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shamanicshayminRemember that fake first chapter to my fake novel from last year's April Fools? Today, I'm bringing you the first chapter of the real novel I'm actually writing. :P
Bear in mind this is a first draft, so a lot of things will be changed in the final version. Like Hemingway said, first drafts are always shitty. That said, I'm open to critique, questions, suggestions and whatnot so I can improve the story before publication. :3 "The Great Phantasmo" is a place-holder name, so I may replace it with something better. But he's later revealed to be the same person as Marius, just hiding under another alias. :P The Robert Heinlein musical mentioned in this chapter is actually something my grandfather tried to start on Broadway, and it being rejected by Richard Rogers and why is a true story. Unlike in my novel however, the musical never got performed. :( The lyrics Ann sings are what my Dad remembers from one of the songs.
With those little notes out of the way, onto the fun!
Let us start a garden, you and I.
Let us turn the soil of acquaintanceship
And in this fertile ground plant kindly thoughts,
Let us pull all weeds of envy and selfishness
And destroy them!
Let us water our garden with the dew of sympathy.
Let us keep our growing plants in the sunshine of love
And happiness is ours; our garden is filled
With the beautiful flowers of friendship.
~Johnny Gruelle (“Raggedy Ann’s Wishing Pebble”)
Virginia grew quite grave, and her little lips trembled like rose-leaves. She came towards him, and kneeling down at his side, looked up into his old withered face.
“Poor, poor Ghost,” she murmured; “have you no place where you can sleep?”
“Far away beyond the pine-woods,” he answered, in a low dreamy voice, “there is a little garden. There the grass grows long and deep, there are the great white stars of the hemlock flower, there the nightingale sings all night long. All night long he sings, and the cold, crystal moon looks down, and the yew-tree spreads out its giant arms over the sleepers.”
Virginia’s eyes grew dim with tears, and she hid her face in her hands.
“You mean the Garden of Death,” she whispered.
~Oscar Wilde (“The Canterville Ghost”)
Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were two ragdolls living together in a toy museum called the Nostalgia House. They were stuffed with nice clean white cotton and had bright black shoe-button eyes on their smiling painted faces. They shared the same wooden rocking chair and the same cloth. Both of them were joyous, kindly creatures as real-for-sure people who had “grown up with them” believed they would be.
The Nostalgia House is like an attic. Tucked high in the mountains and hidden from the highways, a colorful and extravagant billboard pointed to an ordinary wooden house as if it was advertising a circus. Curious about the "biggest, oldest, wackiest, stupendous, scrumdiddillyumptious” toy museum to ever exist, tourists young and old alike were shocked and delighted when they entered, revisiting not just their lives growing up, but their childhood imagination.
The Nostalgia House is no museum that displayed its antiques in bare and sterile rooms. For the main hall, Antiquity Avenue, the curator went out of his way to recreate an entire village. Visitors pushed past a white picket fence onto a ruddy brick road, with such curiosities as a buggy and a popcorn cart, and candy canes and lollipops as tall as the artificial tree trunks that lined the “town.” There was a chapel as white as an angel’s wings, and a bell as bronze as a penny. A clock tower resided with a face as milky as the moon and its hands as black as ink. Brick shops with balconies lined the sides of the street, from a barber shop with its twirling column to a sheriff’s office where one could look inside the windows and see the contents, from wanted posters to a rifle on the desk and a hand kept in a jar. At the end of the hall was the dock with a giant boat that served as a built-in music machine. Its displayed heart was a barbed golden cylinder stroked by a metallic harp-like comb, reading the notes like a scroll in Braille.
Best and most exciting of all were the toy shops. Hanging from a platter above the door:
Visitors peeked inside the windows with peaking curiosity and excitement. The floor of the “shop” had a little red wagon decked with balls and jacks, and hula-hoops leaned on the walls with kites hooked from the ceiling. A stuffed tiger drooped over the saddle of a Victorian rocking horse, and a hobby horse was slanted next to a miniature circus-top merry-go-round. There were shelves with plush animals and figurines sitting on them, and porcelain dolls standing in elegant suits and gowns around a tea party table. A copper box’s lid had been removed to reveal a treasure trove of opalescent marbles. Ragdolls rested on a rocking chair with a quilted cushion… it was the same toy shop that Raggedy Ann and Andy lived in, and they smiled as guests peered at them from outside.
When the real-for-sure people went home, the toys woke up and stirred from their places. They guided each other out of their cases and unlocked the doors, and the world was free to them until dawn. One autumn morning, when the museum was closed for holiday preparations, Raggedy Ann and Andy followed the toys outside into the garden. Giant copper vases gleamed in the sunlight, draped with vines, moss and ferns. Countless wildflowers populated the garden like a rainbow on the ground, ranging from pansies and orchids and irises to the brutal, but beautiful rose bushes and snapdragons. Statues of lions proudly guarded the doors to the museum, and a stone Chinese dragon breathed a waterfall over a glistening crystal pond. Silver-colored koi with orange crowns wiggled to the surface, begging for food and while others tried to kiss the sun.
Raggedy Ann was busy making pretty crafts out of petals and leaves that had fallen to the ground. Her yarn hair matched the dark crimson of the roses she gathered in her apron, and she had a few loops on top of her head like ribbon bows. Her dress was azure and decorated with red flowers, which resembled a garden blooming in the sky. She kept a blue-trim handkerchief with her name on it in her apron pocket. A red running stitch of a heart was sewn over her chest across from the pocket. This heart had more significance than many of the toys had realized, for beneath the heart, inside her body, was a real-for-sure candy heart. This candy heart, from Ann’s memory, was a bright cherry red with pastel-blue letters that said, “I LOVE YOU.” Over the years, it had been responsible for her good health and surviving every rough and tumble and freak accident from her previous owners. It was a source of warmth and comfort, and she was more than happy to share that joy with everyone else. Sometimes, the other toys had asked her if it was made of magic; after all, nobody else—not even her brother Raggedy Andy—had one. Raggedy Ann herself wasn’t sure, but its mystery never bothered her. She would treat everyone with kindness whether she had a real-for-sure candy heart or not.
By the lake’s shore, Raggedy Andy was showing several plastic Troll dolls how to skip stones. He looked near identical to his sister, as if they were gender flips of each other. His “stocking” legs were striped like peppermint sticks and he had black “shoe” feet just like Ann. Andy’s yarn hair was shorter and more carrot-orange, though most of it was covered by a blue cap with a large white rim. He wore a red plaid shirt with a white collar and a big black taffeta bow, complete with sky blue overalls and buttons white as popcorn.
“You got to find the flattest, lightest rocks possible, or else they’re going to sink.” Raggedy Andy explained. “Once you find a good one, you flick your wrist like this.” He demonstrated without throwing the stone, his felt tongue covering the corner of his lip out of habit. A Troll with wild pink hair and a matching gem stone on her stomach followed his instructions, looking crestfallen as her rock plopped with a single splash. “Don’t worry, it takes practice!” Raggedy Andy gave the Troll a reassuring smile. “I’ve messed up sometimes, even with the good ones. Give it a few tries and you’ll be skipping in no time!”
As time rolled on, Raggedy Ann crafted one garland after another, and the finished crowns piled up in a nest consisting of daisies, forget-me-nots, clovers and buttercups. She handled the petals with care and love, weaving necklaces and bracelets and other wearables worthy of the fairy folk. Passing toys admired her handiwork, and she offered gifts and took requests. Raggedy Andy continued to challenge the Trolls, encouraging them to skip better than he can. Eventually, the pink troll was able to skip her stone across the entire lake, which was met by everyone’s cheers. The sun sunk lower in the sky, and the Trolls waved goodbye and left to their own devices. Several toys returned to the museum pleased, decked with Raggedy Ann’s creations. She tucked the remaining flowers in her apron pocket, except for a ring of daisies that she kept around her neck. She stretched her rag-arms and joined her brother by the lake, though he seemed considerably less energetic after the Trolls had left. A sad frown had adorned her brother’s face, raising her concern.
“What’s wrong, Andy?” She asked.
He sighed and tossed the remaining pebbles into the water, not bothering to skip them. The surface rippled and the koi hurried toward the stones, gobbling them up and spitting them out.
“…I miss Kat.” He finally answered.
