The men looking for her know she is trapped. There is only one entrance and exit from the carnival, and they have one guy at that exit. The other three are on her trail now, and she will be caught. They will drug her without question and she will disappear forever. Why? Mary Annette asks herself that very question as her small, feminine frame continues to run. Admittedly, she did see them put a body in the trunk of their car, but she didn't even see who it was. Her boyfriend was walking along beside her on the trail in the park when they saw them dump the body. She screamed, which did nothing but get her boyfriend put down by a single shot.

She stumbled back and fell into a drainage ditch by the path. Terrified and not knowing what to do, she ran away. She could feel them looking at her back as she ran away. Perhaps out of range or the darkness of the night, she escaped to the carnival on the edge of the park, which is in town for the week. Running inside, she takes a deep breath. Assuming her safety, she takes a moment to gather herself. But before she can process anything, she sees 4 shadowed figures coming from where she came. Not wanting to be killed, she runs further into the carnival.

There are very few people here now as the carnival is about to close for the night, so she gets into the more residential part of the carnival quickly. Back here, there are mostly mobile homes or RVs for the performers and workers to live in and work out of, with a few tents mixed in. Picking a darkened one, she opens the door and steps up and into the room. The room is rather long and narrow, like an RV. The left side has a floor to ceiling cabinet that is closed but goes almost the length of the room. There's another room beyond with a set of seats for the driver and passenger. Along the right wall is..."Yikes," she screams as it looks like 3 ladies are hanging along the wall in brightly colored outfits.

A man's head appears from the other room and asks, "May I help you?"

Mary, her rather short and thin body continues to shake as she replies, "There's...there's...running...people...help." She tries to speak but the three ladies with rosy cheeks staring off into the distance seem to be all her body can take from the running she has been doing. The man chuckles and replies, "My dear, you will have to do better than that. Come now, settle down and tell me what you are doing here."

She takes a deep breath, still shaking from the adrenaline, and replies, "I'm Mary...Annette. There's some men trying to hurt me and I ran in here." She stops and points at the ladies in front of her, falling to the ground in a heap at their feet. The tall man, who's head nearly touches the ceiling, walks to her and replies softly, "They are not real, just marionettes. But," he states while looking out the window of the door to his home, "The men chasing you are. I see them now." She turns to look out the window to see them opening and checking each door along this row.

"Oh please, please," she begs from her knees, "Help me. Hide me. Anything. They already killed my b-b-boyfriend." The thin man in the dark pants and brightly colored vest takes note of her tone and posture as she clings to his left leg. He balks, but with tears forming in her eyes, then says, "Here now, let's see if we can fool these gentlemen, hmm? Slip those shoes and socks off." Putting his hand into the closet of marionettes, he pulls out a full length dress. It has puffy sleaves with lacey edges. The bottom is flowy in bright red and fringed in white. "Quick, put this on over your shirt and shorts." She does not argue as she wipes her eyes and gets out of her shoes and into the dress.

She can feel him buttoning up the back. The dress tightens in her waist more than she would like to admit and seems to restrain her neck and shoulders with some type of frame in the fabric. "Here, now step back," he says. As she does, she hears a couple of clicks. "Okay now, this may feel strange," he states while stepping around her. Pulling on a lever in the closet, she feel herself being hoisted up into the air a few inches. She squeals softly, as he says, "Listen, you are fine...it is okay. Just be calm and look straight ahead. Be limp. Don't move unless I move you. Okay?"

Her head spinning on the inside, she tries to keep still, dangling just above the floor of the room. He grabs her shoes and socks and puts them in a drawer. As he returns, the door busts open and three men force there way in. Mary does not have to worry about moving now, as she is frozen with fear. One of the men asks, "Is that her?" The carnival man states forcefully, "Gentlemen, my next performance is tomorrow, and you cannot have any of my ladies. Although, I could introduce you to them after the show." The men look to him and back to the four ladies hanging to their right. "I really don't like strangers busting in here late at night, so what do you want?"

As he says this, he walks up to Mary and stands with his back to them, partially blocking her. Taking a hand, he carefully inserts a clip onto her wrist where another ring is sewn in. "You see, our...sister is missing and we...were looking for her," the one man says very unconvincingly.

The carnival man turns around, Mary's limp hand now suspended in front of her by the string. "Well, if you are looking for a real woman, I can't help you. I only have wooden ones." And with that, he reaches over to one of the marionettes and taps her forehead. The sound of wood being thumped projects out into the room.

The men, surprised by this, turn to leave, somewhat ashamed they were fooled, yet one feels that something is still not right. "Before we go, can you open that closet there for us?"

The carnival man says in a frustrated way, "Young man, you are trying my patience tonight." The two guys that had stepped out, have now come back in. Whatever happy mood he put on earlier to push them away, has now pulled them back in with his annoyance. Realizing this could go all sorts of wrong, he says, "But since you seem persistent, I will show you. But I can't without closing this closet first." Grabbing the collapsed door to Mary's right, he pulls it out and she can feel her strings pulling her in tighter to the wall. All of the costumes are now compressed around her. She can even feel the shoulder of the marionette next to her. The carnival man stretches the door over the front of the marionettes and latches it.

"You see," the carnival man says loudly, "We have to learn how to pack things up tightly here at the carnival, so each of my closets collapses on itself to compress all of my work." Mary can hear another latch being opened and the sound of the collapsing door being pulled back. She can hear some rustling and then, "Alright, thanks for nothing."

The carnival man calls out, "Hope you find her," and closes the door. She hears footsteps and then a whisper from outside the closet. "Stay there for a few minutes more, then I will take you out. Let's be sure they are gone."

She whispers back, "Okay and thank you so much!"

