Breaking Free of The Strings
by Hailey Wong Wing Huen 6E
This short story was written for the He(a)rd Zine, a magazine that showcases young student writers in Hong Kong. The theme of this issue is about puppetry.
Strings are always used to control puppets, A small voice inside of me whispered.
“Ughhh! Of course I know that!” I whimpered to the annoying squeaking voice. Pain pierced through my arms as I tugged at the strings connected to the main theatre rooftop. My backpack was tangled in the strings, dangling in the air.
“It’s not fair!” I complained. “Midnight’s always in control!” I long to be free of these horrible strings, I thought bitterly, clenching my jaws.
My friend Flora came by.
“You can’t keep doing this, Silver! I can’t be there for you every time!” Flora said, frustrated. “You know our leader Midnight only shortens puppets' strings if they do something he doesn’t like! And it’s the second time this week!” She adjusted my strings and helped me down.
“I hate the rule that allows the leader to shorten puppets’ strings!”
“You really can’t complain. It’s meant to keep puppets out of trouble — dangerous situations.” Flora retorted.“And this rule has been here since, like, forever.”
“I know, ” I answered, shoving my thoughts away. “But still! EVEN THOUGH HE’S THE LEADER, HE CAN’T DO ANYTHING HE WANTS!” I exploded. “And he doesn’t even treat us well!”
Suddenly, the central bell rang, signaling that all puppets should get back to their houses before dawn rose, before their spirits were sucked by the morning light.
“Well, I’d better go to the pharmacy and get my wooden joints oiled before tomorrow.” I said goodbye to Flora and rushed off to the pharmacy.
Strolling along the gravel pavement of the set, I crossed the wooden houses laid with bricks and tiny cardboard shrubs. The pharmacy sign was visible in the clearing. I entered the straw-covered hut.
The pharmacist, Snowy, greeted me with a lively wave. She had brown hair, mostly streaked with white. She wore a pink-checkered apron and had a flower tucked behind her ears. Her turquoise eyes shimmered.
“Here to be oiled, Silver?” She asked. I nodded, and she led me through the dim corridors lined with cabins of jars and several herbs. Flickering candles lined the hallway.
She led me to a room filled with the scent of herbs. “Lay down.” As she oiled my joints, I asked:
”Do you like our new leader, Midnight?”
”You know,” Snowy murmured. “I can say that I’m not fond of him. What makes you think about that?”
“I hate it when he shortens my strings. It’s like taking away my freedom.” I replied.
”It’s a part of the curse of being a puppet. That can’t be changed.”
”Why were we even cursed?”
“Well, the mystery lies deep in ancient history. Legend has it that, long ago, there was a wizard called Onyx. He was angry with his king, who never thanked him for his work and merely viewed him as a servant. Then…” Snowy choked. “He turned the whole village, even people that didn’t know him at all, into puppets. They were under Onyx’s control, which were the strings. At first, the villagers thought the strings were just protection. But they realised soon enough, the strings were revenge.
“The villagers were angry, and one night, they killed Onyx. But what they didn’t know was that he had a descendant who controls the magic that lies within the strings.”
“Get to the point! How do we destroy his descendant?” I shot up so quickly Snowy nearly toppled over.
“I don’t know.” Snowy groaned. “That’s the problem! But I think I had books about it. Now where were they…” She headed towards the cabinets.
I jumped up eagerly, heart pounding, and I followed her quickly.
“Wait!” Snowy gasped. She stuck out her hand to halt me. It was too late. I lurched forward, slamming into the cabinets with a loud BANG!
I groaned, pain streaking across my limbs. But the sight that appeared in front of me took away it instantly. Somehow I had activated a lever to reveal a secret chamber. Inside, leather books lined the walls and were in neat piles. It reeked of the smell of ancient books that hadn’t touched fresh air in a long time. Light seeped through the cobweb covered windows.
Snowy looked grim. “I hoped I could test you for your honesty. But since you’ve discovered the chamber, I think it’s fine to tell you.” She lightened up and continued.
“I was hiding the truth. The real solution to defeat the descendant of Onyx is through the Dagger of Reverse. If your heart is pure enough and does not hold any evilness, the books will guide you to the right volume.”
My heart tightened. Sauntering around the chamber, I waited for the book. Suddenly, a light glimmered in the bookshelf. Pulling it out, the title read: THE COMPLETE HISTORY: THE DAGGER OF REVERSE. Jackpot! I screamed in my mind, swelling with excitement. All these years in control by Midnight, did I really just have a chance to break free and bring freedom?
Flipping through the pages, I realized that the dagger was almost impossible to get. The book described the dagger as being in a cave guarded by a mechanical dragon in the barren fields. The excitement in me flickered, but it’s still worth a try!
“That’s it, Snowy! It’s my ticket to freedom! I’m going to search for it!” I quickly stuffed the book into my backpack. Snowy gaped at me, speechless.
“How reckless young puppets are nowadays…” I heard her mutter.
I quickly jumped onto a horse. The hazelnut horse whinnied and galloped off. Bumping along the road toward the barren field in the theatre, I silently hoped my string would be long enough. Suddenly, hoofsteps stopped. I had arrived.
I set my sights on the cave. Rough stones formed the entrance, and sand kicked up in the wind. Shuffling towards the opening, I hesitated. “Is this really worth it?” I wondered out loud. Images flashed in my mind, the memory of Midnight shortening my strings appeared. I could almost feel the pain, piercing through my limbs.