“Oh…” Mary Katherine Matthews was the name of the girl they had lived with for over twenty years. When she had grown up, she had less time for them, and usually just left them in the closet of her room. Eventually, the Raggedys were moved to the attic, where they had spent time with other old toys. When Mary Katherine found them again during a clean-up, they weren’t sure of their fate. She clearly still loved them based off conversations that they had overheard, but she wouldn’t be playing with them any longer. She didn’t want them “damaged” or left alone to collect dust, but she had no interest in starting a family, and she didn’t know any real-for-sure children who would care for them as much as she did. Then her parents suggested a certain museum…
“Why us, Ann? Why couldn’t we have stayed in the attic with everyone else? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love it here. It’s a lot of fun—for a museum, I mean—I kind of thought we’d be stuck in a stuffy old case, but we’re not. This place was built for us. Like, if Kat took us here on vacation, I would’ve wanted to stay here forever. But now…”
“It’s not the same without Kat, is it?”
“I know, I know. Kat’s grown up, she won’t play with us anymore, that’s part of life. As much as I hate to admit it, it was going to happen eventually. I could deal with that… but why couldn’t the other toys come with us? What makes us special enough to live in the Nostalgia House, but not them? We’re family! Why couldn’t we stay together? At least in the attic, we had each other.” He rested his chin in his hand. “It’s so weird. We’ve lived with Kat and Ginger, and Marie and Tamagotchi and everyone else, like they’re going to be with us forever. Suddenly, bam! They’re gone! I don’t even know what’s going to happen to them now.”
“I’m sure they’ll be okay, Andy. Kat made certain of that.”
“I know she isn’t psychic. I know she’s not supposed to know that we’re alive. But how does she know that the kids at the daycare and shelter aren’t a bunch of bullies? If we could at least move, they’d think twice about beating or breaking us.”
“Now Andy, you know that’s not going to make things better.”
“Then what will? Nobody should just stand by and watch as their friends and family get ripped to pieces or broken, then thrown out by a grown-up with no chance of getting them back!”
“Even if we could talk to humans, what good would that do? Children might become afraid and refuse to play with us. Maybe more toys would be destroyed out of fear that we’d hurt them. I know there’s the chance that we could be good friends instead, but we wouldn’t be able to provide the unconditional companionship they’d need if they knew we were alive.” Raggedy Ann frowned. “Our friends and family will find kids who’ll love them, I know it! These kids are lonely and deserve the friendship the other toys will give, and they’d be more than happy to pour their hearts into them in return. But even if everyone does end up with someone less than kind, they’ll be able to take care of themselves. It’ll be okay, Andy.”
“I guess so…”
“Didn’t you say you felt trapped in the attic? I know how restless you got while we were up there. You always got excited for a chance to sneak outside and see the sky again. It was always risky opening up the ladder to be sure it didn’t crash and wake everyone up.”
“Not that it stopped us.” A small grin formed on Andy’s face.
“Kat really was looking out for us after all.” Ann smiled. “In a way, she knew we’d be much happier at the museum, and now it’s much easier to explore when we want to. We’ll make new friends here quickly, and before we know it, we’ll be used to this place as our home.”
“I’m glad you’re with me, sis. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“There’s no way Kat would separate us.” Ann smiled again. “We’re twins, aren’t we? As long as we’re together, we’ll never be lonely.”
“What are you two still doing out there?” shouted a wandering panda bear. “Don’t you know that everyone’s gathering by the theater to see the Great Phantasmo? If you don’t hurry, there’s not going to be any room left!”
“Dang. About time. I was waiting for that show for days. How could I have forgotten?” Andy laughed.
“Let’s go, Andy.” Ann stood up and brushed herself off. “I’m sure this will cheer you up. We can’t keep the Great Phantasmo waiting!”
“Last one there is a rotten egg!”
The ragdolls laughed and raced each other to the door.
Antiquity Avenue housed a theater among its many buildings and shops, and if the popcorn cart wasn’t an indication of its location, its flashy appearance was. Hanging above the entrance was a pearlescent white plaque with bold black letters advertising an eternal showing of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” (“Shocking! Terrifying! It’s Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus!”) During museum hours, real-for-sure people would purchase their tickets using coins made exclusively for the Nostalgia House’s use. A mini-show would premiere, and the audience would gasp in awe as convincing animatronics re-enacted the awakening of Frankenstein’s monster, complete with artificial lightning. On off-days and closing time, the animatronics of the doctor and monster devoted themselves to running the theater and running diverse, full-time productions. While the humans only had a few minutes of Frankenstein, the toys could enjoy fairy tales, ballet, and musicals for free as long as the theater wasn’t full. They watched “Swan Lake” as well as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” And tonight, the Great Phantasmo was going to make his debut.
“Um, excuse me—” Ann tried to communicate, but she couldn’t be heard over the chattering audience. The aisles were packed with toys of all shapes and sizes, and the ragdolls found it impossible to find two seats that weren’t taken or reserved. A stuffed tiger growled and ignored her, while a teddy bear pushed her aside to get down a specific row. A plastic soldier ducked past her, slipping between the legs of the other toys to get to his destination.
“Hey! Let us through!” Andy was losing patience as he was constantly shoved and squeezed, but no one paid him any mind either. Before the Raggedys knew it, they were suddenly lifted in the air, carried over the heads of the crowd. A plush elephant had scooped them up with her trunk and laid them on her back.
“You can sit with me if you want.” The elephant said. “It gets tough out there! I don’t want you to get hurt…”
The Raggedys sat up and brushed themselves off before taking a better look at their savior. The plush elephant was lavender and the insides of her floppy, heart-shaped ears were a soft apple-pink gingham. Her round dark eyes were lit with concern, and she wore a blue cap speckled with stars that had a large, fluffy pink feather stuck to it. The carpet draped over her back was a more intricate pattern of the night sky to match her cap, embroidered with silver constellations and golden moons.
“Thank you! It’s very kind of you.” Ann smiled, petting the elephant’s side in appreciation.
“Thanks!” Andy said in turn. “If it weren’t for you, we’d probably get our stitches torn off!”
“What is your name?” Ann asked.
“Oh, um… my name is Luna.” The plush elephant said. “I hope you’re comfortable up there. If you can’t see, just let me know.”
“Can’t see? I think we’ve got the best view!” Andy laughed. “We’re way in the back, but with Annie and I on top of you, we can see everything on stage like a hawk!”
“I think it’s lucky we got to meet you, Luna!” Ann said. “Now we can enjoy this show together. I’m so excited!”
“Me too,” Luna gave a small, shy smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out like this.”
The lights dimmed and the dins of the crowd chatter faded with it. A chilly fog leaked into the theater before the curtains opened, and a tall coffin slowly sprouted in the center of the stage like an omniscient monolith. Pale fingers gripped the lid of the coffin from the inside, slowly pushing it to the side with a loud creak. A shadowy figure limped forward; if he hadn’t been a marionette, it seemed likely he would crumble into a pile of bones without his strings holding him up. The spotlight caught him and he twisted his body, howling in agony toward the heavens.
Half the audience—including Raggedy Ann—jumped and gasped. The Great Phantasmo fell silent, watching the crowd as he waited for the shock to wear off.
“My apologies, dear audience! It’s not easy coming back from the dead.” He bowed. “Welcome to my show!” The Great Phantasmo presented himself in a dark tailcoat, whose front was sealed with buttons which resembled golden pennies. The coat was a rich crimson inside, and the tails fluttered behind him like the feathers of a blood-stained crow. His head was taped up in layers of bandages like a mummy. He wore a white Punchinello mask, which had a nose as long and as thick as the beak of a swan. His gloves were the same color but brighter, as if they were the cleanest things about his appearance.
"Thank you for having me tonight." The Great Phantasmo continued. "I commend you for bearing with me as I reaquaint myself with the living. Here's a token of my appreciation." A bouquet of roses flashed in an instant in his hand, bunched with red, pink and white blooms. He tossed it over the heads of the audience, and there was a loud pop! as streamers and petals sprinkled inside the theater. Everyone applauded, and Raggedy Ann looked up to see if there was a secret opening from the ceiling or some other trick she didn't know about (surely even the Great Phantasmo couldn't throw the bouquet that far!) and it delighted her to find there was nothing.
"Now, let us turn that dusty old coffin into something new." The Great Phantasmo lifted his arms, pulling out a thin white wand as if from thin air. He tapped the coffin twice, drawing out a silk Tyrian purple cloth with yellow stars. He cloaked the coffin entirely and tapped it again. He yanked the cloth with a dramatic flutter, and the coffin rotted from a dull, dusty brown, to a decayed charcoal black.
