0:01

Hey there, thank you for joining us

0:03

for this episode of 13. Before

0:06

we get started, as always, we want

0:08

to thank our new patrons. Dan

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Hayes, Mal Jade, Laura Alger,

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Shannon Moe, Dylan Eicher, and

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Melissa Payette. Thank you so much

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for your support. And welcome to the Pod

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Fam. If you want to hear

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of bonus stories, plus perks like

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stickers and merch. If that sounds

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good to you, then just click the link in the show

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notes to learn more. And without

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further ado, today's story

0:47

is The Puppeteer by Madeline

0:49

Smith. Are you ready? Sit

0:52

back. Turn down the

0:54

lights. And now, on

0:58

with the show. A

1:10

gust of wind removed the thin baby

1:12

hairs tucked away in my tight bun.

1:16

I carried the suitcase where I'd packed

1:18

up my entire life out to the

1:20

front porch. Daddy

1:22

grabbed my bare arm, halting

1:24

me on the edge of the

1:26

hand-built wooden fence. He

1:29

hadn't touched me in almost five years, not

1:32

since Mama went home to Jesus. I

1:36

looked up to see the dark scruff

1:38

of his face and shaggy hair for

1:40

what I knew would be the last time for

1:43

a long while, if not

1:45

the last time ever. You

1:48

make sure you make that money and come right on

1:50

back here. As

1:52

he said it, the vodka on his

1:54

breath stung my nose. I

1:57

nodded. The only issue

1:59

with his stare. statement was that I

2:01

didn't plan to return here. And

2:03

even if I did find fortune, it would

2:06

never be brought within a 20 mile

2:08

radius of him. His

2:11

lips parted, then tightened

2:13

stiffly. The unknown

2:15

must have choked him up. In

2:18

what had become the new normal in our

2:20

last five years together, I hadn't

2:23

seen him show any ounce of an

2:25

emotion that hadn't been anger. He

2:28

spoke up again, be good,

2:31

be great. Our

2:35

moment was interrupted by the rolling

2:38

tires of the white Ford approaching.

2:41

My eyes shifted away from daddy

2:44

and onto the man my entire

2:46

future depended on. His

2:49

shoes hit the gravel as

2:51

he smiled a wicked grin. He

2:54

walked around the car and

2:57

then he stood only feet away from

2:59

us. You

3:02

must be Mr. Dewitt. I'm

3:04

Nick Hamill. He

3:06

was charismatic and he offered a

3:08

hand to daddy. Worlds

3:10

collided with that unsteady

3:12

handshake. I

3:15

hear you're taking my daughter away to be a star.

3:18

You really think she's going to make a star? There

3:21

was no hesitation in Nick's response.

3:25

Your daughter's already a star. It

3:27

just took fate that I was lucky enough to

3:29

find her tapping that night in the pub across

3:31

town. The only thing I plan

3:33

to do is let your star

3:36

shine. I

3:38

felt my cheeks heat up as he

3:40

showered me with compliments. No

3:43

one had praised me this way, not

3:45

since mama. Thunder

3:55

rolled over the hills. It

3:58

was loud enough to know that something

4:00

bad was on its way. We'd

4:03

better get going. I want

4:05

to ensure that she settles in nicely and meets the

4:07

rest of the troop. She'll

4:09

need a good night's rest before we hit the

4:11

road tomorrow. Nick

4:14

took my bag and he vanished to

4:16

stow it away. A

4:18

clear indication that I should say

4:20

my final goodbyes. Daddy

4:24

started to speak. He

4:26

wasn't able to look at me. He

4:29

said he knew that he hadn't been much of

4:31

a father, but that I'd given

4:33

him the best 18 years of his

4:35

life. I

4:37

smiled, unsure how true a

4:39

statement like that could be with

4:42

the history of those 18 years. I

4:46

love you, Daddy. Take care.

4:50

Without a hug, I headed toward

4:52

the car. Nick

4:55

was waiting with the door open. His

4:57

hand took mine, lowering

4:59

me into the leather passenger seat

5:02

of his fine vehicle. And

5:05

before I knew it, my childhood

5:07

home and memories faded

5:10

into the distance. I

5:13

had finally been set free. Nick

5:22

slipped a cigarette between his teeth

5:25

before sliding the leather case toward me.

5:28

Smoke? I held my

5:30

hand up. No, thank you. Mama

5:33

told me they were bad for your skin. Well,

5:37

that's what makeup's for. I

5:40

felt a little sting at the invalidation.

5:44

We zipped through the busy streets. You

5:47

said that you trained in ballet. Yes,

5:50

sir, as a little girl. Good,

5:53

good. That's what our

5:55

troop specializes in. I

5:57

think that you're gonna fit in perfectly.

