Large shelves hung against the walls of a dark room, all of them covered with rag puppets that sat limply leaning on each other. On the Right Wall the shelf was red, all "living" puppets were kept here. On the Left Wall the shelf was black, all the "dead" puppets were strewn across the boards. The faces on the puppets were sad, angry, or twisted in pain. On the Right Wall all the faces were smiling and happy, because the puppets knew that if they showed any sign of discontent they would end up on the dreaded Black Shelf.
A shadow crossed the room and stopped at a row full of cats that were sitting on the Red Shelf. The dark figure looked at all the felines, 30 in total, and tapped on each on the head with a very twisted, and very sharp, claw.
The rather large hand picked up one of the cat-puppets, one that was tuxedo colored, and the figure looked down at it, the cat-puppet bowed his head and said one thing. "Master."
The Master smiled and growled, "What is your name, cat?"
"Mistoffelees, Master." The cat-puppet responded.
The Master nodded with approval and set Mistoffelees back on the Red Shelf and simply said, "Live."
The cat-puppet named Mistoffelees returned to smiling as The Master moved down the row of cat-puppets. The Master stopped and picked up another cat-puppet and said, "What is you name, cat?"
The grey and black stripped puppet stuttered, "M-mmunku-"
"What?" The Master asked more forcefully and squeezed the puppet a little tighter.
"M-mmunkusstrap, S-sir." The cat-puppet stumbled over his words and The Master's eyes narrowed.
"You displease me." The Master said, "I am your Master, and that is what you call me. Many like you have paid a price for their mistakes. Do you think you should pay the same price?"
"N-no, Master." The cat-puppet shook his head.
The Master ignored the comment and instead of returning the puppet to the Red Shelf, he walked away into a room separate from the previous one. In this room there was a large box that was open on the side facing the door, so one could see what was happening.
The Master walked behind the box and started to attach strings to the cat-puppet's arms and legs. Then holding onto the strings, he dropped the puppet into the box. The cat-puppet sat limp; fear was plain on his face. The Master looked down at the puppet and said, "I am your Master, and you Will obey your Master."
* * *
In the Junkyard, Munkustrap was sleeping peacefully. He stirred and opened his eyes to see the kittens playing. He smiled and closed his eyes again, trying to go back to sleep.
His fur twitched as a chilling breeze blew through it, but the chill did not leave with the wind. Instead it seemed to creep up his spine and take control of him. Soon, Munkustrap found that he could not move. He was paralyzed, and despite his efforts he did not budge at all.
After a moment he could move again, but not by his will. He found himself standing and looking around, but he was not controlling his own actions. It felt like someone was pulling on his feet to make him walk, and no matter how hard he tried to resist, his efforts were wasted as they had no effect.
Munkustrap found himself walking out of the Junkyard and down a street. He kept walking, having no idea where he was going. Thoughts and confusion raced through his mind. He finally came to the conclusion that this had to be so sort of magic trick; Something Mistoffelees might do as a joke, or maybe it was some trickery done by Macavity.
Suddenly he stopped, to his surprise, and he looked down to see that he was standing at the edge of a dock looking into the water. He started to wonder what he was doing here, but then started to walk forward again. He tried to push back; tried to stop, but it was useless. His mind scream in panic and protest, but he couldn't stop himself....
* * *
...And The Master of Puppets dumped the cat-puppet named Munkustrap on the Black Shelf.
* * *
Alonzo sighed and sat down on the old car in the Junkyard. "Where is he?" he muttered to himself.
"Where is who?" Demeter asked as she climbed down a junk pile to sit beside him.
"Munkustrap." He mumbled, putting his head on top of his paws.
"Munkustrap?" Demeter asked puzzled. Alonzo nodded and Demeter thought for a moment. "Well, he was taking a nap last time I saw him."
"Really? Where?" Alonzo asked, sitting up.
"On the dryer, I think." Demeter said as she tapped her claw on her chin in thought.
Alonzo looked at the dryer but saw no Munkustrap. He sighed and shook his head. "I've walked around the Junkyard five times looking for him...I can't find him anywhere."
Demeter patted Alonzo's shoulder and told him that everything was fine, but the worried look on her face didn't help the black and white tom at all.
Suddenly Alonzo shuddered and said, "Whoa...that wind is cold!"
Demeter looked at Alonzo with a strange look on her face and asked, "What wind?"
* * *
The Master of Puppets once again walked down the row of cat-puppets, looking at each one. He stopped at a white and black cat-puppet and seized it in his mighty hand. The cat-puppet shuddered when he did, but the Master only sneered.
"What is your name, cat?" the Master demanded in a deep growl.
The cat-puppet squirmed under the Master's gaze that burned into him.
"I am Alonzo, Master." the cat-puppet replied with a steady but still shaky voice.
