauren then back to reading.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Laying down on the job?"

Liane plopped the magazine on her lap and bent her head back to look at Lauren. "Yep, my feet hurt." Her head snapped back to the magazine, her left leg crossing over her right. Lauren groaned and walked over to the very decorative sign that spelled in English Please do not sit on the furniture, a sign that was stationed right in front of Liane. Lauren cleared her throat once more.

Liane groaned and looked up seeing the foot tapping brunette standing behind the Do Not sign. she groaned. "Oh come on! No ones looking, Lauren." She shook her head.

"I don't care, back to work, I'll be up at the counter." Liane groaned and tossed her magazine into her large burlap bag. "Yeah! Give yourself the easy job!" She picked up her cleaning supplies and went to work on the glass doll display.

Lauren walked back into the counter to go over some of the previous loading papers, a slab of red caught her eye. She looked out the display window to see a rusted old truck pull into a spot and a very dirt ridden man shuffled out and hoisting a large object out of the bed. She raised an eyebrow as the man kept looking over his shoulder in a paranoid manner before jerking the door open, making the bell jingle madly. He huffed loudly as she shimmied his way through the various displays of chairs and tables and dropped the giant trunk onto the counter with a loud thunk, where he began to catch his breath.

"Sir, are you alright?" Lauren asked in a shaky voice, he just continued to heave air into his lungs. Lauren lifted up the counter and walked to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, I can call an ambu-

"Please." He cut her off. "Please take them." He wheezed out with a scratchy voice. Lauren, caught off guard, lifted her hand from his shoulder and looked at the nicely decorated trunk of dark cherry wood. The man sucked in a breath and pushed the trunk in Lauren's direction, lifting his sad eyes to her wide greens.

"Please..." With one final jerk of the trunk in her direction, he lifted himself up and stormed out of the shop, knocking down a few displays, driving quickly down the road. Lauren stared at the trunk, lightly running her fingers over the vine like design, fingering the open padlock over the latch.

"Uh, Liane! Come here please!" Lauren called as she lifted the padlock out of the latch

Liane groaned as she halted mid-wipe on the glass doll show case. "I swear she needs me for everything." She moaned as she unfolded herself from her knees and with her cleaning supplies in hand, sauntered over to Lauren. She dispelled her gloves to the side table and threw her cleaning spray to the floor, walking up to Lauren who was hunched over a large trunk.

Her eyebrow raised. "Where did this thing come from?"

Lauren shrugged. "Some crazy crack head ran in here and threw it on the table." Her hands flew over her head in unsureness. "I don't know what the hell to do with it."

Liane stared at the upright trunk and blew air from her cheeks.. "I don't think at it like an idiot will tell us whats inside." With that, Liane slammed it on it's side, releasing a loud thunk to echo through the store and dust to float around.

Lauren jumped and smacked her friend. "Liane! My god." she groaned out. Liane smirked and unlatched the latch and jerked the door open. Both of the women gasped at the sight before them. Four puppets were scattered around the velvet lining, like who ever was carrying them jerked the trunk in a uncaring notion. Liane reached in and grabbed one puppet that wore a thick red sweater but a had a really small pointed head.

Liane let a snort/chuckle and turned the puppet to face Lauren. "Pfft, look at this character." She fingered the puppets giant hand, making it wave to the smiling brunette.

"Knock it off you buttface." Lauren smiled, reaching in and picking up another puppet. Her eyebrow raised at the menacing looking puppet. Pure white with long white hair, a cheshire grin and. . . A hook and knife for arms. Lauren lifted up the knife and as if it was designed to do so, tiny silver bullets popped from his eye sockets and his mouth slowly fell.

"Hmm, you're pretty peculiar." Lauren placed the knife 'arm' back to his side but odd enough, his face stayed the same, with his mouth open and the silver bullets out. Her lip curled up and her eye brow raised, she placed the frightening puppet back into the trunk and shot the lid. Liane rested her elbow on the trunk and stared at the girl before her.