The evening begins to catch up with her as she hangs in the closet. Like a blanket that is wrapped around her are the costumes and marionettes. She does not know how long it is before she hears the door open, but she reasons that she might have fallen asleep (hope I didn't snore, she thinks playfully). As the door opens, she feels herself and the other marionettes being thrust out into the open. She blinks her eyes to the light and starts to speak when she notices that the carnival man she knew is not the person in the room. Fortunately, this man is not looking at her yet. He looks at each marionette then at a picture in his hand. "None of you are quite what I need...wonder if Thom has any other females in the closet over here."

He looks at Mary, his eyes going up and down. He pauses then grabs her left wrist, causing her to nearly jump. With a quick motion, he attaches her left wrist to a string. "Must have come off when I opened it," he reasons. Turning from her, he opens the other closet. Mary realizes why the marionette's owner wanted to close one closet before opening the other. When this man opens the other closet, its contents unfold into the room like the closet she is in. A tall, burly marionette comes out, along with other marionettes she cannot see, to meet Mary. They are almost cheek to cheek now when he stops moving. She can smell his lacquered wooden neck and see the black coat covering his shoulder. "Nothing", the man says as he checks them all. Pushing Mary and the tall man aside, he squeezes between them. "Maybe we can change the act," the man wonders as he closes the door behind him.

Swinging back and forth with the man, she wonders if she should try to leave now or stay put. As seconds stretch into minutes, she begins to wonder where the other carnival man is. Ready to try her luck as the minutes tick by, she attempts to unhook herself. However, she cannot get the hooks from the back of her dress, since she is hanging from them. She notices movement out the window of the door and sees the three men that were looking for her earlier walking past. Not sure if they can see through that window to her, she returns to her inanimate state.

While still pretending to be a marionette, the carnival man she knows walks in with a lady behind him. "Look, see," he says flustered, "That man continues to barge right in as if he owns the place, which he doesn't." The woman replies in a soothing way, "Thom, Thom, he is just worried about his act tomorrow, that is all. And you would be too if your star was out sick." Mary does not know who the lady is, but she speaks like she is in charge. From the corner of her eye, the woman has on khakis with black boot over top that are buffed to a high sheen. She has a white button down, long sleeved shirt with red suspenders. To hear her talk, she is a woman, but her outfit looks much more masculine. "I don't care," Thom continues as he squeezes past Mary to begin closing the other closet, "He didn't even put it all back the way he found it."

As the woman walks past Mary, she can see her slick hair has a slight indentation, like she was wearing a hat. She also notes that she has a black, handle-bar mustache as well. "We all are making sacrifices until this stomach bug moves on. I mean, I don't want to be ringmaster, but here I am." Thom snorts as he closes the other closet. "Speaking of which, could you help a girl out?" The woman turns to face Mary as Thom does something behind her back. Mary hears an audibly "sproing" and then the woman's chest expands out, pushing the suspenders to each side. "Oh, yes," the woman moans rubbing the front of her now bulging shirt, "That feels so good...I certainly hope Reggie feels better tomorrow." Thom nods as he comes around to close the other closet. "I don't see why we can't have a female ringmaster," Thom says, "You make a handsome man, but a much more beautiful lady." The woman smiles and reaches for her mustache, "Beautiful enough to kiss with a mustache?" Thom lets go of the handle and embraces the substitute ringmaster. He kisses her deeply, as she moans again in her delight.

Mary, still playing her role, doesn't move, even though she has a front row seat for this display of affection. She figures the kiss will be all, but then the ringmaster squeezes Thom's butt. "Oh," he says, "Is it Thursday night already?" She giggles, "Well, not exactly, but I thought we might if you are up to it." She pulls away and looks down at Thom's pants. Thom chuckles, "Uh, there might be more than one big tent around here." Mary thinks, ew gross, I don't want to see this or hear this. Thom and the ringmaster embrace again, kissing more passionately. He pulls her suspenders off her shoulders while she unbuttons his shirt. As he moves to the front of her shirt, she says, "Wait, let's play some more," and turns to face the marionettes. "Which one of these am I going to walk in on you this time, hmm?" Thom chuckles, "Oh, the whole jealous-rage-and-then-make-up sex routine, huh?" She giggles and replies, "It is my favorite play time with you." They kiss again as Mary screams on the inside, nononono.

The ringmaster turns to look at one of the marionettes, when Thom catches Mary's eye. All at once, he remembers something very important that he forgot: one of his marionettes is real. "Uh, dearest, let's not play tonight, huh? Maybe we just get it on?" He turns to embrace her, but she wiggles out of his grasp. "Oh no, you don't," she says with a playful yet determined eye, "You spend all day with these ladies, giving them all your attention. Then when I come around, you have nothing left. I need to show you that I'm better than any of them." Thom knows he spends a lot of time working on the marionettes, but that is part of his act, just like she has hers. But, he can't tell her about Mary either, because there is no situation where that works out.

"Okay, okay," he says, "We will play. I'll pick one and be in the bed with it when you come back." He asks with a wink, "Uh, will you be wearing anything for me?" She grins, "Actually, I borrowed the contortionists catsuit for tonight. If I can get my girls and trunk in it, then you should be very happy." Mary can tell he is genuinely excited about that. "Sounds great, let me grab one and..." She stops him, "Ah, it is my turn to pick the wench trying to take my man." Mary can now tell he is nervous. The chances are 3 out of 4 that she is safe, but the way things have gone today, it would not surprise her if she got picked.

The ringmaster looks at each marionette, similar to the way the one guy did earlier. She pauses and squeezes and pulls then says, "The one on the end looks different and I like her dress, she's the one." Thom's heart sinks and he turns to protest, but the ringmaster was ready, "Notice, Thom, that my fingers are ready to snap and I have a special word on the edge of my lips. If you don't willingly do this, I will hypnotize you into it." Thom takes a step back, "Oh, come on, Shelley, you know how much I hate that. I'll do anything for you...you know that." It is clear Thom is completely smitten with Shelly, and Shelley seems to really like him as well, Mary reasons. Shelley raises an eyebrow and then Thom puts up his hands, "Okay, okay, this is the one, I'll get her back there. Anything else?"