"Oh dear... this would not do at all." The magician pondered out loud. With each tap of his wand, with each swish of the cloth, the coffin only got worse, with fungus growing on what remained of it. Finally, there was nothing but a pile of ashes on stage. But the Great Phantasmo persisted, giving it one last tap. There was a single dark seed, no bigger than a pebble. With an ear-splitting crack, a green shoot sprouted from its shell, spreading its myriad of leaves like open arms. A beanstalk twisted and swaggered to the ceiling, much to the awe of the crowd. Bulbs swelled around the beanstalk and split to reveal blossoms of every color of the rainbow, with butterflies sleeping inside. The butterflies stirred and fluttered about the stage like a colony of fairies. The Great Phantasmo offered his arm, letting one of the butterflies perch on it like an eagle. Another landed on the nose of his Punchinello mask, and the magician chuckled.
"How on earth did he do that?" Raggedy Andy whispered to Ann and Luna, spellbound. His eyes were still fixed to the stage. "Don't tell me! I want to know if it's going to get better than this."
The Great Phantasmo had plenty in store for Andy. The magician performed various feats, many involving the swaying beanstalk he had just grown: his hands were bound with one of the vines in the most difficult knot possible, and he undone it in a single second. The butterflies were clearly trained and above ordinary intelligence, as demonstrated when he played rounds of cups and balls with several at once. Every time, the butterfly found the ball, knew which cup to lift. For each correct answer, the magician rewarded them with nectar, and they kissed him with their long ribbon-like tongues. He was tied up in thorny holly leaves and lowered over a blazing candle, and burst free just as the flame licked the green cocoon of his prison. He bowed, unharmed, and stage assistants quickly doused the burning leaves.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” he announced. “For my next trick, I will require a little audience participation. Do we have a volunteer?” The audience clamored for Phantasmo's attention, waving arms or jumping. The magician's gaze pierced through the crowd, scanning their faces until at last, he extended his arm in a dramatic gesture. “What about you? All the way in the back, the girl with red hair!”
Who? Me? Raggedy Ann's arms were still swaying in the air as the magician's butterflies approached her, circling around her like a gust of wind.
“Go for it!” Raggedy Andy whispered. He ushered her with a grin and Luna waved shyly with her trunk as the ragdoll descended to follow the butterflies. Trepidation and eagerness walked beside her as she approached the stage, and she dusted her dress in hopes of looking presentable. The Great Phantasmo offered his hand, leading her up the stairs with the grace and affection of a Renaissance duke. Once under the spotlight in the middle of the stage, the magician bowed on one knee before her.
“What is your name?”
“Oh! I'm Raggedy Ann.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Raggedy Ann!” The magician planted a chaste kiss on her hand. "I am grateful you decided to join the stage with me. By the way...” He tilted his head. “I can't help but notice your necklace. Did you make it yourself?”
“That's right!” Ann grinned, holding up the ring of daisies for everyone to see. “I just finished it in the garden today. There's a lot of pretty flowers out there. Like yours!”
“You're too kind, Ann! You're as gentle as you are talented. Anyway, the show must go on! Just follow my instructions, and it won't be long before the Nostalgia House knows your name. Will you step in front of that flower please?"
A watermelon-pink tulip closed its petals around her, forming a comfy makeshift box. The petals provided a slot for her to peek out, and she beamed when she saw Andy and Luna still waving. The Great Phantasmo drew a thin silver sword from a hat, letting it glint in the spotlight before stabbing it through the tulip. Raggedy Ann's eyes widened, and the sword stuck out like a nail on the other side. Phantasmo withdrawn his weapon, clean as a whistle and his volunteer unharmed. He started sawing the tulip from the back like a loaf of bread.
"Raggedy Ann, are you all right?" Phantasmo called.
"Just fine!"
"Sing to us, Ann. Sing whatever comes to mind! If you can't sing, recite a poem or tell us a story. Let us know you're in there!"
"Anything I want?"
"Anything you want! Don't worry about choosing anything specific or saying the wrong words. Just do it!"
Raggedy Ann closed her eyes and tried to think. Her gravelly soft voice risen as she recalled a rare musical from her childhood, one she used to listen to all the time with Andy and Kat and all the other toys. "The Man Who Sold the Moon" was about a young man who started down on his luck and worked his way up into becoming a successful businessman, all to fulfill his childhood dream of building a rocket and flying to the moon. Based off a novella by Robert A. Heinlein published long ago in the early 1950s, it was rejected by critics—including Richard Rodgers of Rogers & Hammerstein himself—for being too optimistic: "Nobody would believe a story where man would visit the moon." By the time Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did land on the moon, the musical was already buried in obscurity. But this didn't stop the dedicated theater lover from rediscovering the lost gem, the way Delos D. Harriman never gave up and convinced a young spaceship captain to take him to the moon in spite of his old age:
You grew up in a world of rocketships
And I with a Model A Ford
No one then believed
Man would ever reach the moon
Except some foolish lunatics like me
But I believed it, I believed, and was laughed at for it most of my life
Even by my wife
As Raggedy Ann sang, the Great Phantasmo finished sawing, and the top of the tulip box spun and lifted itself in the air, like a rocket taking off. Her feet dangled at the bottom, and the magician sliced the lower box in half. The two legs danced away from each other in their individual boxes. The top box was cut, and the ragdoll's hands clenched and unclenched in their own spinning tulip cases.
I wanted to be a rocket engineer, but couldn't afford the University
So I went into business for myself instead
And found I had a talent for finance
I poured hundreds of millions into rocket research
Though my partners all thought that I was mad
It was I who established the rocket cartel
And obtained the financing for the Luna Corporation
Raggedy Ann was literally scattered all over the stage without her notice; her hands touched the opposite corners of the ceiling, and her feet wiggled far below them. The Great Phantasmo waved his arm in circles, spinning all boxes except the one she sang in. He begged her to keep singing.
It was I who hired the engineers
Who built the spaceship Pioneer
That beautiful preposterous 5-stage horror that was first to reach the moon
The darkest day of my life was the day I was told there wasn't room for me aboard her
And there wasn't room on the second ship either
Or the third or the seventh or the tenth ship too
The Great Phantasmo flashed knives in his hands like opening a fan, and aimed one at each of the tulips. Each throw was more violent than the last, hitting with a hard whack! that almost overwhelmed Ann's voice. Luna cringed and Andy couldn't help clenching the rug on the elephant's back.
I was always told I was needed more down here
They were right, so I never made it
There are twelve hundred fifty-two people up there now
All of them are working for me
And all I want in this life now
Is to be Number Twelve hundred fifty three
Tension strained Raggedy Ann's song, and Phantasmo penetrated blade after blade as his pleas turned into desperate shrieks. The lights short-circuited.
But now, they say that my blood pressure's high
And my heart is too feeble for a takeoff
It may be true, but I don't give a damn
And I've waited far too long to be stopped
I will not be stopped!
Raggedy Ann vanished. The tulips shut and the singing stopped. The theater was as grave and silent as Phantasmo's coffin. Suddenly, the boxes burst with colored lights like the birth of a galaxy. Electricity rippled through the stage like beams from a plasma ball, whipping pink-tipped tentacles of neon blue and violet. Surging with the tentacles, the Great Phantasmo summoned the tulip pieces back into place and pulled out the knives and swords. The magician opened the box and Raggedy Ann emerged, whole and glowing. She took Phantasmo's hands and twirled with him in the swirl of lights, his bandages fluttering and her apron illuminated with a nebula rainbow. Their dance ended and they bowed and curtsied toward the audience, immediately swallowed by the roar of applause. The crowd risen from their chairs, clapping and tossing flowers and tokens.
Raggedy Ann held her skirts, about to climb off the stage when the Great Phantasmo tugged her sleeve gently. He directed her back toward the tulip box. Puzzled but curious, she followed him inside without anyone's notice.
“Something's wrong.” Raggedy Andy said. “We've been waiting for who knows how long, and Raggedy Ann still hasn't come back.”
“Maybe you can try talking to the theater people?” Luna suggested. “They might know something.”
“I guess. But it's still really weird. Magicians aren't supposed to keep their volunteers hostage.”
“I'm sure she's fine.” Luna said, but the way she looked at the ground and shuffled her feet, she didn't seem sure herself.