6:01

The only problem was that I didn't

6:03

want to fit in. I

6:06

wanted to stand out. Nick

6:14

showed me around the camp, introducing

6:16

me like a prized pony that

6:19

would breathe new life into the

6:21

show. After

6:23

a dinner prepared by the

6:25

one chef whose name I already

6:27

forgot, I grew tired,

6:30

yawning relentlessly. The

6:33

loudness of our table amplifying

6:35

with each drunken minute. I

6:38

nudged Nick under the table to get

6:41

his attention and he shot a

6:43

look at me after downing yet

6:45

another shot of whiskey. What's

6:48

the matter? Would it be

6:50

all right for me to go to sleep? And

6:53

miss your welcome party? Nick

6:56

stood up, reaching for a

6:58

glass. Then he

7:01

snatched a knife from the dinner

7:03

table. An

7:06

empty, unknown feeling crept

7:08

through my toes and

7:10

ran up my spine. He

7:14

turned the knife on me. I

7:17

felt the cool blade graze

7:19

past my neck. His

7:22

eyes had gone mad for that

7:25

split moment. But

7:28

before I could react, the

7:30

knife tapped his glass, ringing

7:33

in a toast. The

7:40

entire troop turned their attention

7:42

to him. To

7:44

our newest member, Miss Betty

7:47

DeWitt. One

7:49

of the men slurred, a shot

7:52

pointing limply at a clear bottle of

7:55

liquor. I shook

7:57

my head, I

7:59

don't drink. but thank you all for

8:02

this. It's been a

8:04

really long day. I should go

8:06

to bed. I'll see you

8:08

all tomorrow morning. I

8:11

left no one the time to stop me. I'd

8:14

already left the table and rushed

8:16

out of the dining tent back

8:18

toward the trailer Nick had gifted me.

8:23

Before I could make it through the door, a

8:26

strong set of arms pulled me down

8:28

from the two steps I had climbed.

8:31

I was back on the dirt ground. I

8:35

was released as I made contact with

8:37

the surface, standing

8:39

level with Nick. I

8:42

was very bold of you to leave so suddenly.

8:46

Nick gave me a stern stare as

8:49

he spoke down to me. I

8:51

hadn't realized how tall he was until

8:54

now. Unsure

8:56

of what to say, I spoke

8:59

without thinking. I

9:01

was tired and I don't party.

9:04

I hate the smell of liquor. Lightning

9:09

struck overhead. It

9:12

couldn't have been but a mile or so away. Nick

9:15

ignored the sky and the danger that

9:17

came with it. Well,

9:19

there's no reason to defend yourself. People

9:22

who do what they want on their own terms

9:25

are the only people worth a damn in this

9:27

world. Well, thank

9:29

you. He looked

9:31

me up and down with a

9:33

smooth seductiveness and

9:36

my entire body halted in

9:38

rejection at the thought

9:40

of him seeing me as more than a

9:42

performer. He

9:44

looked back at the noisy tent. Anyways,

9:48

I guess I'll have to enjoy it for the both of

9:50

us. Sleep well, darling.

9:54

The trailer that he had prepared for me smelled

9:57

like lilies, an expensive

9:59

perfume. and not the

10:01

cheap kind that daddy used to buy for mama

10:03

at the drugstore. I

10:05

wandered to the bed where I found

10:07

a welcome basket. My

10:10

hand shook as I read my name

10:12

on the envelope and tore it

10:14

open. It

10:17

was from Nick. To

10:19

Betty, your beauty, grace,

10:21

and talent captivated me in a

10:23

way that I never knew possible.

10:26

There was no way that I couldn't have you as

10:28

part of my collection. One of

10:30

my own, if you will. I

10:33

know that you will bring something special to

10:35

our troop and put us on

10:37

the map of something newer. Enjoy

10:39

the gifts. They're all for you.

10:43

Yours, Nick. Tossing

10:47

the letter aside, I rummaged

10:49

through the gifts. My

10:52

stomach churned at the two sets

10:54

of lingerie, folded

10:56

neatly under three bottles

10:59

of vodka. Three

11:11

months later, soft waves

11:13

crashed only a few feet ahead of

11:15

me as I puffed

11:17

the poison into my lungs. I

11:21

heard the footsteps getting closer with

11:23

each wave. Coney

11:26

Island's beautiful this time of year. I

11:29

turned over my left shoulder, lowering

11:32

the cigarette, instantly

11:34

noticing the frustration smeared across

11:36

his face. This

11:39

is the furthest north I've ever been. Nick

11:42

stopped next to me, letting

11:44

out a deep sigh. Well,

11:47

get used to it. I doubt we're

11:49

leaving. I don't know

11:51

what we're gonna do, darling. With

11:53

what? Well, I have

11:55

a wife that hates me, but I

11:58

guess that's besides the point right now. He

12:01

stuffed his hands deep in his pockets, his

12:04

eyes watching the rolling tides. Regret

12:07

churned in my stomach as

12:10

I glanced at the shimmery rock on

12:12

my ring finger. The

12:14

wife he spoke of was me.

