otto von streicher
the world famous
spider trainer
presents performances of his miniature theatre
that will
* ASTOUND * BEWILDER * DAZZLE * and * AMAZE *
come and witness his
marionettes
enact
the tales of long forgotten princesses in towers & mists
and heroes of legend
& mystery & myth
by his diminutive all too realistic figures
that trip the light fantastic with necromantic saltation
to the direction of ancient scripts
controlled by adroit dancing legs
of his trained spiders
and conducted by his own fingers
otto von streicher maestro supremo
of his phantasmic art
(let us take you back)
in his young days
he had fallen in love
with the fair maiden veronika
beautiful
golden haired veronika
but
she loved another (as so often happens in tales of this nature)
hans
a farmer’s son
to whom she pledged
her smile
her kisses
eventually even her heart
otto found it painful to stay in his village
knew he could not
watch them
day by day
hand in hand in love
but day by day he crafted a tiny world (at first to take his mind away from pain)
constructed the body and being of his dolls
out of woods from the blackest part
of the black forest
and commissioned
beautiful faces
to be made from the finest
most delicate
porcelain
(by now this micro world
had become an obsession)
creating an environment he could
control
taught his actors his troupe his company
to dance
and to sing
practised
and perfected ways to bring that world to life
patiently teaching spiders to give his puppets
the most realistic movement anyone
had ever seen
and instructed fireflies how to light
the invention of atmosphere and so
a necromancer by trade
became
THE AMAZING THEATRE OF TINY TERRORS
like a flash of lightening
little miss muffet
sat on her tuffet
eating her curds and whey
along came a spider
then another
then another
bound her in webs
so the puppet master
could have his wicked way
GASP
at the torment of lovers torn apart
WEEP
at the trials and tribulations of the heart
the dramas of the night
(a recurring theme for otto)
the grand manipulator
had now become
famous in the courts of kings & queens
the world over
with breathtaking performances of plays that astound the imagination
the spiders’ many limbs
and limbs and limbs
and his digits working dexterous displays
to bring to life the dark dreams of his mind
and the darkest visions of which nightmares are made
(now we are back to where we started)
at the height of his
fame
otto brought his miniature world
back to his small village
for a special performance
making certain
veronika would have a front row seat
the play a romance (of sorts)
would be given special significance
a drum roll
of pulse beats
as he narrated his play with the use of tubes for projection of his deep voice
controlled by straws his wind of words
an eerie sound
and as the climax was reached
backstage behind the curtain
otto
opened his chest
and laid his beating
beating
beating heart into a cradle
the spiders had woven with silken thread
like a rotting lace cradle
hanging over the stage
suspending belief
his heart bled
drip
drip
drip
into a tiny translucent goblet
below
from which a vulnerable little wooden doll
in a white dress of lace
with golden hair
with breakable serene features
poured innocence from her pure crystal eyes
into the focus of the hushed transfixed audience
as she took the goblet to her lips
drunk
this was a cue for a trained black widow assassin to kiss hans with fangs
veronika SCREAMED
then fainted
otto rushed from behind the stage
to act as her aid
her shining knight
his heart intact
but pounding
took the small goblet from the set
to her pallid lips
she took a sip - - - - like a forbidden kiss
and
fell
in
love
with otto’s spirit
now deep inside her
and by way of spiders’ threads
of wedded silks
and precious weaves
encased her arms around him
with a stickiness
that both captured
the purity tears
like tiny gems
and brought them together
so she could never leave
forever in his web of love
some may think this a happy ending that otto
after years of torment
had eventually found the love he so desperately sought
but what of veronika
deceived
trapped
otto & veronika wed
the band placed on her delicate finger
not gold nor platinum but an ethereal metal the work of alchemists which broke the spell that otto had cast upon her
on their wedding night
after consummation that otto would call love though for veronika it was violation
veronika repeatedly stabbed otto through the heart tore his body apart with her bare hands
and in the morning she was found
blood stained wide eyed gorging on his flesh for breakfast
otto’s troupe of spiders taking residence in her hair that now constantly moved and danced as if a medusa set to hypnotise and charm as she smiled
once so sweetly
now with blood dripping from her lips
and traces of skin and human meat hanging from her fang-like teeth
as she would beckon
come into my parlour
we’ll have a bite together
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