“I'll be right back. If I take too long, feel free to go home without me. It's nice meeting you, uh... Luna?”
“That's right! Luna.”
“Thanks again for offering us a seat for the show. We'll be sure to make it up for you. Maybe we can hang out at the garden tomorrow!”
“Oh! That would be... nice.”
“Later!”
“I'm looking for my sister.” Andy told Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. “Have you seen her?”
“Oh, was she the one invited on stage? That was amazing!” The doctor praised.
“Good singer too.” The monster rested his hands on his blushing cheeks with a goofy grin. “She sounds like a sexy frog.”
“Look, I just want to know where she is.” Andy frowned. “Is she still with Phantasmo?”
“I suppose so. Unlikely though, since Phantasmo is out for the day.” The doctor said. “He's too worn out and can't talk long with his fans. Are you sure she's not waiting outside on Antiquity Avenue?”
“Positive. She's not there!”
“I don't know what to tell you.” The doctor replied sadly. “Good luck finding her. If she turns up, we'll let you know!”
“Yeah...” The monster said, still daydreaming.
Raggedy Andy thanked them and went on his way. He stared blankly at the stage, mentally finishing his sister's song:
I will walk on the moon
I will see the lunar sunrise
And look up at the Earth in the sky
When no one was looking, he sneaked past the curtains. Backstage was the theater's spine, and far larger than the theater itself, filled with special rooms for the actors to apply costumes and makeup and workers stored secrets. He uncovered a loose plank and pried it open, climbing into the dusty darkness. In the world of toys, these underground passageways were necessary to travel and keep things hidden from real-for-sure people; it wouldn't do to leave custom accessories in the open where anyone could see them. Since night was usually the most active time for toys, Andy's shoe-button eyes were long accustomed to the shapes and shadows that would've been lost to the average human.
“Hello? Anyone in there?” Uneasiness trickled down his back along with the chill, but he held himself to keep from shaking. All around Andy were items nobody cared about: piles of cardboard boxes, broken props, and rusty nails sticking out of the planks. Forgotten costumes hung over pipes like ashes. Dried bug carcasses strewn all over the floor. Spiders huddled in their nooks and crannies, retreating in the corner of their invisible webs as the ragdoll wandered near. The crunch of discarded paper and the thump of steps from toys walking in the other room above served to further isolate him inside the nothingness.
Over a lumpy towel laid a crooked shadow. Andy recognized the Great Phantasmo and called to him. But the magician never responded. Rushing over, the ragdoll's eyes widened in horror when he came close and realized the truth: the rods holding his strings lay crumpled along his back, and his Punchinello mask lay in pieces like broken china. His entire face was bandaged with the rest of his head, with hollow spaces over his eyes and mouth as though he was a skeleton trapped in an eternal scream. Raggedy Andy didn't have time to react before a mysterious shadow grabbed him from behind. His gasp locked in his throat as a hand clamped over his mouth. A sharp cool blade pointed toward his throat, and his hands were useless to push it away.
“Try not to worry your pretty little head…” A voice purred beside him. “You won’t be using it anyway.”
Andy panicked, pain slicing into his thoughts. The ragdoll flipped his legs behind him, hooking whoever was behind him and slamming the assailant to the ground. Coughing, Andy crawled away, holding his hand to his neck. Cotton frothed from the cut and he pushed it back inside, praying to god he wasn't decapitated. The attacker lunged for him, but Andy was ready, punching and kicking and fighting with his whole weight. He grabbed his opponent, but fell back as he was stabbed in the legs. He blocked himself in time from a finishing blow, his arms slashed up and stinging with pain.
“Who are you?” Andy cried. “What have you done with Phantasmo!?”
“Me? I am Phantasmo.” The figure towered before the ragdoll, wire strings flickering around his form. The marionette wore the same dark suit as the body behind him, only this time it was unbuttoned to reveal a cream white shirt with a scarlet embroidered vest, along with a violet bow-tie around his neck. His smooth chestnut brown hair went as far as his chin, and his soft lips curved wickedly on his angular face. His eyes shined with the crimson sin of pomegranates, studying his victim the way a chameleon watched a fly.
“Wh-What?”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” The marionette lowered his voice an octave, which Andy recognized immediately. “I'm sorry to say that the Great Phantasmo does not hold encores.” The puppet glanced nonchalantly at the body. “Not that he was alive to begin with.”
“What have you done with my sister!? Where is she!?”
“My my, someone's a little impatient.” The puppet cocked his head with sardonic amusement. “You know just yelling at me isn't going to help matters, right? By the way, watch yourself.”
The Great Phantasmo dived at Andy and pinned him to the floor, once again pointing the knife at his throat—the same one out of many he had used for his final act. Andy squirmed and spat, but his strength was running out fast. Dizzy from the pain and loss of stuffing, the ragdoll kicked and swayed to no avail. He stiffened as the blade crept along the side of his head, feeling Phantasmo's knuckles brush against his cheek. The marionette plucked something from underneath his hat—Raggedy Andy fought and swore, but stopped when he realized what it was.
“You didn't...” The ragdoll stared helplessly as his sister's daisy chain dangled over his face.
“Shame if something were to happen to this.” Phantasmo whispered, rocking the necklace like a swinging pendulum. “Don't you worry... Raggedy Ann will be safe and sound. Not a single strand of yarn has been plucked from her head. She'll stay innocent forever... she won't even have to know you're gone.”
“STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
The ground rumbled and a familiar purple elephant hurtled herself toward Phantasmo, butting him off Andy's body. The injured ragdoll winced as he turned on his side to see his savior.
“Luna...?” He said weakly. But his new friend didn't hear him, grabbing his assailant with her trunk and hurling him around before slamming him to the ground again and again. A powder was thrown into her eyes from Phantasmo, momentarily stunning her. She shrieked, the knife cutting her chest as the puppet leapt from her. What Luna had in bulk, the marionette outmatched her in speed; he circled Luna like a blur, throwing knives, nails, and tacks at the plush elephant like ninja stars. She dodged them as best as she could, only to realize he hadn't been aiming at her at all; the purple elephant howled as the sharp scattered weapons embedded themselves in her feet, and her screams mingled with defeat and horror as she fell on her side, impaled by the vengence of the prickly battleground.
“Luna...!” Forcing himself up with his rag fists, Raggedy Andy crawled towards his helpless companion. He clutched an abandoned nail, similtaneously keeping it as a crutch and a sword. He gathered tacks with his unoccupied arm, and when he found he was too unsteady to carry them safely, he shoved them aside as he made a clearing path. For a second, he stumbled on his feet before the seriousness of his wounds forced him back on his knees and tripping over his boneless rag feet. All the same, he made it to Luna's side.
“I'm so sorry...!” Luna whimpered, eyes brimming with tears. “I couldn't save you... I was too weak...”
Raggedy Andy ignored her, trying to straighten himself out. He gripped the nail at the hilt with both hands, glaring at the marionette, who raised an eyebrow.
“You can't fight like this.” Phantasmo said simply.
“Bite me.” Andy's body shook, but he did not fall. “You are not going to hurt my sister. And you are NOT going to kill my best friend, Luna. Not over every scrap of cloth and cotton you make out of me!”
A commotion sounded over the ceiling and a dragging of footsteps thudded its way in the other side of the room. The marionette closed his eyes and sighed, resigning himself to a decision.
“Perhaps you might prove yourself if you really are worthy of the oath you speak,” Phantasmo said. “Assuming there aren't any unfortunate circumstances, we shall meet again in more favorable conditions. Farewell!”
In the blink of an eye, the marionette vanished. Andy stared at the space before him in bafflement before letting go of his weapon and sinking on his legs again. A short moment after, an entire crowd of toys—consisting of Dr. Frankenstein, the monster, and the whole backstage crew—had arrived to see what was the matter. Swarming around him and Luna, they fussed about with emergency needle and thread. Despite all his efforts to stay awake and answer their questions, his injuries taken their toll and the ragdoll blacked out.
To be continued...
