Puppet Show

A droplet of sweat stained the carpet floor. The darkened theatre felt like an empty void. Being locked in a vast room with strangers wasn't so comfortable for Alice. She sat there, stressed, tapping her feet against her seat.

Alice held her head, facing the floor until a hand blasted out from the darkness, pulling her into her chair. Her stress was overhauled with horror, adrenaline racing through her veins as she slowly turned her head.

A face shrouded in darkness smiled at her. Though Alice was used to the things of this alien place, that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of it. Keeping a poker face, she gazed at the shadowy figure, hiding her fear.

"You're new here...! Aren't you...!?" The shadow covered stranger asked with a little girl's voice.

"And who might you be?" Alice nervously faked a smile.

"Oh me?! I'm-" Suddenly, a voice echoed across the room, cutting the stranger off.

"The event shall start soon." The voice said.

"I'm-"  "Everyone, please be quiet as the event shall start soon..."

"Alright..." The shadowed girl gave up. "I'll talk to you later..." Defeated.

With the stranger finally gone, Alice brought her gaze back to the stage. Confusingly, nothing was there; nothing but the checkered wall and the lifted crimson curtain.

Rattling noises raced around the room. Something struck the stage- wait nothing fell. A human-sized wooden puppet was caught by it's strings.

It's appearance haunted Alice. It's hair was like the end of a broom, it's eyes as black as the dark room, it's nose pointy like a medieval dagger.

It stayed motionless, gazing at the horrified girl, as if it were judging her for taking her eyes off the stage.

Suddenly it moved; with it's eyes glowing red, it's top hat fell onto the floor, as it was fidgeting, holding it's head as it swung it's upper body round about the stage. It's freakish dance brought a cold sweat to Alice's face.

Then it paused, staring at the audience, with it's face covered in shadows, the red glint was gone.

Suddenly, a yellow light erupted from the stage, a golden glare blasted out of it's eyes. 

It picked it's top hat back up from the stage floor. Grabbing the microphone stand with it's razor sharp claws, the stage was dead silent.

"LADIEEEEEES and GENTLEMENNNN!!!" The puppet suddenly shouted, causing Alice to slam against her seat in shock.

"I welcome you ALLLL to our FANTASTICAL event!!!" It continued, raising it's arm free of the microphone to the air.

"I am your MAGNIFICENNNNT GAME MASTERRRR...!" It paused, introducing itself as it it were a wrestler "IGOR DUMPHREY!!!"

"I'd like to ESPECIALLY welcome you ALLL to this AMAZING PLACE!!!"

Taking a pair of eyeglasses out of it's tuxedo jacket, it said:

"AND for ALL of you CURIOUS SOULS!!!"

It placed them onto it's face as it's yellow glow turned blue.

The puppet smiled for a brief moment before clearing it's throat to speak.

"I shall now explain the enigma, which is the White Box." He spoke, calming Alice from shock.

"The White Box is a society created by an inventor. Your inventor, the one who created every single one of you; and of whom I shall not speak the name of... Yet." 

"All I shall say... Is that it is your choice if you wish to walk down the path he walked... Or choose the other one, the longer one." Igor hung above the stage, moving as if it was walking back and forth on the stage.

"You may not understand the things which I pontificate, however I assure you... You will soon."

"But as for me." It chuckled, pointing at itself. 

"I am but a puppet on a string. I have no future... But you..." Igor pointed at the audience. 

"You young and strong souls. You can choose your own destiny, so when time comes, choose it... and don't end up like me, a puppet on a string..."

Igor's speech intrigued Alice. It's words lingering within her mind, she couldn't get her mind off of what he said. 

For what seemed like the first time in her life, Alice felt a mysterious urge. 

She felt that something was wrong with that speech... Something! She knew it... But she didn't understand anything about herself, or anything about the world. 

No, nothing at all. 

Looking at the ground, she contemplated the events that have happened, allowing herself to think once again. 

Only to be slapped across the face by reality. Reality being her right hand.

She couldn't digest everything that had happened to her. She was so confused, so overwhelmed, her stress choked her. 

Her eyes let out some tears as she rubbed her nose red.

She could feel a gaze.

Looking around in aggression, she saw her neighboring theatre-goers glaring at her, causing more than just her nose to become red. Alice blushed out of embarrassment.

She was back in reality, returning from her world of thought. She took the things she found to heart, before giving her attention to the stage.

The puppet's glasses were gone. it's eyes glowed yellow. Alice noticed a colorless stain on it's cheek... Is that?...

She ignored the stain, bringing her attention back to what the puppet was saying.

It was holding a piece of paper, looking at the last few words, spouting some... Names? None of them had any significance to Alice.

Except one...

"ALICE WONDERLAND!!!"

A wave of fear washed over her, drowning her in a sea of anxiety. Alice discovered one of her greatest fears... The stage.

She was bound to a weight that was unwilling to move, she knew she had to get to that stage or something extremely bad might happen to her... But how? How could she defy her puppeteering emotions?

Alice brought her gaze to the group of people already standing on the stage next to the freakishly terrifying puppet. Her eyes dashed around the theatre... Untill they stopped.

Alice's eyes paused on one person. His hair revealed to be brown, his eyes not red but auburn.

Alice was free, her body no longer petrified with anxiety, though still hesitant. She dragged her way, fidgeting, to the stage. Passing the many staring eyes that were covered in darkness. She entered the light.

Her eyes were illuminated in the warmth, glowing sky-blue, with her hair shining as if it were gold.

"Oh hey you made it." Peter smirked, waving a hello.

"Yeah..." Alice slightly smiled.

A hand shot through the warm air, pulling Alice away. Looking behind her, a child was smiling at her.

"Hey! We can finally talk!"

Seeing her out of the shadows, the stranger wasn't so terrifying to Alice anymore. Her light-pink gaze sparkled on the stage, as her dark-brown hair drifted. 

"I'm Dorothy! What's your name?!" She asked with her hand out, ready for a handshake.

Alice didn't try to ignore the stranger anymore; because now she wasn't a stranger.

Now she was a friend...

"It's Alice." She replied with a genuine smile.

"Alright!!!" The puppet declared, interrupting Alice's moment of rare wholesomeness.

"Let us GET this EVENT...!" It screeched, almost making Alice deaf "STARTED!!"