Shelley looks at Mary and says, "Have fun while it lasts wench, because when I come back, he is mine!" And without another word, she storms out. As the door slams, Thom says, "Of all the nights, you had to come in. Do you know how long I have been waiting to get her into the contortionist's outfit?" Mary shakes her head slowly. "And now, I gotta set you up back there as my pretend lover, so my real lover can push you away. But then that is not enough, cause you will still be there when...when..." Thom can't finish the sentence as he puts his head in his hands. Mary reaches out and touches his arm, "Thom, I'm so sorry. I had no idea what would happen when I came in here, and I certainly did not mean to ruin your relationship with Shelley. She seems very special to you." Thom nods his head, still holding it in his hands, "She's the only woman I've ever truly loved. Took me 10 years to get up the nerve to even approach her. I volunteered to let her practice her hypnosis on me so that I could get close to her. Ugh, hate that stuff!"

Mary does not know what to say, bringing up the loss of her boyfriend seems ill-timed, so she just remains still. Thom takes a moment to gather himself then looks up. "Okay, let's get you ready." He loosens the strings and lowers her to the floor. He removes the clips and let's her walk freely. Rummaging around in the dresser next to the closet, he pulls out a mask and a spray can. "Look at me, hold still." He puts the mask over her face. The mask has holes for her cheeks and lips. The plastic mask fits over her face, then she feels a cool mist on her cheeks and lips. Removing the mask, he says, "Okay, better. Now one more thing." He puts the mask and can away and pulls out another. "This is a thick lacquer that I use in emergencies. It is not long lasting, but it holds up well for a few hours. Hold out your hands." Mary does so and he positions them like she is holding something. Pulling up her sleeves slightly, "Now hold that position," he says and sprays her hands and wrists with the contents of the can. The cold mist covers her hands and wrists completely. She can hear a slight crackling sound, as it dries.

Within a few seconds, she can't move her hands. "Uh, Thom?" she says weakly.

"It's temporary," reassuring her, "She is going to be touching your exposed skin, so you have to look, and most importantly, feel like a wooden marionette."

Mary cannot get over how her hands are now stuck in that position. She wants to move them, but can't. Her hands now feel like they are not even a part of her body. "Ok, close your eyes and try not to smile." Mary obeys, figuring she is too far in now to stop. She can feel the cool mist over over her face and neck. As the crackling begins, she feels her mouth tighten into a slight smile. And despite her best attempts, her eyes snap open. She tries to speak, but her mouth won't move. "Yeah, you are a mute for now, probably should have mentioned that. Don't worry though, it wears off. Oh, your eyes!" Rummaging again, he comes back with a plastic bottle, the kind you squeeze. "Here's some liquid tears, since you can't blink."

Mary would scream if she could, but she can't. She would run away, but she couldn't turn the door knob. She is trapped here until it all wears off. "Ok, let's walk you back here so I can set you up." She follows him down the very narrow hallway. She can see a kitchen/bathroom to the left and the driver's seats up front. To the right, a small bedroom, which is basically that: a room that has a bed from wall to wall. "So, here is what she likes, you and I will be sitting on the bed in each others arms. She bursts in and we have an argument. I will say lots of things and so will she. She will push you away or throw you out the door or something like that, and then...well, then...mmm, that's the highlight of my week then." Mary gulps and stands there in her long frilly dress, lacquered hands and face, and messed up hair. Hair? Mary moves her hand up to her head.

Thom gets the hint, "Yikes, you need a wig, hang on." He runs back to the closet and comes back with a blonde wig that has two long, braided pony tails. "Here, bend forward a bit," he asks as he starts to attach the wig to her head. Mary can feel the wig being pulled onto her head, as he tucks her real hair up inside it. "There, perfect!"

They both jump at the knock at his door. "Uh oh, that's her. Quick in the bed!" They clamor onto the bed from the hallway. He sits up, his back against the back wall and facing the door. She crawls next to him, and he helps her straighten out her dress as she sits next to him. "Ok, just go limp now...be a doll...it will be over soon." Mary tries to nod her head but can't, so she goes limp as the door opens. He moves her arms to go around him. He moves one of her legs to drape over his, as footsteps come from the hallway. "Oh yes," he says loudly, "It is just us. My old hag doesn't even know you are here with me...in bed." He puckers up and kisses Mary on the forehead just as Shelley comes into view.

"Old hag?" she yells, hands on hips. Shelley was not kidding, Thom thinks, as it looks like she was poured into that shiny catsuit. Her chest is barely covered, and the pants part doesn't even get much past her knees as the fabric was needed for her curves higher up.

Thom replies, "Oh no, darling, it is not what you think." Mary can feel Thom attempting to push her away, his hands on her shoulders.

"Darling? Is that what you call her?" Mary can feel a hand take one of her limp ones.

"No, no, dear, I meant you as..." Thom starts to say, but Shelley interrupts, "This wench needs to be taught a lesson." Mary finds herself being turned around then pushed into the bed. Thom makes a move to protect her, when Shelley literally jumps into bed with both of them.

Holding Mary up by the shoulder, her frozen expression stares at Shelley's mock anger. "Can you kiss him, like this?" She leans in and kisses Thom deeply. "Do you have a chest for him to drown in, like this?" Shelley, with her other hand, pulls Thom's head down into her bosom. Mary can hear him making muffled, moans of delight. Turning to face Mary, Shelley adds, "You can't do anything for him...you're just a stupid doll." Shelley leans into Thom and embraces him, leaving Mary to flop over. Unfortunately, Mary flop towards Shelley as her leg is pinned between the two lovers. Mary hears the zipper between the moans. Then Shelley's catsuit is pealed down by Thom, which Mary thinks will get her pushed off Shelley, but it doesn't. As the lovers find a rhythm, Mary's head bounces against Shelley's back throughout the night.