Next chapter, we see what happened to Raggedy Ann and are introduced to our main villain, Dr. Medlock. From now on, the chapters switch between Andy's journey to find her (and dealing with Medlock's assistant Phantasmo/Marius) and Ann surviving the lab. Don't worry, everything's still third-person. :)
Bear in mind this is a first draft, so a lot of things will be changed in the final version. Like Hemingway said, first drafts are always shitty. That said, I'm open to critique, questions, suggestions and whatnot so I can improve the story before publication. :3 "The Great Phantasmo" is a place-holder name, so I may replace it with something better. But he's later revealed to be the same person as Marius, just hiding under another alias. :P The Robert Heinlein musical mentioned in this chapter is actually something my grandfather tried to start on Broadway, and it being rejected by Richard Rogers and why is a true story. Unlike in my novel however, the musical never got performed. :( The lyrics Ann sings are what my Dad remembers from one of the songs.
With those little notes out of the way, onto the fun!
Let us start a garden, you and I.
Let us turn the soil of acquaintanceship
And in this fertile ground plant kindly thoughts,
Let us pull all weeds of envy and selfishness
And destroy them!
Let us water our garden with the dew of sympathy.
Let us keep our growing plants in the sunshine of love
And happiness is ours; our garden is filled
With the beautiful flowers of friendship.
~Johnny Gruelle (“Raggedy Ann’s Wishing Pebble”)
Virginia grew quite grave, and her little lips trembled like rose-leaves. She came towards him, and kneeling down at his side, looked up into his old withered face.
“Poor, poor Ghost,” she murmured; “have you no place where you can sleep?”
“Far away beyond the pine-woods,” he answered, in a low dreamy voice, “there is a little garden. There the grass grows long and deep, there are the great white stars of the hemlock flower, there the nightingale sings all night long. All night long he sings, and the cold, crystal moon looks down, and the yew-tree spreads out its giant arms over the sleepers.”
Virginia’s eyes grew dim with tears, and she hid her face in her hands.
“You mean the Garden of Death,” she whispered.
~Oscar Wilde (“The Canterville Ghost”)
The Nostalgia House
By Giselle A. Roberts
Chapter 1
By Giselle A. Roberts
Chapter 1
Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were two ragdolls living together in a toy museum called the Nostalgia House. They were stuffed with nice clean white cotton and had bright black shoe-button eyes on their smiling painted faces. They shared the same wooden rocking chair and the same cloth. Both of them were joyous, kindly creatures as real-for-sure people who had “grown up with them” believed they would be.
The Nostalgia House is like an attic. Tucked high in the mountains and hidden from the highways, a colorful and extravagant billboard pointed to an ordinary wooden house as if it was advertising a circus. Curious about the "biggest, oldest, wackiest, stupendous, scrumdiddillyumptious” toy museum to ever exist, tourists young and old alike were shocked and delighted when they entered, revisiting not just their lives growing up, but their childhood imagination.
The Nostalgia House is no museum that displayed its antiques in bare and sterile rooms. For the main hall, Antiquity Avenue, the curator went out of his way to recreate an entire village. Visitors pushed past a white picket fence onto a ruddy brick road, with such curiosities as a buggy and a popcorn cart, and candy canes and lollipops as tall as the artificial tree trunks that lined the “town.” There was a chapel as white as an angel’s wings, and a bell as bronze as a penny. A clock tower resided with a face as milky as the moon and its hands as black as ink. Brick shops with balconies lined the sides of the street, from a barber shop with its twirling column to a sheriff’s office where one could look inside the windows and see the contents, from wanted posters to a rifle on the desk and a hand kept in a jar. At the end of the hall was the dock with a giant boat that served as a built-in music machine. Its displayed heart was a barbed golden cylinder stroked by a metallic harp-like comb, reading the notes like a scroll in Braille.
Best and most exciting of all were the toy shops. Hanging from a platter above the door:
S. Beckett
Purveyor of
Patent
TOYS
GAMES
and fine
DOLLS
Purveyor of
Patent
TOYS
GAMES
and fine
DOLLS
Visitors peeked inside the windows with peaking curiosity and excitement. The floor of the “shop” had a little red wagon decked with balls and jacks, and hula-hoops leaned on the walls with kites hooked from the ceiling. A stuffed tiger drooped over the saddle of a Victorian rocking horse, and a hobby horse was slanted next to a miniature circus-top merry-go-round. There were shelves with plush animals and figurines sitting on them, and porcelain dolls standing in elegant suits and gowns around a tea party table. A copper box’s lid had been removed to reveal a treasure trove of opalescent marbles. Ragdolls rested on a rocking chair with a quilted cushion… it was the same toy shop that Raggedy Ann and Andy lived in, and they smiled as guests peered at them from outside.
When the real-for-sure people went home, the toys woke up and stirred from their places. They guided each other out of their cases and unlocked the doors, and the world was free to them until dawn. One autumn morning, when the museum was closed for holiday preparations, Raggedy Ann and Andy followed the toys outside into the garden. Giant copper vases gleamed in the sunlight, draped with vines, moss and ferns. Countless wildflowers populated the garden like a rainbow on the ground, ranging from pansies and orchids and irises to the brutal, but beautiful rose bushes and snapdragons. Statues of lions proudly guarded the doors to the museum, and a stone Chinese dragon breathed a waterfall over a glistening crystal pond. Silver-colored koi with orange crowns wiggled to the surface, begging for food and while others tried to kiss the sun.
Raggedy Ann was busy making pretty crafts out of petals and leaves that had fallen to the ground. Her yarn hair matched the dark crimson of the roses she gathered in her apron, and she had a few loops on top of her head like ribbon bows. Her dress was azure and decorated with red flowers, which resembled a garden blooming in the sky. She kept a blue-trim handkerchief with her name on it in her apron pocket. A red running stitch of a heart was sewn over her chest across from the pocket. This heart had more significance than many of the toys had realized, for beneath the heart, inside her body, was a real-for-sure candy heart. This candy heart, from Ann’s memory, was a bright cherry red with pastel-blue letters that said, “I LOVE YOU.” Over the years, it had been responsible for her good health and surviving every rough and tumble and freak accident from her previous owners. It was a source of warmth and comfort, and she was more than happy to share that joy with everyone else. Sometimes, the other toys had asked her if it was made of magic; after all, nobody else—not even her brother Raggedy Andy—had one. Raggedy Ann herself wasn’t sure, but its mystery never bothered her. She would treat everyone with kindness whether she had a real-for-sure candy heart or not.
By the lake’s shore, Raggedy Andy was showing several plastic Troll dolls how to skip stones. He looked near identical to his sister, as if they were gender flips of each other. His “stocking” legs were striped like peppermint sticks and he had black “shoe” feet just like Ann. Andy’s yarn hair was shorter and more carrot-orange, though most of it was covered by a blue cap with a large white rim. He wore a red plaid shirt with a white collar and a big black taffeta bow, complete with sky blue overalls and buttons white as popcorn.
“You got to find the flattest, lightest rocks possible, or else they’re going to sink.” Raggedy Andy explained. “Once you find a good one, you flick your wrist like this.” He demonstrated without throwing the stone, his felt tongue covering the corner of his lip out of habit. A Troll with wild pink hair and a matching gem stone on her stomach followed his instructions, looking crestfallen as her rock plopped with a single splash. “Don’t worry, it takes practice!” Raggedy Andy gave the Troll a reassuring smile. “I’ve messed up sometimes, even with the good ones. Give it a few tries and you’ll be skipping in no time!”
As time rolled on, Raggedy Ann crafted one garland after another, and the finished crowns piled up in a nest consisting of daisies, forget-me-nots, clovers and buttercups. She handled the petals with care and love, weaving necklaces and bracelets and other wearables worthy of the fairy folk. Passing toys admired her handiwork, and she offered gifts and took requests. Raggedy Andy continued to challenge the Trolls, encouraging them to skip better than he can. Eventually, the pink troll was able to skip her stone across the entire lake, which was met by everyone’s cheers. The sun sunk lower in the sky, and the Trolls waved goodbye and left to their own devices. Several toys returned to the museum pleased, decked with Raggedy Ann’s creations. She tucked the remaining flowers in her apron pocket, except for a ring of daisies that she kept around her neck. She stretched her rag-arms and joined her brother by the lake, though he seemed considerably less energetic after the Trolls had left. A sad frown had adorned her brother’s face, raising her concern.
“What’s wrong, Andy?” She asked.
He sighed and tossed the remaining pebbles into the water, not bothering to skip them. The surface rippled and the koi hurried toward the stones, gobbling them up and spitting them out.
“…I miss Kat.” He finally answered.