"Alonzo.... Isn't that an odd name for a cat like you?" the Master spat the words at the puppet and waited to see what the answer would be.
"Perhaps...but I have no control over what my name is." Alonzo replied with a more steady voice and a blank face.
The Master narrowed his eyes a little and said, "Alonzo...you shall live...but not here."
The cat-puppet said nothing, and the Master sneered and spat at him. "What? Cat got your tongue?"
"No, Master." Alonzo said with the same blank face and steady voice.
The Master didn't reply, but instead carried Alonzo into a room that held the large box that was open on one side. The cat-puppet stiffened at the sight of it, but the Master didn't stop in that room, but went into another. This room was long and dark, like all the rooms in the Master's domain, but instead of a large box, there were prison cells.
The Master stalked through the room and stopped to open one of the the caged doors. He threw Alonzo inside and shut the door, locking it behind him.
As the Master left, he said to Alonzo, "If you need anything, just call my name.... I'll hear you scream..."
Weeks had past and many more puppets were strewn across the Black Shelf. The Master sat in a black, worn, overstuffed chair, piecing together a new cat-puppet. He had gone and killed so many of them that he decided to make more.
As he finished he stood and stalked into the shelved room and placed a red and black puppet on the Red Shelf to fill one of the many now empty spots.
In the Junkyard, the amount of tribe members left was painfully slim. Alonzo sat in the trunk of the old car watching the remaining cats as he did all the time, which made the others rather uneasy.
There were seven cats left; all the others died in a simple, mysterious, or a very gruesome way. The simple ones weren't that strange; one's like Jellylorum, who passed away in her sleep, or Gus, whose heart had given out. The mysterious ones made some turn their head and think; like Munkustrap, who had just disappeared, or Tumblebrutus, who had a sudden fall which killed him; a fall that Tumblebrutus should have been able to walk away from without a scratch. The gruesome ones always made a cat shudder if the memory were to cross their mind; like Skimbleshanks, who, for some reason, fell off his train in the middle of the trip, or Coricopat and Tantomile who had an unfortunate run in with some brute pollicles.
Of the seven remaining Jellicles, there were Bombalurina, Rum Tum Tugger, Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Jemima, and Alonzo. All of them were no longer themselves. They all were blank faced and walked around like stiff machines. Tugger didn't flaunt himself to the kittens anymore, because there was only one kitten left and she didn't seem to care much anymore. Out of all the differing moods, Alonzo's was the strangest. He never left the trunk of the car, and he always watched the other cats, which were now afraid to leave the Junkyard.
Some had made suggestions that couples like Tugger and Bombalurina, and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer should try and have as many kittens as they can to bring more cats into the tribe, but the plan had unsuccessful results.
One day, Bombalurina came running through the proper shouting as loud as she could that she was going to have a kitten. The others rejoiced saying that the Jellicles were now saved, and Alonzo did crawl out of the trunk for a minute to congratulate the proud parents-to-be before climbing back into the trunk to watch all that happened.
* * *
The Master of Puppets stood before a cell that held the cat-puppet named Alonzo. The Master frowned and demanded to know why the cat-puppet was frowning.
"You have locked me in a cage. How can I be happy?" the cat-puppet snapped at his Master and soon regretted it.
The Master stiffened and anger rushed through him, causing his eyes to burn with red flames.
The Master tore open the cage door and snatched the puppet in his hand and squeezed it until it gasped for breath.
"You will call me Master...You will obey your Master!" the Master yelled as he clamped chains and locks on the cat-puppet's arms.
The Master hooked one chain onto the left side of the cell wall, and then he pulled the other to reach the right wall of the cell.
The cat-puppet screamed in pain as his arms were stretched and pulled apart, but all that his creator said was, "Obey your Master!"
Then the Master of Puppets spit on his prisoner and walked away, leaving the puppet hung by his arms in a torturous and fiery hell.
Alonzo winced as another wave of pain washed over him, for some reason his arms were hurting him. Before they just felt sore, but now they hurt, and he couldn't move them without feeling burning pain in his shoulders.
He shifted again and tried to ignore the throbbing pain that had spread from his arms to his lower back. Before he didn't leave the trunk of the car so he could watch everyone and make sure that they were all right, but now he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.
Alonzo sighed and tried to go back to sleep.
* * *
"Master!!!" the scream echoed throughout the dark rooms and hallways.
"Master!!!!" the name was screamed over and over by the cat-puppet named Alonzo who was still hung in the air, suspended by his arms that were stretched and pulled past the point that would cause some discomfort.
"Master!!!" the voice of the puppet was now hoarse from constant screaming but the puppet did not stop.
Breathing heavily, Alonzo cried out the name again but no one answered the call. Tears streamed the puppet's face and he continued to call for his Master that would never come.
* * *
The Master of Puppets ignored all the cries and screams that came from the prison as he picked up a piece of meat and bread.
