The Puppet Master

He brushed the shavings away from his wooden creation, admiring the smooth curves of the surface. The little figurine was some of his best work. Then he would present it to her. And she would be so pleased, surely!

She kneeled on the ground, in the center of the round room with the stone walls, bent over her strings. In one hand, a marionette of a man badly dented and marred with red streaks of paint. In the other, an equally marred puppet wielding a miniature sword. As her hands moved, the characters seemed to spring to life. They sparred, leaping from the strings as the Puppet Master watched approvingly.

The red one finally toppled, it's pieces shattering. Sighing, she scooped up what remained and tossed them over her shoulder. As she threw them, the pieces of the marionette disintegrated to dust. The remaining seemed to cheer, posing arrogantly in it's glory. Lips twisting into a frown, the Puppet Master jerked a string, returning it to it's lifeless state. A shrill shrieking as the iron grate that covered the door was lifted.

"I-I brought you a new p-puppet, milady." The lady looked up from her doll, smiling widely and holding out her hand expectantly. Instead of passing it to her, he glanced at the ashes strew across the wooden floor.

"Who was that?"

"No one of consequence. Merely a pawn," she said, sweetly. "Now, show me what you have brought." Her tone grew stern. He quickly shoved it into her palm and she accepted it with strange glee. She waved two fingers and a set of strings appeared on it's wooden limbs. 

"Excellent. Leave."

"B-but, mila-"

"LEAVE!" she bellowed, swerving and backhanding him across the face. He scurried away as fast as his feet would carry him, letting the iron grate slam shut.

She examined the doll further. It was of spectacular quality, with rose wood skin and painted to look like a tiny lady. She even came with a miniature fan.

"I'll have fun with you certainly, darling," the Puppet Master crooned. 

Pulling the other doll, she let the two come forth. The lady puppet looked around at the dark, empty room and up at the Master with confusion, then at the puppet of the man with the sword. 

She watched for an immeasurable time as her puppets seemed to grow fond of each other. 

But then, there was no more fun to be had. She had grown bored of watching her toys. That was when the moment was ripe, she struck like a snake. Twisting a pin between her fingers, she stabbed it into the lady doll's painted chest, watching as the color around the doll's chest melted away into red. 

The puppet Master's smile widened, watching the marionette's distress. Tossing it's body over her shoulder, she gloried in watching her puppet react with such revile and horror seeing the lady's body disintegrate to ash.

The Puppet master repeated the motion with her pin, piercing the chest of the marionette and tossing him after his counterpart. 

And she gloried.