“Oh…” Mary Katherine Matthews was the name of the girl they had lived with for over twenty years. When she had grown up, she had less time for them, and usually just left them in the closet of her room. Eventually, the Raggedys were moved to the attic, where they had spent time with other old toys. When Mary Katherine found them again during a clean-up, they weren’t sure of their fate. She clearly still loved them based off conversations that they had overheard, but she wouldn’t be playing with them any longer. She didn’t want them “damaged” or left alone to collect dust, but she had no interest in starting a family, and she didn’t know any real-for-sure children who would care for them as much as she did. Then her parents suggested a certain museum…
“Why us, Ann? Why couldn’t we have stayed in the attic with everyone else? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love it here. It’s a lot of fun—for a museum, I mean—I kind of thought we’d be stuck in a stuffy old case, but we’re not. This place was built for us. Like, if Kat took us here on vacation, I would’ve wanted to stay here forever. But now…”
“It’s not the same without Kat, is it?”
“I know, I know. Kat’s grown up, she won’t play with us anymore, that’s part of life. As much as I hate to admit it, it was going to happen eventually. I could deal with that… but why couldn’t the other toys come with us? What makes us special enough to live in the Nostalgia House, but not them? We’re family! Why couldn’t we stay together? At least in the attic, we had each other.” He rested his chin in his hand. “It’s so weird. We’ve lived with Kat and Ginger, and Marie and Tamagotchi and everyone else, like they’re going to be with us forever. Suddenly, bam! They’re gone! I don’t even know what’s going to happen to them now.”
“I’m sure they’ll be okay, Andy. Kat made certain of that.”
“I know she isn’t psychic. I know she’s not supposed to know that we’re alive. But how does she know that the kids at the daycare and shelter aren’t a bunch of bullies? If we could at least move, they’d think twice about beating or breaking us.”
“Now Andy, you know that’s not going to make things better.”
“Then what will? Nobody should just stand by and watch as their friends and family get ripped to pieces or broken, then thrown out by a grown-up with no chance of getting them back!”
“Even if we could talk to humans, what good would that do? Children might become afraid and refuse to play with us. Maybe more toys would be destroyed out of fear that we’d hurt them. I know there’s the chance that we could be good friends instead, but we wouldn’t be able to provide the unconditional companionship they’d need if they knew we were alive.” Raggedy Ann frowned. “Our friends and family will find kids who’ll love them, I know it! These kids are lonely and deserve the friendship the other toys will give, and they’d be more than happy to pour their hearts into them in return. But even if everyone does end up with someone less than kind, they’ll be able to take care of themselves. It’ll be okay, Andy.”
“I guess so…”
“Didn’t you say you felt trapped in the attic? I know how restless you got while we were up there. You always got excited for a chance to sneak outside and see the sky again. It was always risky opening up the ladder to be sure it didn’t crash and wake everyone up.”
“Not that it stopped us.” A small grin formed on Andy’s face.
“Kat really was looking out for us after all.” Ann smiled. “In a way, she knew we’d be much happier at the museum, and now it’s much easier to explore when we want to. We’ll make new friends here quickly, and before we know it, we’ll be used to this place as our home.”
“I’m glad you’re with me, sis. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“There’s no way Kat would separate us.” Ann smiled again. “We’re twins, aren’t we? As long as we’re together, we’ll never be lonely.”
“What are you two still doing out there?” shouted a wandering panda bear. “Don’t you know that everyone’s gathering by the theater to see the Great Phantasmo? If you don’t hurry, there’s not going to be any room left!”
“Dang. About time. I was waiting for that show for days. How could I have forgotten?” Andy laughed.
“Let’s go, Andy.” Ann stood up and brushed herself off. “I’m sure this will cheer you up. We can’t keep the Great Phantasmo waiting!”
“Last one there is a rotten egg!”
The ragdolls laughed and raced each other to the door.
~
Antiquity Avenue housed a theater among its many buildings and shops, and if the popcorn cart wasn’t an indication of its location, its flashy appearance was. Hanging above the entrance was a pearlescent white plaque with bold black letters advertising an eternal showing of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” (“Shocking! Terrifying! It’s Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus!”) During museum hours, real-for-sure people would purchase their tickets using coins made exclusively for the Nostalgia House’s use. A mini-show would premiere, and the audience would gasp in awe as convincing animatronics re-enacted the awakening of Frankenstein’s monster, complete with artificial lightning. On off-days and closing time, the animatronics of the doctor and monster devoted themselves to running the theater and running diverse, full-time productions. While the humans only had a few minutes of Frankenstein, the toys could enjoy fairy tales, ballet, and musicals for free as long as the theater wasn’t full. They watched “Swan Lake” as well as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” And tonight, the Great Phantasmo was going to make his debut.
“Um, excuse me—” Ann tried to communicate, but she couldn’t be heard over the chattering audience. The aisles were packed with toys of all shapes and sizes, and the ragdolls found it impossible to find two seats that weren’t taken or reserved. A stuffed tiger growled and ignored her, while a teddy bear pushed her aside to get down a specific row. A plastic soldier ducked past her, slipping between the legs of the other toys to get to his destination.
“Hey! Let us through!” Andy was losing patience as he was constantly shoved and squeezed, but no one paid him any mind either. Before the Raggedys knew it, they were suddenly lifted in the air, carried over the heads of the crowd. A plush elephant had scooped them up with her trunk and laid them on her back.
“You can sit with me if you want.” The elephant said. “It gets tough out there! I don’t want you to get hurt…”
The Raggedys sat up and brushed themselves off before taking a better look at their savior. The plush elephant was lavender and the insides of her floppy, heart-shaped ears were a soft apple-pink gingham. Her round dark eyes were lit with concern, and she wore a blue cap speckled with stars that had a large, fluffy pink feather stuck to it. The carpet draped over her back was a more intricate pattern of the night sky to match her cap, embroidered with silver constellations and golden moons.
“Thank you! It’s very kind of you.” Ann smiled, petting the elephant’s side in appreciation.
“Thanks!” Andy said in turn. “If it weren’t for you, we’d probably get our stitches torn off!”
“What is your name?” Ann asked.
“Oh, um… my name is Luna.” The plush elephant said. “I hope you’re comfortable up there. If you can’t see, just let me know.”
“Can’t see? I think we’ve got the best view!” Andy laughed. “We’re way in the back, but with Annie and I on top of you, we can see everything on stage like a hawk!”
“I think it’s lucky we got to meet you, Luna!” Ann said. “Now we can enjoy this show together. I’m so excited!”
“Me too,” Luna gave a small, shy smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out like this.”
The lights dimmed and the dins of the crowd chatter faded with it. A chilly fog leaked into the theater before the curtains opened, and a tall coffin slowly sprouted in the center of the stage like an omniscient monolith. Pale fingers gripped the lid of the coffin from the inside, slowly pushing it to the side with a loud creak. A shadowy figure limped forward; if he hadn’t been a marionette, it seemed likely he would crumble into a pile of bones without his strings holding him up. The spotlight caught him and he twisted his body, howling in agony toward the heavens.
Half the audience—including Raggedy Ann—jumped and gasped. The Great Phantasmo fell silent, watching the crowd as he waited for the shock to wear off.
“My apologies, dear audience! It’s not easy coming back from the dead.” He bowed. “Welcome to my show!” The Great Phantasmo presented himself in a dark tailcoat, whose front was sealed with buttons which resembled golden pennies. The coat was a rich crimson inside, and the tails fluttered behind him like the feathers of a blood-stained crow. His head was taped up in layers of bandages like a mummy. He wore a white Punchinello mask, which had a nose as long and as thick as the beak of a swan. His gloves were the same color but brighter, as if they were the cleanest things about his appearance.
"Thank you for having me tonight." The Great Phantasmo continued. "I commend you for bearing with me as I reaquaint myself with the living. Here's a token of my appreciation." A bouquet of roses flashed in an instant in his hand, bunched with red, pink and white blooms. He tossed it over the heads of the audience, and there was a loud pop! as streamers and petals sprinkled inside the theater. Everyone applauded, and Raggedy Ann looked up to see if there was a secret opening from the ceiling or some other trick she didn't know about (surely even the Great Phantasmo couldn't throw the bouquet that far!) and it delighted her to find there was nothing.
"Now, let us turn that dusty old coffin into something new." The Great Phantasmo lifted his arms, pulling out a thin white wand as if from thin air. He tapped the coffin twice, drawing out a silk Tyrian purple cloth with yellow stars. He cloaked the coffin entirely and tapped it again. He yanked the cloth with a dramatic flutter, and the coffin rotted from a dull, dusty brown, to a decayed charcoal black.