"The puppet should eat." the Master muttered to himself as he placed the food on a small mirror.
The Master then picked up a large knife and struck at the meat and bread, as he did the mirror below it shattered into hundreds of small, sharp, jagged pieces of glass. The Master discarded the knife and shoved the pieces of food and glass onto a plate.
* * *
"Master!!!" the puppet cried again and began to sob. The pain had spread through out his whole body and all he wanted was to be down on the floor again. Alonzo looked up when he heard some footsteps near his cell. A large shadow crossed the floor and turned into the cat-puppet's prison.
Alonzo knew it was the Master, but he couldn't see because of his tears. A low growl sounded and the Master said, "Blinded by me? You can't see a thing!"
The Master put the plate on the ground below the cat-puppet and said, "Your breakfast. Do you think you deserve it?"
"Master, I do not care if I eat, I just long to be released from this." The cat-puppet said in a meek, scratchy voice.
The Master laughed at the cat-puppet and his misery, causing the puppet to hang his head.
"Laughter...all I hear or see is laughter..." the puppet muttered and the Master sneered.
"Maybe you will eat later then." said the Master as he walked away.
The cat-puppet raised his head and looked at the blurred shadow of his retreating Master.
"Laughing at my cries..." murmured the puppet as he put his head back down. Then the puppet raised his head and screamed at his Master.
"FIX ME!!!"
* * *
The Master stalked by the Red Shelf looking at the seven cats that were left.
"Maybe I don't need cats." The Master mused to himself. "I never liked them much anyway."
The Master reached up and grabbed three of the seven and walked into the room that held the dreaded box that all the puppets feared.
He looked at the three puppets that he was holding, and two of them were trembling with fear, but the one didn't seem to know what was happening; this puppet was the new one that the Master had just made.
Snarling, the Master shredded the new puppet and discarded the remains on the floor. The other two continued to tremble as the Master looked at them closer.
One was red, white, and black with other various colors. It was a she-puppet, but the other one was a male-puppet. The male cat-puppet was black with a large golden mane and spotted legs. The Master set the manned cat-puppet aside as he wondered what he should do with the other.
The Master then sighed and crushed the puppet in his large hand and threw it to the side along with the shredded one.
"I shouldn't worry about how to deal with them." He muttered to himself as he picked up the last of the three.
"But I do think I'll have fun with this one." The Master said as he started to attach strings to the puppet's arms.
* * *
In the Junkyard, Bombalurina started to give birth to her kitten. Mungojerrie, Mistoffelees, and Rum Tum Tugger stood around the trunk of the car talking to Alonzo while it was happening.
Tugger kept wringing his paws and watching the dryer to see if the kitten was born yet, and the others kept telling him that everything would be fine.
Jemima and Rumpleteazer supported Bombalurina by holding her paw and telling her that everything would turn out all right.
Suddenly, the kitten came out and the two queens squealed with happiness and Bombalurina sighed and closed her eyes.
Rumpleteazer and Jemima cleaned the kitten off, but were surprised when the kitten didn't move. Rumpleteazer glanced warily at the queen by her side, and Jemima started to push the newborn gently with her paw. There was no response.
Tugger stared at the dryer intently wondering why it was taking so long. Mistoffelees patted Tugger's shoulder and smiled a little for encouragement, but Tugger shrugged the tom's paw off and started to walk toward the dryer.
"Bomba...we've got some bad news..." Jemima started and waited for the queen to respond. "Bomba?"
The young calico poked the older queen with her paw. "Bomba?"
No response.
Tugger walked into the dryer and saw Rumpleteazer in a corner crying while Jemima weeped at his mate's side.
"What happened?" He asked with panic on the edge of his voice.
He walked over to Rumpleteazer and looked at her. "Why are you crying?" he demanded and walked over to Jemima.
"What happened?" he asked again, fear and confusion filled his question.
Jemima managed to speak first and whispered, "They're dead."
Tugger jumped back shocked.
"Dead? They can't be! Bomba..." he went over to his mate and held her paw.
"Bomba...." Tugger laid his head down and began to weep. He raised his head and saw that Rumpleteazer was curled around a mass of red and black fur. His kitten...his dead kitten...
"Bomba....No!" Tugger wailed and ran out of the dryer.
Mungojerrie and Mistoffelees exchanged glances and started towards Tugger. They stopped his running and demanded to know what happened. Tugger froze as he felt a chilling breeze and he shook his head.
"Nothing." He said.
Then Tugger started to move away from them, stone-faced and stiff. He walked like he wasn't controlling his actions and he headed out of the Junkyard.
"Tugger!" Alonzo managed to call after the tom, but it was no use, Tugger was gone.
And Tugger never returned.
* * *
The Master of Puppets placed the three cat-puppets on the Black Shelf and moved to get more from the Red Shelf. He grabbed the remaining four and returned to the room he was in previously.
