The Puppeteer

Chapter 16 - Dreamy House

"Come here, this way" The old man spoke, he already open the door behind the counter and something rings behind it. The blonde find himself walking towards him, he was afraid but it seems his body just move on its own to seek comfort.

"Come in" the groaning voice call out for him from inside the space behind the door. He left the door open. The lad peek from the entrance, the warm air in the room rush towards his limbs, prompting him to proceed. The surface of the floor were covered with red carpets with patterns of black diamonds, it was so thick, he barely made a sound as he walk. The frames of pictures hanging at the wall around the space catch his attention, the scenery of gardens with flowers blooming almost filled the entire picture makes him wondering how much effort does the artist took to drew such a perfect scenery. The other silver frames contains a picture of a waterfall between mountain, birds and the reflection of the water makes him confuse of how it was made, was it a drawing? Or was it a picture taken from a very beautiful part of the earth ?

A couple of antique chandelier was the source of the light in the house, the yellowish light makes the beautiful house looks like a dream from his vision. There are a couple of leather couch place at the edge of the space facing a single old television placed on the large wooden cabinet with many decorations and small angels statues placed beside the television. A single large black, metal material based clock hanging in the middle of the living room and down below a huge fire place which is the source of the warmth in that house could be found. Large socks hanging around the fireplace and another carpet with 'Merry Xmas' was place infront of the fireplace. Another sofa was placed on top of the celebration carpet

"Why are you standing there? Close the door pal, we don't want this warm place spoiled aren't ya?" The voice of the old man from the kitchen on his left surprised him. He was soo amazed that he stop with after only a few step into the house. The old man did not close the door by himself because he predict that the blonde would run away in fear or panic, so he want the boy to feel comfortable enough to close the door by himself.

The lad turns to his back, put his hand on the bit rusty knob and turns it slowly. He push the door to shut but the sounds of the chimes hanging above the door makes the blonde shock, the wines in his arms almost slipped down to the floor, luckily he manage to retrive it before anything bad happen. His heart skip a beat, but now as he look at the source of the sounds, his eyes soften with the harmony chimes it made, on the top of the chimes a small decoration bird was placed. He really like it.

Apparently the shopkeeper's house was connected to the shop this whole time. The blonde never knew this until now

When the old man appears from the kitchen he saw the lad standing by the door "I forgot to get some coffee, make yourself home. There, warm yourself" He point to the fireplace and open the door again to get some coffee from the display shelf. Again, the sound of the chimes makes him feel relax. After the chimes stops making noises, he walk to the sofa, and sit beside of it to take the warmth of the fireplace. His mind was blank, he do not know what he is doing here when he was supposed to get home fast after buying liqours for William. But here he is, sitting on the comfortable carpet, warming his body with heats of the fire. The comfortness prompt his mind not to think anymore, he want to feel this moment and remember it to his sleep, he want to remember this warmth even when he is sleeping in the cold basement.

The sound of the chimes was echoing in the house again, he lean his shoulder to the sofa, his eye narrows in this temporary overwhelming comfort.

The old man step into the house and he find himself staring to the lad. The oddness rings in his head; the boy sit far from the fireplace, he was sitting on the floor, leaning beside the sofa like he was hiding, like he was afraid of something. This old man would not get mad at him, but this old man find himself feeling dissapointed with the boy's act like he was trying to yell at him or hurt him.