"Oh dear... this would not do at all." The magician pondered out loud. With each tap of his wand, with each swish of the cloth, the coffin only got worse, with fungus growing on what remained of it. Finally, there was nothing but a pile of ashes on stage. But the Great Phantasmo persisted, giving it one last tap. There was a single dark seed, no bigger than a pebble. With an ear-splitting crack, a green shoot sprouted from its shell, spreading its myriad of leaves like open arms. A beanstalk twisted and swaggered to the ceiling, much to the awe of the crowd. Bulbs swelled around the beanstalk and split to reveal blossoms of every color of the rainbow, with butterflies sleeping inside. The butterflies stirred and fluttered about the stage like a colony of fairies. The Great Phantasmo offered his arm, letting one of the butterflies perch on it like an eagle. Another landed on the nose of his Punchinello mask, and the magician chuckled.
"How on earth did he do that?" Raggedy Andy whispered to Ann and Luna, spellbound. His eyes were still fixed to the stage. "Don't tell me! I want to know if it's going to get better than this."
The Great Phantasmo had plenty in store for Andy. The magician performed various feats, many involving the swaying beanstalk he had just grown: his hands were bound with one of the vines in the most difficult knot possible, and he undone it in a single second. The butterflies were clearly trained and above ordinary intelligence, as demonstrated when he played rounds of cups and balls with several at once. Every time, the butterfly found the ball, knew which cup to lift. For each correct answer, the magician rewarded them with nectar, and they kissed him with their long ribbon-like tongues. He was tied up in thorny holly leaves and lowered over a blazing candle, and burst free just as the flame licked the green cocoon of his prison. He bowed, unharmed, and stage assistants quickly doused the burning leaves.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” he announced. “For my next trick, I will require a little audience participation. Do we have a volunteer?” The audience clamored for Phantasmo's attention, waving arms or jumping. The magician's gaze pierced through the crowd, scanning their faces until at last, he extended his arm in a dramatic gesture. “What about you? All the way in the back, the girl with red hair!”
Who? Me? Raggedy Ann's arms were still swaying in the air as the magician's butterflies approached her, circling around her like a gust of wind.
“Go for it!” Raggedy Andy whispered. He ushered her with a grin and Luna waved shyly with her trunk as the ragdoll descended to follow the butterflies. Trepidation and eagerness walked beside her as she approached the stage, and she dusted her dress in hopes of looking presentable. The Great Phantasmo offered his hand, leading her up the stairs with the grace and affection of a Renaissance duke. Once under the spotlight in the middle of the stage, the magician bowed on one knee before her.
“What is your name?”
“Oh! I'm Raggedy Ann.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Raggedy Ann!” The magician planted a chaste kiss on her hand. "I am grateful you decided to join the stage with me. By the way...” He tilted his head. “I can't help but notice your necklace. Did you make it yourself?”
“That's right!” Ann grinned, holding up the ring of daisies for everyone to see. “I just finished it in the garden today. There's a lot of pretty flowers out there. Like yours!”
“You're too kind, Ann! You're as gentle as you are talented. Anyway, the show must go on! Just follow my instructions, and it won't be long before the Nostalgia House knows your name. Will you step in front of that flower please?"
A watermelon-pink tulip closed its petals around her, forming a comfy makeshift box. The petals provided a slot for her to peek out, and she beamed when she saw Andy and Luna still waving. The Great Phantasmo drew a thin silver sword from a hat, letting it glint in the spotlight before stabbing it through the tulip. Raggedy Ann's eyes widened, and the sword stuck out like a nail on the other side. Phantasmo withdrawn his weapon, clean as a whistle and his volunteer unharmed. He started sawing the tulip from the back like a loaf of bread.
"Raggedy Ann, are you all right?" Phantasmo called.
"Just fine!"
"Sing to us, Ann. Sing whatever comes to mind! If you can't sing, recite a poem or tell us a story. Let us know you're in there!"
"Anything I want?"
"Anything you want! Don't worry about choosing anything specific or saying the wrong words. Just do it!"
Raggedy Ann closed her eyes and tried to think. Her gravelly soft voice risen as she recalled a rare musical from her childhood, one she used to listen to all the time with Andy and Kat and all the other toys. "The Man Who Sold the Moon" was about a young man who started down on his luck and worked his way up into becoming a successful businessman, all to fulfill his childhood dream of building a rocket and flying to the moon. Based off a novella by Robert A. Heinlein published long ago in the early 1950s, it was rejected by critics—including Richard Rodgers of Rogers & Hammerstein himself—for being too optimistic: "Nobody would believe a story where man would visit the moon." By the time Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did land on the moon, the musical was already buried in obscurity. But this didn't stop the dedicated theater lover from rediscovering the lost gem, the way Delos D. Harriman never gave up and convinced a young spaceship captain to take him to the moon in spite of his old age:
You grew up in a world of rocketships
And I with a Model A Ford
No one then believed
Man would ever reach the moon
Except some foolish lunatics like me
But I believed it, I believed, and was laughed at for it most of my life
Even by my wife
As Raggedy Ann sang, the Great Phantasmo finished sawing, and the top of the tulip box spun and lifted itself in the air, like a rocket taking off. Her feet dangled at the bottom, and the magician sliced the lower box in half. The two legs danced away from each other in their individual boxes. The top box was cut, and the ragdoll's hands clenched and unclenched in their own spinning tulip cases.
I wanted to be a rocket engineer, but couldn't afford the University
So I went into business for myself instead
And found I had a talent for finance
I poured hundreds of millions into rocket research
Though my partners all thought that I was mad
It was I who established the rocket cartel
And obtained the financing for the Luna Corporation
Raggedy Ann was literally scattered all over the stage without her notice; her hands touched the opposite corners of the ceiling, and her feet wiggled far below them. The Great Phantasmo waved his arm in circles, spinning all boxes except the one she sang in. He begged her to keep singing.
It was I who hired the engineers
Who built the spaceship Pioneer
That beautiful preposterous 5-stage horror that was first to reach the moon
The darkest day of my life was the day I was told there wasn't room for me aboard her
And there wasn't room on the second ship either
Or the third or the seventh or the tenth ship too
The Great Phantasmo flashed knives in his hands like opening a fan, and aimed one at each of the tulips. Each throw was more violent than the last, hitting with a hard whack! that almost overwhelmed Ann's voice. Luna cringed and Andy couldn't help clenching the rug on the elephant's back.
I was always told I was needed more down here
They were right, so I never made it
There are twelve hundred fifty-two people up there now
All of them are working for me
And all I want in this life now
Is to be Number Twelve hundred fifty three
Tension strained Raggedy Ann's song, and Phantasmo penetrated blade after blade as his pleas turned into desperate shrieks. The lights short-circuited.
But now, they say that my blood pressure's high
And my heart is too feeble for a takeoff
It may be true, but I don't give a damn
And I've waited far too long to be stopped
I will not be stopped!
Raggedy Ann vanished. The tulips shut and the singing stopped. The theater was as grave and silent as Phantasmo's coffin. Suddenly, the boxes burst with colored lights like the birth of a galaxy. Electricity rippled through the stage like beams from a plasma ball, whipping pink-tipped tentacles of neon blue and violet. Surging with the tentacles, the Great Phantasmo summoned the tulip pieces back into place and pulled out the knives and swords. The magician opened the box and Raggedy Ann emerged, whole and glowing. She took Phantasmo's hands and twirled with him in the swirl of lights, his bandages fluttering and her apron illuminated with a nebula rainbow. Their dance ended and they bowed and curtsied toward the audience, immediately swallowed by the roar of applause. The crowd risen from their chairs, clapping and tossing flowers and tokens.
Raggedy Ann held her skirts, about to climb off the stage when the Great Phantasmo tugged her sleeve gently. He directed her back toward the tulip box. Puzzled but curious, she followed him inside without anyone's notice.
~
“Something's wrong.” Raggedy Andy said. “We've been waiting for who knows how long, and Raggedy Ann still hasn't come back.”
“Maybe you can try talking to the theater people?” Luna suggested. “They might know something.”
“I guess. But it's still really weird. Magicians aren't supposed to keep their volunteers hostage.”
“I'm sure she's fine.” Luna said, but the way she looked at the ground and shuffled her feet, she didn't seem sure herself.