He looked at the puppets he had this time, and was amused when he saw two that looked alike. He set the other two aside and started attaching string to the twin like cat-puppets' arms and legs.
* * *
Back in the Junkyard everyone was crying, except Mungojerrie who sat in a corner and watched the other cats mourn the loss of their friends, and future. Rumpleteazer paused as a cold wind blew over and through her and shuddered. Shaking her head, she noticed Mungojerrie sitting in a corner with no sign of sadness on his face. Rage filled her and she shouted at him, "'ey, Mongo! I love 'he way you mourn a friends death!"
Mungo turned to look at her with a stare of pure hatred.
"'ell, I anit gonna cry loike a baby!" he snapped and turned away from her.
Rumpleteazer stood suddenly and advanced toward Mungo.
"Yeah? 'ell, I'm gonna make you cry loike a baby!" she hissed at him and struck him with her claws across his cheek.
Mungo jumped up and looked at Rumpletreazer a moment before tackling her and biting her neck.
Alonzo struggled to get up, but he couldn't move his arms no matter how hard he wanted to.
"Stop now!!!" he shouted at them, but it did no good. Alonzo looked around and spotted Mistoffelees sitting with a look of dumb shock across his face.
"Mistoffelees!!! DO something!!!" Alonzo screamed at the magical cat, and Mistoffelees tried to babble out words and he looked at Alonzo and back at the fight.
Rumpleteazer scratched at Mungo's head and then managed to get her jaws around his neck at they stayed that way until they both slowly died.
Alonzo watched the two and then screamed with frustration, anger, and sadness.
He turned to Mistoffelees with his anger and shouted, "Why didn't you do anything???"
The black and white tom shook his head, but suddenly froze for a moment before running out of the Junkyard.
Alonzo sighed and closed his eyes trying not to cry.
Jemima sat stunned and shocked and watched Alonzo for a moment before saying, "What do we do now?"
* * *
The Master of Puppets dumped the twin like puppets and the black and white tuxedo puppet on the Black Shelf. He had one more left, and then he would be rid of the cat-puppets for good.
He picked up the last remaining cat-puppet and thought for a moment.
"What do I do to you, cat?" he asked the puppet, but the puppet didn't respond, instead it just shuddered.
The Master crushed the cat-puppet in response and threw it on the Black Shelf.
The Master sighed, "No more cats." Then, he heard a scream from his prison and he growled in frustration as he walked toward it.
"One last cat...how could I forget?" the Master muttered to himself as he stalked into the cell that held the last cat-puppet.
Alonzo looked up at his Master and managed to say, "Master....I am hungry...I hurt...hell is worth food...please..." the cat-puppet begged with a look of pure agony.
"Hell is worth all that?" The Master spit out motioning at the plate of food.
The cat-puppet nodded and the Master sighed.
"Why not?" he muttered and unhooked the chains that held the puppet's arms.
The puppet fell onto the floor and started to crawl toward the food.
"Thank you, Master. You are very gracious, Master." Alonzo said as he started to eat the food.
A sudden choking sound came from the puppet as tears sprang up in his eyes once again.
"Master?" the puppet whispered and choked out the word, but his Master only grinned.
"Always chop your breakfast on a mirror." The Master said stepping back a few paces.
"Crawl to me and I'll let you live." The Master said, and the puppet tried to crawl toward him but fell against the floor.
"My....Master...arms....Master!" the puppet choked, but his Master only stepped back another step.
"Come crawling faster...Obey your Master!" The Master demanded as the puppet struggled to crawl toward him.
* * *
In the Junkyard, Alonzo sat all alone in the trunk of the car. Jemima had passed out and died, Alonzo guessed from shock.
Then a burning feeling crept up the tom's throat, and soon Alonzo found that he could not breathe anymore. He struggled to sit up straight, but his arms screamed in pain and Alonzo found himself stuck, unable to move, and suffocating.
He fought to breathe, but no air found it's way down his throat, and blackness clouded his vision.
* * *
The Master of Puppets looked at the low row of empty spaces where all the cat-puppets had been. He snorted and looked at the last one that was left which was lying in his hand.
The white and black spotted cat-puppet had put up a fight, but in the end...
....The Master of Puppets dropped his burden on the Black Shelf and walked away to make more puppets....to make more useless lives....lives that will be ruled from the beginning....to the very end.
* * *
Master of Puppets
By Metallica
End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your deaths construction
Taste me you will see
more is all you need
you're dedicated to
how I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Needlework the way, never you betray
life of death becoming clearer
Pain monopoly, ritual misery
chop your breakfast on a mirror
Taste me you will see
more is all you need
you're dedicated to
how I'm killing you
Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, You promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
now your life is out of season
I will occupy
I will help you die
I will run through you
Now I rule you too
Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
