A Dance Of Puppets PART ONE This is a story I have created based on the famous Mametz Woods #poem, it is an extremely short story and is currently in draft. I have also decided to use the opening of my first post on here to start the story introduction because I feel it suited the atmosphere. Hope you enjoy! Please do check out Mametz Woods before hand, it is a greatly symbolic #poem about the war. The world is collapsing, the prosperity and privileges of #life rotting away within this dull and pugnacious atmosphere. What happened to the everflowing birds that restlessly flapped their wings like puppets controlled by an enthusiastic puppeteer? Yet now, as my vision scraped the surface of the ominous, blackened sky, not a single bird tainted its pure wings against such a mocking and crudely lit dawn. The sullen silence was a burden, the echoes of our promising smiles long forgotten like a child's toy that will never be picked up again. The prevailing winds were grinding against my barely stable helmet, its gnarly hands clamping and entwining themselves across my impure skin. The perished twenty souls beside me were engrossed with their grip upon their only hope; the same as me. Within my grip was indeed my hope, the taste of bitter freedom. Yet it came with an obscene price. This #lifeless metal only desired sanguinary. 'Men! Today we will make our stand in Mametz Wood! We will plough on and on until we defeat the upcoming battle...' How many hours had passed? I couldn't tell. The shudder-some shrubs had long surrounded me in their restraints. We remained under the power of the woods; their silhouettes now ours. 'Hey Thomas, what will you do when we make it out of here?' Queried Jack, a young man who I had never considered a second of my thoughts too. Perhaps I should remind him that today is our remaining future and the clock does not make such exceptions. Yet, that look of hope and yearning. How could I possibly break the mans last hope that lit up like the remaining ember of a candle struggling for air? 'I will go back to my daughter in our home town.' 'Papa! Where are you going?' My dear little Emily tugged upon my uniform of honour as her immense gaze locked approaching onto mine. I had smiled reassuringly back then. 'Papa will be back before you know it! He will defeat all the silly monsters who haunt your closet at night for good!' I had laughed soft-heartedly, my hands had clasped hers as a gesture of promises. Promises I would never be able to keep. Emily had smiled blissfully, a priceless reward I would never see again. 'Really Papa? Will you really defeat the monsters?' Squealing, Emily giggled, the voice flawlessly trespassing my ears through every vocal. 'Papa here! Have my locket. It's got you, me and even mama! Don't forget me papa! And you better tell a bedtime story to that locket every night, maybe I will hear!' She sighed in awe, 'You'll be a hero papa! If you defeat the silly monsters they will give us back mama!' THIS IS THE END OF PART ONE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO POST THE SECOND HALF PLEASE LET ME KNOW. -Thankyou.