"What should we do with it?" She asked as she scratched her cheek.

Lauren didn't know what to do with the thing, she thought that it would make a good display for the shop and it possibly could catch a good price but something in her wanted to keep it. She groaned and stared at the huge trunk with defeat written to her face.

"I think I'll keep it, I kinda like it." She ran her fingers over the vine designs and tapped her finger nails to it. Liane looked to the trunk and to Lauren, shrugging before going into a stretch.

"Do what ever you want with it, I'm going to go finish cleaning." With that Liane disappeared into the store. Lauren sighed and heaved the trunk behind the counter, propping it up by her legs. She might as well keep it. What the old man said about 'them' probably being those puppets, she couldn't do anything but take them home. She shrugged and pulled up the counter lid and stepping through, halting when a gentle hiss reached her ears. The counter lid dropped with a thud and she went about the store.

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The ride home was supper long in Lauren's opinion. After a hand full of customers came into the shop, four of them gave her hell. One wouldn't shut up about their past life experiences, one had a child that screamed the entire time they were shopping and one old woman was just as bitter as a sour orange. Lauren blew air out of her lips and leaned back into the drivers seat of her car. It already gotten late and she just wanted to go home, eat, and sleep. Her eyes ghosted over to the large trunk that was seated upright in the passenger seat and sighed. What was she going to do with those puppets and that bulky trunk?

She sighed. "I could clean off that shelf by my fire place." She mumbled as she turned the wheel to the left and slowly eased her way into the drive way. With her keys in hand she opened the passenger side door and the terrible task of heaving the trunk into her house begun, it took both her and Liane ten minutes to the get this thing into her little Ford Taurus, she didn't want to think how long it would take her to get it into her house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a heave from her noodle arms and the loud disapproval from her lower back, the large trunk landed loudly next her sectional couch with a muffled groan. Lauren slumped forwards and rested her hands to her knees, drawing air into her lungs. "One hundred and twenty-three pounds but I'm so out of shape." She huffed as she flopped onto the large floor pillow and tipped the trunk over to open it.

"Lets see if the loon gave you names." She picked up the six armed cowboy that had a wicked grin to his features and turned him over, lifting up the bandana to see the name on his neck.

"Six Shooter, Blade, Pin Head and Je-Jee-Jester?" Lauren's fingers grazed her fingers over the dark purple and red satin of the puppets costumes and traced the diamond like designs. Memories of the puppet she used to play with flooded her mind and she traced the back of the puppet with widened eyes.

A thirteen year old Lauren ran into her grandmother's unique styled home and smiled.

"Hey Grandma!" Her grandmother looked up and smiled. She was sitting in her rocking chair, she hardly ever sits in that thing unless... Oh no. Mom looked worried.

"Honey I'm late, I'll see you later OK?" She kissed Laurens head and ran out the door. She stared sadly at grandma.

"Grandma, you okay?" Little Lauren walked toward her grandmother and grabbed her hand. She had a sad and solemn look to her and shook her head around the house with teary eyes. Lauren looked and saw most of the windows were broken in, her beautiful cabinet that held her most treasured china was smashed open and the dishes gone. her eyes widened as she looked around more. Her shelf that held her most precious metal Jack-In-The-Box was gone and her jewelry box that was supposed to be in her room was on the living room floor, empty and smashed.

A tear fell down Lauren's cheek.

"Oh grandma! I'm so sorry!" Lauren grabbed her and hugged her tight, she responded with a light pat on her back. She looked at the teen girl with sad and sorrowful eyes that pleaded for forgiveness.

"That's not all they took." Lauren backed away and stared at her. A tear fell from her cheek as she pointed toward the trunk, the lock was broken off and was forced open. Green eyes grew wide and tears poured out. "Grandma please no!" She ran to the trunk and looked through the debris. He's gone!

Another tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry sweetheart, They took Jester."