For older people, Mary thinks, these two are pretty spry. She bounced along with them until Shelley screamed, twice. Then she bounced some more until Thom screamed. Figuring it was over when Shelley started to move, Mary finds herself cuddled in with Shelley while Thom spoons into Shelley's back. Mary is almost asleep in the comfort of this warm awkward hug from a woman she doesn't even really know, when they start vibrating again. Shelley squeezes Mary so tight she can hardly breathe, but then lets go as she screams again and again. Thom does the same, and they settle in for another nap. Before the Sun comes up, Mary will be awakened two more times. If Mary could talk, she would say, "Come on! You aren't a couple of teenagers...give it a rest!"

Mary is awakened with Shelley crawling out of bed saying, "I gotta go to the bathroom. Why don't you hang up your mistress and let's grab some breakfast?" Thom replies sleepily, "Sure, of course...sounds good." When the bathroom door closes, Thom leans over and asks, "You okay, Mary?" Her face unfrozen by the lacquer wearing off in the night replies with a grimace, "Other than having to share a bed with a couple of rabbits, I'm fine." Thom chuckles softly, "Sorry about that...well, actually, I'm not sorry. She is so amazing." Before he can continue, she sits up, "Enough, enough. Let's not talk about last night...ever." Thom chuckles again and helps her off the bed and into the hallway.

Guiding her to the closet, he starts to hook her up when she says, "I gotta go, too. So if you don't want a puddle, don't hoist me up, okay?" He nods his head and hooks her back and neck clips and her two wrist clips. She sort of dangles as she goes limp when the bathroom door opens. "Good morning, my dear," Thom says brightly. Shelley smiles and gives him a hug and kiss. "Let's go grab the finest breakfast burrito in town," Thom says with Shelley on his arm, "Or maybe two," he says with a wink at Mary. The door is hardly closed before Mary in unhooking herself from the strings and running to the tiny bathroom. Getting her shorts and panties down while lifting the large "poofy" dress up in such a small space was nothing short of a miracle, she reasons, as relief is awarded to her for the hard work.

Returning to the main room, she wonders what her next step should be. Surely those guys have moved on, right? Surely I don't need to keep wearing this crazy outfit? Surely this is the craziest thing to ever happen to me? Still finding the whole situation bazaar and possibly in shock over what happened last night, she flops into a padded chair next to the dresser. The mirror over top of it, reflects back a rosy-cheeked, blonde-haired lady that Mary barely recognizes. Rubbing her hands, she was able to get the last of the lacquer off with soap and water. Her red lips and cheeks though are still holding strong. Rubbing her face, she stares deeply into the eyes of a person she no longer knows. "The Mary of 24 hours ago is not the Mary of right now," she says sadly.

"Is the 'Mary of Right Now' hungry?" Thom says from the open door, causing Mary to jump. "You probably should either take off the dress and wig, or hang yourself back in the closet...you are confusing people," Thom adds with a laugh.

Mary replies, "The 'Mary of Right Now' is unsure of many things, but not about food...I'm starved." Thom offers the breakfast burrito and a styrofoam cup of coffee. She eats and downs them within seconds. "Mmm, that really is the best breakfast burrito in town," she admits.

"See? I wasn't lying to you. You can trust, old Thom. And speaking of trust, let me share something with you." Opening a folding chair he produced out of thin air (or at least it seemed like it), he sits down with a solemn face. "Mary, the carnival had four unexpected visitors last night. You of course are one, and we both met the other three. Well, it appears that two left but the third asked to be hired on as a roustabout."

Mary asks, "What's a roustabout?"

Thom explains, "It's a carnival term for someone who does any job that needs to be done. Some might call him or her a gopher, but we prefer roustabout. Sounds more flashy!" Mary nods as he continues, "So, I don't know where he is. but I'm sure he did not take the job for our dental plan. They are still after you." Mary's shoulders slump with the news. Thom adds, "But, I have a plan to keep you hidden, because if you show up anywhere else, you will be found out. It's a small carnival, and we are family. As much as we stick up for each other, I can't guarantee someone wouldn't turn you in, even on accident."

Mary nods her understanding, "So what can I do?"

Thom smiles again, "Since you are so good at being a marionette, I figure be one! You are the same size and build as them. I will dress you up like one and control you with strings. You don't have to know the dance moves or words to the songs."

Mary looks surprised, "Dance moves? Songs? Is this a musical?"

He laughs, "Well, actually, it is. I perform a dozen shows a day, at least. It's ten and a half minutes of songs, dances, and jokes. It takes me 3 hours to get through my show 12 times, leaving a few minutes in between to get one audience out of the tent for the next."

Mary then gasps, "Audience?"

Thom holds up his hand, "Do not be impressed, I never have more than 15-20 in the crowd. I'm not the premiere star here." Mary can tell that his feelings are somewhat hurt by his honest proclamation. She knows him to be skilled at performing and being able to think on his feet, because he has done a superb job in the last few hours protecting her unexpectedly.

Mary says honestly, "I'm sure those few people think it is the best marionette show they have ever seen."

Thom smiles, "Thank you...you are kind to say so. But, I know my place here, and it's a good one, just not a famous one." Slapping the tops of his legs, he stands up. "Anyway, let's get you properly dressed with wig and make-up. Then, I will tell you my plan of getting all of us over to my performance tent without suspicion. Then...well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it."

She smiles up at him. Standing as well, she hugs him and says softly, "Thank you...for everything."

A little taken aback, he returns the hug. "It's what carnival performers do for each other."

Stepping back into the bathroom, she removes her clothes and the dress. He hands her a rough cloth. Holding it up, it looks like a catsuit that Shelley wore last night, but this fabric is like from a sack or something. "This is an old 'body' from a marionette that was damaged. I reused the head and feet and hands since wood is hard to come by in those beautiful shapes. I even reused the stuffing some. Anyway, put that on...your head, feet and hands should be showing only." At his instruction, she does that and walks out 'naked'. Having her turn around, he quickly sews up the back with needle and thread, and tightens the wrists, ankles, and neck line. Backing up he looks at her, "From a distance, you look like a doll, even without the make-up and wig. Don't worry about anybody recognizing you," he reassures her.

