The dirt road that winds throughout the woods, is the road I must walk, to make my way to school. On this road, there is nothing but a single house, with vines crawling up its iron gate. Though this gate, everyday, I see a garden, filled with overgrown rosebushes, shrubs, and a single Sakura tree. Also everyday, I see a woman with black hair falling to her feet like a curtain, always clothed in a black dress, the old fashioned kind with frills, ruffles, and lace, kneeling in the dirt, preoccupied with the puppet at her hand, as she makes it dance. Everyday, passing by this womans house, I would slow my pace, to a walk, mesmerized by the elegance of the puppet as it danced at the tips of her fingers, nails painted black.
I passed by this house, everyday until one day in December, a day in which little snow flakes silently descended from the clouds in the sky only to melt away once softly landing on the ground. I walked down the dirt road as I watched my breath form little frosty clouds in the sky, that is until I reached that womans house. I paused for a moment, shocked to that she was out in the snow, before walking on. “Alice.” One word, my name, spoken clearly and concisely. Quickly, I spun around to see who, on this abandoned road could have said my name. That is when my eyes met the woman's gaze, unwavering, with piercing green eyes. “Alice” She repeated. “How-how-my name..?” I mean to say these words, but instead they remain trapped in my throat, held back by some unknown force. The woman smiles at me, with lips painted black. I immediately disliked her smile, it sent a wave of fear throughout my body, and left me immobile, like poison. She motions for me to come to her side and sit by her, and like a puppet being pulled by strings, I find myself inexplicably being pulled towards her, opening the gate, and sitting beside her, tucking my legs underneath me. “I have something I would like to show you, Alice.” Her voice is high, and sweet, but somehow tinged with a melancholy aura. She rises, and dances on her toes over to a birdcage resting on a branch of the Sakura tree. Hugging the cage to her chest she says, “Do you like my birds, Miss Alice, they're rather charming aren't they, Miss Alice?” I stare at the cage, engraved with roses tinted silver, I stare and stare, but undoubtedly, the cage is empty. So I say so. Suddenly the woman recoils as I my words were daggers. “Oh, I see, its only natural, of course how silly of me.” Then as if released from a spell I stood suddenly, and ran from the lady and her house.
I was not eager to pass by the womans house on the way home, but I chose to do so anyways. Passing by, my heart beat so loudly, it was like it was trying to jump out of my ribcage. But, the sight I saw was not one that I expected. The lady lay face down in the grass, unmoving, her wild hair splayed about. Cautiously, I made my way over to her, stepping lightly on the tips of my toes. Kneeling beside her, I knew, instantly that she was dead. How was this possible? She was alive this morning wasn't she? Yes. Definitely. I stared at her for a few seconds longer. In her right hand, was a pair of silver scissors, and laying in the grass, her puppet. I bent down to observe the puppet, the puppet that had once danced with such vigor it was like it was alive. Its strings had been cut. Huh. What I shame....now it was as dead as the lady.
It was around this time that I realized that I should tell someone about this poor lady's fate. And as I was standing up to leave I noticed the birdcage, its door was wide open. Not thinking much of it I turned to face the door out. Something was wrapped around my wrist, I had somehow managed to get myself tangled in the puppets loose strings. As i struggled to untangle myself, i only became more and more stuck. I sighed, for i wasn't exactly thrilled about touching a dead body, but it seemed there was no choice. Reaching over, I carefully pulled the sizzors out of the corpse's hand, carefull not to touch her. “Excuse me, you wouldn't mind would you?” I reach for the woman's scissors to cut myself free. SnipSnipSnip. Suddenly, I collapse, and fall to the ground, like a rag doll thrown to the side, and it is as I am falling that for some reason, for the first time, I notice that the womans puppet looks just like me. Silently, I scream, and as my vision begins to fade, in the distance I see two birds flying up up up into the sky, and.....
I had a lot of trouble with past vs. present for some reason. heh. Sorry! Anyways, this was inspired by the song Still Doll by Kanon Wakeshima. Good song.