Lauren never knew She could cry that hard. They were able to find the men that broke in and return her jewelry and most of her china but when we asked about the marionette, they said that the burglars told them that the doll put up a fight and ran away.

"I don't know if they were on drugs or what but They did not have a puppet with them." He walked back to his car drove away with the crooks in the back.

Lauren's face was hidden in her grandmother's dress as she sobbed.

Lauren sniffed, turning the puppet to look at her and she smiled. "I finally got you back." She smiled. The face of the puppet began to rapidly spin and spin until it finally landed on a bright smile, a giggle that she remembered well escaped the tiny little puppet body. Lauren crushed the puppet to her chest as a tiny little sob escaped her throat. Jester let out a low moan as he tapped his tiny wooden hands to her damp cheeks, that happy smile staying on his polished face. Lauren smiled and held his tiny hands with her index fingers,her head jerked up when a flash caught her eye.

Blade let out a low and throaty hiss as he launched himself from the confines of the puppet trunk, his sharp blade swinging madly. Before she could think, Jester was jerked from her hands by that hook and a his knife crash landing to the top of her wrist. The sudden stinging pain hit her brain faster than she thought and her scream echoed through the house. Blade's eyes popped out and a hiss escaped his lips as he began to charge the crawling, fear stricken girl.

Jester jerked himself from the curve of the hook and jolted himself before the angry puppet leader, tiny cries and whimpers escaping his frowning mouth. Blades shoulders fell into the jester puppets hands as he was forced back, away from the cowering girl in the corner. Blades bullets popped from his sockets as he hissed at Jester to release him but he. . . Refused?

Lauren lifted her head from the protection of her arms to see that the two puppets were bickering at each other. Tiny little cries and whimpers were coming from Jester as he kept his tiny hands firm to Blades shoulders as the gunner puppet hissed violently at the smaller puppet. Lauren stared wide eyed at the strange scene, lifting her head to see that the other two puppets were standing upright and moving around. Lauren blinked and her mouth dropped.

Jester let one final plea escape him before Blade finally threw his knife and hook into the air and marched back over to the trunk with low hisses escaping him. Jester turned to look at the bewildered Lauren sitting in the corner and stepped over with his face spinning to a happy expression. He reached his hand over and patted her knee, getting her attention and raising his hand to her. Lauren blinked before offering him her index finger and lightly he tugged her to the direction of the trunk. With her bleeding hand curled tightly to her stomach, she crawled behind Jester and sat on her knees beside him. The three puppets, or more like two..., stared at her with non-threatening stances as the darker puppet held his back to her with his 'arms' crossed over his chest.

With her back tensed in fear Lauren ghosted her eyes down to Jester who looked up to her, he placed his hands on his chest then slowly spread them out before him. Lauren eyebrow raised at the weird gesture, cocking her head slightly. Jester face palmed then did the motion again but added an emphasizing jerk toward the other puppets. Light bulb.

"You want me to introduce myself?" Jester clapped his hands and if he could he would let out a "Duh stupid."

"My name is Lauren Rayna Casting but my maiden name is Tulon." Blades back went rigid, slowly turning to stare at the woman before him. A Tulon? I just slashed a Tulon? He stared down at his blade before walking toward the woman. Lauren noticed the dark puppet walking to her and tensed, ready to run but Jester slapped her knee. Blade walked up, his mouth opening and closing slowly as he shuffled his knife and hook. Lauren stared at the now awkward looking puppet, tensing when he stepped closer, running the curved edge of his hook over the forgotten slash on her wrist. Then it clicked.

"Oh! Uh I'll go get this cleaned up." Lauren let out a forced smile as she unfolded herself from the floor and walked to the bathroom down the hall. Blade looked to Jester, Pin Head and Six Shooter, all letting out a sigh as they accepted the fact that this is their new home.

Jester stared back to where Lauren disappeared and let a light sigh escape. "I finally got you back."