He attaches a black wig on her head. The hair goes down to her waist and must weigh several pounds. "Don't worry about the weight, the strings will take care of that." He makes a pony tail and adds a few braided sections in it for looks. He hands her some old-fashioned boots that come above her ankles. As she puts them on, he begins preparing the make-up mask and gloves. Slipping her feet in, she tights the boots as tight as she can, as they are a little big for her. Standing up, she nearly falls, "woah." He chuckles, "Again, strings will be attached, so don't worry. Now face me." She does and he places a mask on her face, similar to the one last night. She can feel a cool paste inside against her skin. He peels the mask back and says, "Hold that neutral expression for me." She does and finds her face firming up until it feels hard.

"I used some of my wood filler on your make-up. Check this out." He reaches up and taps her forehead: thunk.

She tries to say, "Sounds like wood" but it comes out as "sshdd lkkkk dwwoow".

He laughs at her, "Oh yeah, marionettes don't talk. You can open your mouth some for water or a french fry, but that would be it until we take it off."

She nods with a muffled "ok".

He adds, "None for your eyes, as my marionettes have weighed eyelids go it looks like they blink when moving around, so you can too." He does the same treatment for her hands, giving the outside of each a wooden lacquered look, while the inside of her hands stay soft. Her hands are posed as before: partially curled as if holding something and completely unmovable. "My, my, you look stunning...all we need is the dress."

As he looks through the closet, they both hear a knock at the door. He motions for Mary to set down in the chair. She does so, then he shakes his hands out while looking at her. She looks at him and whispers, "ah." She slumps in the chair like a rag doll. He winks at her and opens the door. She cannot see who it is, but it's a man by the voice. "Reggie, good to see you up and about," Thom says loudly.

Reggie the Ringmaster replies in a much softer tone, "Not too loud, Thom...the nurse hasn't cleared me yet for working today. I was coming by to see about your schedule today."

Thom says, "Come on in, I was just getting my ladies ready for the day." Reggie walks in slowly, seeing two marionettes hanging up with the same dresses on, a third one wearing some type of knight armor but not really, and then a fourth that is 'naked' in the chair.

Reggie walks just past the marionette in the chair and falls into the folding chair. "Oh my head still hurts...never felt this sick before," Reggie moans.

"Sorry, man," Thom offers, "Want some water or something?"

Reggie waves him away, "You keep working while I ask you a question. I don't want to slow you down." Mary keeps her slumped pose, while Thom returns to looking for the dress. "This stomach bug thing has claimed another person...Zelda."

Thom whistles, "Everyone will miss the contortionist act. Zelda is great."

Reggie nods with his eyes closed, "She's young, so she will bounce back quick. I'm asking you if you could take her late afternoon spots."

Thom laughs, "That's a good one. I can't even untie a knot, let alone put myself in one." Having found the dress, he returns to Mary's limp form.

"Ha", Reggie says, "I mean, ow. Don't make me laugh, Thom, it hurts. Anyway, I figure you got some sort of body twisting act you could do with your marionettes for at least a few minutes. Do that several times, and we're good. I got other people covering her other shifts doing the same thing."

Thom nods his head as he slips Mary's legs into the dress which has white knickers sewn in already. "Yeah, I guess, so let me think about what I got," Thom says shaking the dress up to Mary's waist. She can feel each leg is now covered in layers of fabric. Never worn knickers before, she says to herself, but I've seen them in old movies at my grandmother's house.

Reggie leans back, eyes still closed, "Shelley will probably be the hit, though. She plans on hypnotizing the audience into thinking they are the contortionist. I bet that will be very funny to watch."

Thom thinks about that and chuckles, then asks, "Why not just get her for each spot you need?"

Reggie opens his eyes to reply, "Because Shelley will be Ringmaster again today, so she can't be in 3 places at once."

Thom mouths an "o" then puts Mary's arms into the long sleeves of the frilly yellow dress. Folding her in half almost, her heavy head slumping between her legs, as he starts buttoning up the back. She notes this dress has no hooks or rings on it. How will he control me? she wonders.

Thom stands up, leaving her slumped in half to get something else. He turns to say something to Reggie but stops. Mary hears snoring coming from across the room. "I think he should still be in bed," Thom says.

Mary, unable to help herself, replies, "uh huh."

Thom laughs with a 'sshhh' sound, "Marionettes don't talk." Helping her up, she sees he has the rings or clips in his hand. "Ok, these actually slip into the body suit you have on, so the strings control you and not the clothes you are wearing." When he said 'control', Mary's heart skipped a beat. It was not from fear this time though, she feels. It is almost like excitement. She stands still while he threads the clips on her wrists, collarbone, lower back, and mid-calf (just above the boots). As she looks at the clips, she notices one seems missing, "What about your head?" He nods with a wink, "Well, that one is actually built into the wig which you might remember is looped around your ears and attached to your head quite tightly."

With everything in place, she takes a moment to look at herself in the mirror. She would not even recognize herself, literally. The long black shiny hair, the bright colored cheeks and long eyelashes, the sunshine-bright full-length dress that makes 'swishing' sounds when she walks, and the hourglass figure that the body suit and dress have made of her. So this is what an "hourglass figure" looks like, she marvels. She hears a snort, then remembers Reggie behind her fast asleep. Turning to Thom, he says, "Let's get going, since he is still out. Here's the plan: I want you to hold the other three dolls in your arms like a bear hug, so all your heads are together, okay? Then, I'm going to put my arms around you the same way. You will walk with me as it will look like I'm carrying all four of you at once. If possible, try to keep in step with me. Got it?"

She nods as she starts unhooking her fellow marionettes clumsily with her frozen hands, until Thom helps her. Gathering them each in her arms, she can barely get her arms around them all. She feels Thom come behind her and bearhug them all. "Ok, starting on the left foot," and they slowly work their way to the door.