“I have to do it,” I decided.
Inside the cave was an eerie silence and pitch black. The only sound was the mechanical bats’ gears whirring , chirping and fluttering. ‘Tick… tick…’ I used the rough walls to guide me, then light suddenly appeared, blinding me. I shielded my eyes, grimacing.
Stumbling into the clearing, I caught a glimpse of a dagger, laying on a platform. The dagger was made out of shining silver, its handle dotted with amethyst. A dragon carved out of gold completed the look.
“I have finally found it!” Delighted, and full of hope, I stroked the handle, slightly brushing by the dragon decor.
A terrifying “ROARRRRR!” broke the silence. The roar was so loud that the walls shook, and a few loose cobbles fell. A flickering light appeared, and heavy pawsteps made the floor tremble. The light grew brighter, illuminating the tunnel. The dagger clanged against the floor.
A dragon loomed in the doorway, its body covered in silver scales and bolts. The dragon hissed menacingly, and embers fell from his mouth, slightly searing my hair. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
Fire spurted out of the dragon’s mouth. “WHY HAVE YOU ENTERED MY TERRITORY?” Smoke billowed from his flaring nostrils.
”I…I have come...for the…the…d…dagger…” I mumbled, shuddering, my heart was thumping so hard that I thought it would beat out of my wooden chest.
Seeing my expression, the dragon rolled his eyes. “Hey, why does everyone think I will hurt them? I’m just pretending. Anyways, I’m Pyro.”
Crouching below, I managed to speak despite my teeth chattering so hard. “My name’s Silver.” I mumbled.
“Relax, I only attack bad guys. I can sense that your aura is pure and upright!” Pyro fluttered around the clearing. “Why have you come?” Pyro said much gentler this time.
“I have come for the Dagger of Reverse,” I said confidently and clearly, motioning for the dagger on the floor. “My friends in the village are being controlled by the leader Midnight by a curse that made us puppets.” I winced at the thought of the pain when Midnight controlled me by the strings. “I think I could reverse the curse with the dagger.” I concluded.
“Indeed you can.” Pyro said, then fell silent. He scrunched up his eyes; he was clearly thinking. I gulped in fear that he would refuse my proposal, leaving the whole village in the clutches of Midnight, the evil descendant of Onyx.
Finally, a decision was made.
“Your village friends are my friends also. They helped rebuild the cave of The Dagger of Reverse when it collapsed. So it is my turn to help them. I will help you and everyone to break free of the strings.” Pyro handed me the Dagger of Reverse. I thanked him for his generosity.
Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my shoulders.
“Midnight must’ve found that I left the village!” I gasped in alarm, as pain blazed in my shoulder joints. “If I can’t get back soon enough to the village before he shortens my entire length of strings, I might die!” I grimaced in excruciating pain.
“Hang on!”
Pyro lifted me onto his back with strong claws, metal wings creaking. Then he shot out of the cave as fast as a blink of an eye. My shoulder strings were finally loosened when we were out in the opening. I felt the pain slip away in the cool breeze as Pyro flapped his wings.
“I’m going to have a word with Midnight, trying to kill puppets like that!” Pyro sighed.
After a while, the village came into sight. Midnight was fuming. The leader had pitch-black hair and strong muscles. His emerald eyes glared at me. It wouldn't be that easy to defeat him in a fight. I thought.
“WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?” Midnight hollered. I felt rage burning inside me. “This guy literally tried to kill me!” I thought, fists tightening. I opened my mouth to spit an insult at him, when Pyro blocked him.
“I remember you! YOU were the one who collapsed my cave, searching for the dagger, planning to hide it forever, in the steps of Onyx!” Pyro hissed, his metal claws unsheathed.
“Dagger? What dagger?” Midnight suddenly shrank in fear.
“The Dagger of Reverse!” With that, Pyro pounced onto Midnight.
“Wait, Pyro! We shouldn’t kill him! We still have to find out how to reverse the curse!” I shouted in alarm.
Without the threat of being killed, Midnight stood up high again.
“How would you prove to me that you have the dagger, Silver? It’s impossible to get! YOU WILL ALL LIVE UNDER MY CONTROL FOREVER!” Midnight sneered. The tide was turned; he had finally revealed his evil side. Everyone gasped. In the crowd I spotted Flora snarling. I knew she wasn’t a fan of the strings either, even if she always went with the flow. Pyro clutched Midnight tightly.
I clambered onto a platform, aware that chaos was about to erupt.
“Villagers, friends, it’s time to acknowledge the truth.” I announced, glancing around. “Midnight is the descendant of Onyx, the wizard who took away our freedom, AND MADE US PUPPETS!” I empathised. A few of the villagers murmured and glared at Midnight.
“We have to break free of our strings! Who’s with me?”
Flora was among the first; Snowy was too.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the ground. The Dagger of Reverse radiated hope for the village.
“How…?” Midnight cried in defeat.
With a swish and a whoosh, the dagger swirled around the puppets, slicing away all the magical strings that had restrained the villagers for so long. The magical strings evaporated into mist, dancing into the sky until they were no more. Midnight shrieked, grappling the ground with rage. The villagers turned back into living beings, with blood and flesh. Cheers rose around me.
The curse was reversed. I had broken free of the strings, not a puppet anymore.