“I'll be right back. If I take too long, feel free to go home without me. It's nice meeting you, uh... Luna?”
“That's right! Luna.”
“Thanks again for offering us a seat for the show. We'll be sure to make it up for you. Maybe we can hang out at the garden tomorrow!”
“Oh! That would be... nice.”
“Later!”
~
“I'm looking for my sister.” Andy told Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. “Have you seen her?”
“Oh, was she the one invited on stage? That was amazing!” The doctor praised.
“Good singer too.” The monster rested his hands on his blushing cheeks with a goofy grin. “She sounds like a sexy frog.”
“Look, I just want to know where she is.” Andy frowned. “Is she still with Phantasmo?”
“I suppose so. Unlikely though, since Phantasmo is out for the day.” The doctor said. “He's too worn out and can't talk long with his fans. Are you sure she's not waiting outside on Antiquity Avenue?”
“Positive. She's not there!”
“I don't know what to tell you.” The doctor replied sadly. “Good luck finding her. If she turns up, we'll let you know!”
“Yeah...” The monster said, still daydreaming.
Raggedy Andy thanked them and went on his way. He stared blankly at the stage, mentally finishing his sister's song:
I will walk on the moon
I will see the lunar sunrise
And look up at the Earth in the sky
When no one was looking, he sneaked past the curtains. Backstage was the theater's spine, and far larger than the theater itself, filled with special rooms for the actors to apply costumes and makeup and workers stored secrets. He uncovered a loose plank and pried it open, climbing into the dusty darkness. In the world of toys, these underground passageways were necessary to travel and keep things hidden from real-for-sure people; it wouldn't do to leave custom accessories in the open where anyone could see them. Since night was usually the most active time for toys, Andy's shoe-button eyes were long accustomed to the shapes and shadows that would've been lost to the average human.
“Hello? Anyone in there?” Uneasiness trickled down his back along with the chill, but he held himself to keep from shaking. All around Andy were items nobody cared about: piles of cardboard boxes, broken props, and rusty nails sticking out of the planks. Forgotten costumes hung over pipes like ashes. Dried bug carcasses strewn all over the floor. Spiders huddled in their nooks and crannies, retreating in the corner of their invisible webs as the ragdoll wandered near. The crunch of discarded paper and the thump of steps from toys walking in the other room above served to further isolate him inside the nothingness.
Over a lumpy towel laid a crooked shadow. Andy recognized the Great Phantasmo and called to him. But the magician never responded. Rushing over, the ragdoll's eyes widened in horror when he came close and realized the truth: the rods holding his strings lay crumpled along his back, and his Punchinello mask lay in pieces like broken china. His entire face was bandaged with the rest of his head, with hollow spaces over his eyes and mouth as though he was a skeleton trapped in an eternal scream. Raggedy Andy didn't have time to react before a mysterious shadow grabbed him from behind. His gasp locked in his throat as a hand clamped over his mouth. A sharp cool blade pointed toward his throat, and his hands were useless to push it away.
“Try not to worry your pretty little head…” A voice purred beside him. “You won’t be using it anyway.”
Andy panicked, pain slicing into his thoughts. The ragdoll flipped his legs behind him, hooking whoever was behind him and slamming the assailant to the ground. Coughing, Andy crawled away, holding his hand to his neck. Cotton frothed from the cut and he pushed it back inside, praying to god he wasn't decapitated. The attacker lunged for him, but Andy was ready, punching and kicking and fighting with his whole weight. He grabbed his opponent, but fell back as he was stabbed in the legs. He blocked himself in time from a finishing blow, his arms slashed up and stinging with pain.
“Who are you?” Andy cried. “What have you done with Phantasmo!?”
“Me? I am Phantasmo.” The figure towered before the ragdoll, wire strings flickering around his form. The marionette wore the same dark suit as the body behind him, only this time it was unbuttoned to reveal a cream white shirt with a scarlet embroidered vest, along with a violet bow-tie around his neck. His smooth chestnut brown hair went as far as his chin, and his soft lips curved wickedly on his angular face. His eyes shined with the crimson sin of pomegranates, studying his victim the way a chameleon watched a fly.
“Wh-What?”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” The marionette lowered his voice an octave, which Andy recognized immediately. “I'm sorry to say that the Great Phantasmo does not hold encores.” The puppet glanced nonchalantly at the body. “Not that he was alive to begin with.”
“What have you done with my sister!? Where is she!?”
“My my, someone's a little impatient.” The puppet cocked his head with sardonic amusement. “You know just yelling at me isn't going to help matters, right? By the way, watch yourself.”
The Great Phantasmo dived at Andy and pinned him to the floor, once again pointing the knife at his throat—the same one out of many he had used for his final act. Andy squirmed and spat, but his strength was running out fast. Dizzy from the pain and loss of stuffing, the ragdoll kicked and swayed to no avail. He stiffened as the blade crept along the side of his head, feeling Phantasmo's knuckles brush against his cheek. The marionette plucked something from underneath his hat—Raggedy Andy fought and swore, but stopped when he realized what it was.
“You didn't...” The ragdoll stared helplessly as his sister's daisy chain dangled over his face.
“Shame if something were to happen to this.” Phantasmo whispered, rocking the necklace like a swinging pendulum. “Don't you worry... Raggedy Ann will be safe and sound. Not a single strand of yarn has been plucked from her head. She'll stay innocent forever... she won't even have to know you're gone.”
“STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
The ground rumbled and a familiar purple elephant hurtled herself toward Phantasmo, butting him off Andy's body. The injured ragdoll winced as he turned on his side to see his savior.
“Luna...?” He said weakly. But his new friend didn't hear him, grabbing his assailant with her trunk and hurling him around before slamming him to the ground again and again. A powder was thrown into her eyes from Phantasmo, momentarily stunning her. She shrieked, the knife cutting her chest as the puppet leapt from her. What Luna had in bulk, the marionette outmatched her in speed; he circled Luna like a blur, throwing knives, nails, and tacks at the plush elephant like ninja stars. She dodged them as best as she could, only to realize he hadn't been aiming at her at all; the purple elephant howled as the sharp scattered weapons embedded themselves in her feet, and her screams mingled with defeat and horror as she fell on her side, impaled by the vengence of the prickly battleground.
“Luna...!” Forcing himself up with his rag fists, Raggedy Andy crawled towards his helpless companion. He clutched an abandoned nail, similtaneously keeping it as a crutch and a sword. He gathered tacks with his unoccupied arm, and when he found he was too unsteady to carry them safely, he shoved them aside as he made a clearing path. For a second, he stumbled on his feet before the seriousness of his wounds forced him back on his knees and tripping over his boneless rag feet. All the same, he made it to Luna's side.
“I'm so sorry...!” Luna whimpered, eyes brimming with tears. “I couldn't save you... I was too weak...”
Raggedy Andy ignored her, trying to straighten himself out. He gripped the nail at the hilt with both hands, glaring at the marionette, who raised an eyebrow.
“You can't fight like this.” Phantasmo said simply.
“Bite me.” Andy's body shook, but he did not fall. “You are not going to hurt my sister. And you are NOT going to kill my best friend, Luna. Not over every scrap of cloth and cotton you make out of me!”
A commotion sounded over the ceiling and a dragging of footsteps thudded its way in the other side of the room. The marionette closed his eyes and sighed, resigning himself to a decision.
“Perhaps you might prove yourself if you really are worthy of the oath you speak,” Phantasmo said. “Assuming there aren't any unfortunate circumstances, we shall meet again in more favorable conditions. Farewell!”
In the blink of an eye, the marionette vanished. Andy stared at the space before him in bafflement before letting go of his weapon and sinking on his legs again. A short moment after, an entire crowd of toys—consisting of Dr. Frankenstein, the monster, and the whole backstage crew—had arrived to see what was the matter. Swarming around him and Luna, they fussed about with emergency needle and thread. Despite all his efforts to stay awake and answer their questions, his injuries taken their toll and the ragdoll blacked out.
To be continued...
Next chapter, we see what happened to Raggedy Ann and are introduced to our main villain, Dr. Medlock. From now on, the chapters switch between Andy's journey to find her (and dealing with Medlock's assistant Phantasmo/Marius) and Ann surviving the lab. Don't worry, everything's still third-person. :)
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Date: 2015-04-13 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-04-14 12:18 am (UTC)