As it opens, the sound wakes Reggie. "Huh, wha? Oh, Thom, what time is it?"

Thom stops walking and turns around, "I can't see my watch, Reggie."

Reggie mumbles, "Got your arms full with all four of them, huh? Right sure...sounds good. Thanks."

Thom looks at him funny, as Reggie stumbles up and staggers to the door. "You sure you should be up?" Thom asks as Mary and him start walking again to the door.

Reggie replies sluggishly, "Yeah, yeah, I'm headed back to bed. You got Zelda's show and I got some Tylenol." Mary, Thom, three marionettes, and Reggie all pile out the door into the mid-morning light.

The beautiful spring day feels good to Mary, as the wind brings smells of popcorn, straw, fabric, and canvas. Mary tries to keep her eyes forward, as they shuffle along the rows of tents and mobile homes. Reggie peals away after a bit and continues back to his tent, while Thom and Mary press on to their tent. A few people wave and say 'hello', but no one offers to help, which Mary is happy about, but also thinks it odd. This guy is "carrying" four life-sized marionettes. But then she notices, everybody's hands are full. They each have trash or costumes or animals or boxes to carry. Nobody has a free hand, because everybody is working to get the carnival ready for customers.

Just when Mary thinks they have pressed their luck too far, Thom says, "Duck down as we go in." He bends slightly, Mary ducks, and the whole motion of them entering the tent looks natural. Inside, Mary can see three rows of chairs, with maybe 10 seats each. The stage is small, but has a red curtain drawn in front of it. They walk around the side of the stage which almost extends to the side walls of the tent, when Thom exhales, "Whew, okay, we made it." Mary mumbles something, and Thom replies, "Yes, it was scary." Taking the three marionettes from her, he walks up the steps behind stage. Mary marvels at what she sees.

Above her and behind stage is the most elaborate set of ropes and pulleys she has ever seen. It looks like a plate of spaghetti to her. At the end of each rope is a clip for the marionette, then the rope extends into the crazy web above, then ends back on the side of the stage, with a series of levers and switches. "Okay, help me get them ready," Thom asks, "You hold these two while I attach the 'hero'." Mary mumbles something while taking the two marionettes.

"Yes, hero," Thom explains while clipping her in, "This is Billie the Knight of Long Ago. She has come to rescue you, Mary of Right Now." Mary can hear some tinkling of metal as Thom gets the armor situated with the ropes and clips. "These two," taking one from her, "Are the twins of Jealousy, who have captured you to steal your beauty for themselves. They will bicker and fight over you, until Billie comes." As he attaches the other twin, he adds, "There's more to it...some songs and dances with jokes, but that's the gist." Mary nods as he starts to clip her in. She can see the other three marionettes hanging limply beside her. He carefully takes each of her hands and legs to clip them in. She can feel them on her back, and then finally her head.

"Okay," he asks, "Go limp and let's makes you are secure." Taking a deep breath, Mary relaxes herself. She slumps down like the other three and appears to be held like them. "That's good news," he says. As Mary starts to stand up, they hear, "What's good news?"

Thom waves at Mary to stay slumped, while the footsteps of the voice come around the side. Mary's head is looking down, but she knows she has heard that voice before. Thom descends the 3-stepped staircase and asks, "Ah, Ivan, there you are. That alone is good news." Mary can hear the sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

"Thom, Thom, Thom, why do you insist on this petty argument? Can't you be happy to see me without the attitude?" Ivan stops short of the backstage, his shoes sliding in the dirt slightly.

"I'm not the one who keeps barging into other people's homes and taking stuff," Thom starts in.

"I did not take anything, Thom, and you know it," Ivan rebuts, "I merely perused your collection."

Thom snorts, "Whatever. I"m busy, what do you want?"

Mary cannot see Ivan's face, but she can 'hear' the smile as he replies, "I heard you are filling in for Zelda this afternoon, and I thought you might like to know that my act will be moved under the big top at the same time. I know we sometimes bump into each other in the afternoon, but I will be entirely too busy to see you today." Mary wonders why he would even bother to say something like that, it is just mean.

Thom replies angrily, "Oh, Ivan, you just don't know how much I have hoped to NOT see you anymore. I hope the tent falls on you from the applause." Mary can hear Thom turning on his heal and coming back up the steps, while Ivan laughs openly.

"See you around, Thumb." Mary noted the obvious mispronunciation of his name. She also noted that Thom stomped his way across the wooden backstage area behind the marionettes and the curtain.

Mary mumbles something. "Yes, I hate him. More than anybody on this Earth. The story is too long to share now." Mary mumbles again, to which Thom replies, "Yes, we need to test everything to make sure it will work." While Mary is not really able to say anything, she is amazed at how close his replies have been to her grunts and mumbles. She hears levers and switches being pulled and pressed. Her head is pulled up slowly to face the curtain, while the rest of her body does the same. Her arms are bent but out in front of her and her feet are just off the ground.

"Okay," Thom says, "Let's try the first dance." Pulling and switching, Mary moves to the center of the stage, bumping into the curtain. The twins move behind her and follow her. She turns and goes back the way she came, as do the twins. The three of them dance and kick and move their arms about, until finally, one of the twins bonks her on the head, and Mary collapses in a heap on the stage. Her body tilted to the side as she sits on the stage, her head does not flop over. Thom looks over to say, "Remember, don't help just go with it." Mary nods her head, then realizes something. "Oh", she mumbles and let's her head fall forward. "Better," Thom says with a smile. Mary hears another lever, and her and the twins are lifted up and returned to their starting positions.

"Ok, I gotta go put on my costume," Thom says to Mary, "You just be a good marionette and stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes. The show starts in less than an hour." Mary tries to nod but can't, so she mumbles something. Thom says, "Ah, ah, ah, marionettes don't talk." Mary remains motionless while Thom stares at her for a few moments. He then smiles and says, "Good, doll. Be back soon." She can hear the tent flap as he leaves her in the complete silence of backstage.

At first, she was grateful for a break, as walking over here was stressful and quite strenuous. So hanging from strings was actually calming and restful. However, not knowing the passage of time is much harder to deal with. Seconds, minutes, hours...it all seems to run together. She feels like he has been gone for hours, but he said he would be back in minutes. Is he coming back at all? Wait, he said the show started in less than an hour, so he would be early and not just on time. It hasn't been that long. Assuming he told me the truth, which he hasn't lied yet, but he's been gone so long.

The silence of the tent does not help. There is no movement in the tent. No sounds, other than the occasional rustling of the flap with the wind. Voices of people talking loudly or the shuffling of feet running by are all present at times, but nothing directly related to her. She has no part to play, no where to be. I'm, Mary thinks to herself with a gulp, truly an inanimate thing here. Her heart skips a beat, realizing just how trapped she really is. She can hear the sounds of her heartbeat ringing in her ears. She is a thing not a person.

As the anxiety seems to win over, another thought enters her mind. One that would make her smile if she could, bringing relief to her pounding chest. People see bad things and are held accountable. Things see bad things and no one cares. If I'm a thing, then I can't be killed for seeing something wrong. Mary may have been in the wrong place to see bad things, but Marianette is just a doll that could not know anything of what it has seen. Mary has been stressed and on the edge of her nerves for far too long, and now, she has a peace she has not known in some time. It is like the burden she was carrying is now being held up by these strings. The load doesn't weigh on her, because it is suspended above her. Fear, stress, and time are worries for Mary not Marianette. The room that was silent around her has now found a silence within her.

Ten minutes before show time, Thom returns and stands out front. He starts talking to people as they walk by. He introduces himself and his amazing marionette show. He ties back the tent flaps to show the bright red curtain on the stage. He mixes and mingles with people, a showman through and through. He remarks on his blue plaid vest and its origin, as well as his lime green pants. He wears a helmet like you might see at a construction site, because "the jokes will be falling so hard, I might get hurt." By showtime, he has convinced 12 people to put a ticket in his box (that's how he gets paid at the end of the month, by the number of people who attend his show). He apologizes to all those who didn't come in, but says there will be another show soon to follow. He closes the flaps and steps on stage.

He begins the story with the princess. Mary begins to swing forward and again bumps into the back of the curtain. She hears a female voice coming from Thom, "Oh, sir! It appears you forgot the curtain again." Thom laughs like he actually forgot and steps back to open the curtain. Working the levers and switches from the side of the stage, Mary can see her audience for the first time. There's no blinding lights on her, just a few globes around the edge of the stage to illuminate the room. The people look like average people, she thinks. There's men and women and grandparents and children. The kids all smile when they see her in her bright dress. With the pull of lever, she curtsies to them and introduces herself.

Thom and Mary of Right Now begin the story. She dances with him, or rather he swings her elegantly around the stage like a dance, while they share their story. "But," Thom says in fake horror, "All is not well in Right Now." To which Mary 'replies' by way of Thom, "What do you mean all is not well? You don't like my dress?" The kids laugh as do the parents, as the twins begin to come up from behind her. Levers and switches move the three of them around, as if she is being chased. The music starts and the twins of Jealousy tell their story, with Thom doing the voices for everyone with the music playing from a CD player behind the control box of the marionettes.

So, the three ladies dance until Mary is bonked on the head, causing gasps from the audience. She slumps to the floor, "unconscious". The twins "carry" her back to their home to steal her beauty. As Mary slumps in the back, the twins argue over who gets more of the beauty. The audience is nearly in tears during this scene. Thom has managed to get these two bickering over every possible thing. Even Mary giggled softly at the, "Well if I get a third of her beauty and you get a third, then we have split her evenly between us." To which the other twin replies, "Wait, I want more than a third...I should at least get a fourth or fifth." Eventually, Mary comes back to center stage to wish for her hero, Billy the Knight, to save her. "Only a knight as brave as he could save me," Mary 'says'.

Everything stops at that point. No one on stage moves. The silence that was in the tent before anyone was there returns as the audience waits. Clearing 'her' throat, "I said, only a knight as brave as he could save me!" At this point, the fourth marionette comes onstage, the female wearing bits and pieces of armor. Of course, more laughter ensues as it turns out "Billy" is really "Billie" and that the storybook had a typo that no one caught. Throwing a switch, Mary and Billie slump on stage in a heap, both of them looking lifeless and somewhat forgotten. Thom walks inbetween them with the "story book" in his hands. He apologizes to the audience, not realizing the typo until now. He asks the audience for help, and they rewrite the story with the kids and adults giving him suggestions. In the end, the audience claps loudly as all five of the performers take bows and curtsy. With his left hand around a lever, he holds up his right hand, along with the marionettes as they all wave goodbye to the audience.

As the last person leaves, he throws a switch which pulls each marionette back into their starting positions. He closes the curtain and grabs a water bottle from behind the stage. Drinking several gulps, he returns to the front of the tent. Mary can hear him starting his sales pitch all over again. He says many of the same things, while Mary hangs with her other marionettes. Despite the craziness of it all, she is having a wonderful time. She has never brought laughter to a child. She has never performed on stage. She has never seen anyone as talented and creative as Thom. It's funny, she thinks while dangling like a doll, I have lived my whole life empty only to now be not-living yet full of life.

The day goes by quickly, as every 15 minutes, she bumps into the curtain and reminds Thom to open it. The audiences change each time, but they all have the same type of people: kids, moms, dads, and grandparents. There were nearly 20 in one performance, and only 5 in another, but overall, they averaged around a dozen each time. The audiences laughed and gasped at the show, and with the exception of one teenage boy (who told his mom this was stupid), everyone else enjoyed it. Each performance ended a little different as the audience got to pick how it ended. Sometimes the twins won, sometimes the princess just left, and on one of them, the twins thought the knight was better looking than the princess, so they kept Billie for their beauty treatments. No matter what though, Mary noted, each performance was enjoyed by the audience and her.

After the last show, Thom closed up the tent flaps and came around the back of the stage. Holding up a cup with a straw, he said, "Here's some water for my star princess." Mary happily drank it as she was thirsty. Who knew being controlled all day was thirsty work? He added, "You were the perfect marionette today. No one would think of you otherwise." He puts the cup down and looks into her eyes, "Even though you are safe here, I cannot treat you as a person. You are a doll for now, so please don't misunderstand me if I don't cater to you all the time, ok?" Mary mumbles something, then he says with a smile, "Dolls don't talk, remember? Anyway, I have to go to Zelda's tent to do a couple of shows. I can't take my marionette stage as it is tied down to the ground and takes hours to get the ropes and pulleys set-up. So, I'm running back to my place to get another doll. I will come pick you up when I'm done." Mary decides to not say anything or move, just to show him that she is fine. Thom nods and smiles, "And that is how a doll should respond, see you in a couple of hours." And with that, Marianette remains hanging with the others in silence. No movement, no talking, no signs of life, just 4 marionettes waiting to be returned to their closet.

Time having no meaning anymore, Mary does not know when the tent flap moves again to let someone in, but she does know that the motion does not sound like Thom. It was much more quiet...concealed almost. As a doll, she decides that it could be any number of people, and while she was here first, she cannot claim any ownership of this space. The footfalls sound like a big person, and that is confirmed when the man begins coming up the backstage stairs. His ball cap seems a little small, but somehow he has it pulled down and tight on his head. His brown hair sticks out and looks wet from sweat. His shirt and pants might have been some other color than light brown, but she cannot tell: looks like he has been rolling in dirt all day.

He walks past her, eyeing each of the marionettes hanging there. Hmmm, she thinks, keeping her eyes forward and unmoving, this guy looks familiar. I wonder if he was in one of the audiences? He steps out of her view, but she knows instantly where he is. The sound of the armor from Billie being rustled about is distinctive. Then she hears the sound of a knock, like on wood. As she ponders this, she can barely make out him moving around beside her, now with the rustling sound of fabric, followed by a knock on wood. This all happens again, leaving one marionette left. As he comes to her, she recognizes him now: this is the roustabout that is looking for her.

Reminding herself that she is Marianette and not Mary, she stares straight ahead as he looks into her unmoving eyes. She can feel his hand on her back as he undoes her buttons on her dress. With his face no longer in hers, she takes a few blinks. She can feel his hand in her dress, touching the rough fabric of her body suit. She can hear him swear and say, "I was so sure she was one of these dolls." As an afterthought it seemed to Marianette, he cups her firmly covered left breast and remarks, "Huh, stitched up and pointy...just like the other three." Buttoning her back up, he looks into her eyes again and gives her forehead a knock. Marianette does not flinch, but her head sways back slightly. Frustrated, the man turns and walks out quickly but quietly. She hears the flap open and close slowly, then nothing. She mumbles a sigh of relief, and thinks, well I now know who is looking for Mary...uh, me.

Later on, Thom returns to the tent. He loosens the ropes from the box and all four of the marionettes collapse to the floor. The tent flap opens again, and a voice calls out, "I think the cart can fit in here if it will be easier." Thom calls back, "Please...as close as you can. I  hate to admit how tired I am, so any help you can manage would be appreciated." Mary hears a squeaky wheeled cart being pushed up to the stage. She can hear Thom open the curtains. "Wow, I like the new costumes, Thom," says the male voice, "I bet the kids did, too." Thom grunts and begins unhooking Marianette. "Let's take the twins last, they are the most delicate...and expensive." Mary is somewhat offended by that, but Marianette knows that is probably true. Mary is dragged across the stage by Thom and dropped into a cart with four sides.

She can see that there is another doll in the bottom already. Fortunately, this doll does not appear to have any wood in it, as she falls off the stage and into the cart. It's brown fur cushions her nicely, and although she makes a slight grunting sound at the impact, no one notices. She can feel Billie being dropped on top of her with a clang (ouch!), followed by the twins. In general, the marionettes are not as heavy as a real person, but with three of them on top of her, Mary is having trouble breathing. As the cart begins to move, the bumping allows her to shift herself slightly so she is more comfortable. In a good position now, Marianette and her fellow dolls bounce on their way between tents back to their closet.

Within the next hour, Mary will be pushed back to Thom's place, "carried" out by Thom, fed with leftovers from his dinner, have had her make-up removed from face and hands, help Thom hang up the others, and be allowed to walk and stretch like a person in his small home. It was a day like no other, in Mary's recollection. She has to admit it was a happy day, even in the midst of her precarious situation. She asks Thom if she can do what she did today for tomorrow, could she stay a little longer. Thom does not answer, as he is already fast asleep on the bed. Covering him up, Mary turns out the bedroom light. She tries to make a place on the floor to sleep, but she cannot get comfortable. She moves to the front driver's seat, but then she is in plain sight of everyone. She notes the lights being turned off and a quietness settling on the carnival. A place so filled with life and music and people not long ago, is now quiet...sleeping...waiting for tomorrow to do it again.

Again, Mary thinks, that's right...again. She is still in her bodysuit and looking like a living doll, but it has the capacity to be undone partially in the back for human relief reasons. She makes use of that in the bathroom, and decides there is only one place for her to be tonight. Walking back to the closet, she hooks herself in and feels her weight partially held by the strings. Knowing there is no going back from here, she reaches out of the closet and grasps the lever. Once she pulls it, she will be hoisted up with the others, unable to leave until someone let's her down, as the lever will be out of reach from inside the closet. Taking a deep breath she says, "Marianette of Right Now." Pulling the lever, she is pulled up with the others and dangles momentarily. Within moments, Mary is asleep, and anyone looking in would not see Mary, but Marianette.