12:17

Well, what's the point?

12:20

I asked, taking another inhale of smoke.

12:24

We have no money. Now listen here. First of all, this

12:26

isn't we. You

12:30

also had no money before I was in the

12:32

picture. You can continue

12:34

to fault me, but you chose

12:36

to be here. You

12:39

lied to me. No, you

12:41

misheard. I

12:43

told you that I would let you be the

12:45

star performer, and that's what I gave

12:47

you. You just

12:49

inferred that that also meant

12:52

money. I

12:54

nonchalantly wiped away a tear, refusing

12:57

to let his power over me

12:59

show. People don't

13:01

want to pay to watch the ballet anymore.

13:04

Hell, they hardly even have the money to keep the power

13:06

on. We need to be

13:09

less of a performance and

13:11

more of a spectacle. I

13:14

put the cigarette out and turned to

13:16

my husband. How

13:18

do you suggest we rebrand without any

13:20

money? Have you

13:22

ever heard of George Mantell?

13:26

I shook my head. He

13:28

was spectacular. He was a

13:30

visionary. He turned on

13:32

me, making eye contact. He

13:36

was a puppeteer. I

13:39

couldn't help myself from smiling, and

13:42

I had to hide it with my hand. Are

13:45

you suggesting that a children's

13:47

puppet show will get us

13:49

out of our financial struggles? You

13:51

know, Europeans adored puppetry in

13:54

the 1920s. His

13:57

pencil-thin mustache was twitching. I

14:00

knew that twitch meant that his anger was

14:02

rising. Okay, but

14:04

this is America. And

14:07

it's 1938. No

14:09

one's paying to watch dolls on

14:11

strings. Well, then

14:14

you come up with something. It's

14:16

not like anyone's lining up to

14:19

pay for your pirouettes. Before

14:30

I knew it, I found

14:32

myself alone yet again.

14:41

My hand slipped as the

14:43

trailer door slammed open and

14:46

my perfect scarlet lip was ruined

14:48

as I ran onto my chin

14:50

with the lipstick. I

14:52

turned to Nick. What?

14:56

Oh, there's no need to put it on. The

14:58

show's canceled. You

15:00

can't be serious. My

15:03

arms gripped the chair as

15:05

I whipped around to judge whether he was telling

15:07

the truth or not. Oh,

15:09

I'm serious. We sold

15:12

zero tickets. My

15:15

eyes fell to the floor in defeat.

15:18

Nick's hand reached for the bottle on the

15:20

bed. He drank it

15:23

swiftly, tossed it behind him,

15:25

and left the trailer without another word. I

15:31

looked at my reflection in the mirror. I

15:34

was thinner now than I had been three months

15:36

ago. I was

15:38

bony and unhealthy. I

15:41

was the mangy toy children donated

15:43

after loving it too hard and

15:45

too fast. I

15:48

stood up and paced the trailer that

15:50

I shared with my husband. Why

15:53

I chose to marry Nick is still a

15:55

mystery to me. After

15:58

two months of him obsessing. over me,

16:00

I guess I convinced myself

16:02

that I could at least have access to

16:04

his money if I gave

16:06

in and married him. It

16:09

was a foolish fantasy. There

16:11

was no money. My

16:14

hand ran along his bedside

16:16

table, creeping warily.

16:20

The lock that entrapped his

16:22

personal items had been

16:24

left undone. With

16:26

a swift glance, I knew that

16:29

there was no reason to fear him catching

16:31

sight of me invading his privacy. He

16:34

was on his way to the rest of the troop, where

16:37

they would all engage in their favorite

16:39

form of bonding. While

16:42

I had given into smoking, I

16:44

still stuck true to my vow against

16:46

alcohol. I won't

16:48

allow myself to become my father. The

16:52

drawer was stiff as I forced it open.

16:55

Quickly, I became underwhelmed.

16:58

There was only a Bible, a

17:01

few stray poker chips, and

17:03

tiny liquor bottles. I

17:05

moved the Bible to find

17:07

a tattered journal. Taking

17:10

it, I sat on the bed, flipping

17:13

through the worn pages. The

17:18

first entry was 11 years ago. He

17:22

was 23, and he had

17:24

just started recruiting talent for his first

17:26

ever show. It

17:29

was a freak show that featured nine

17:31

human oddities. Disgust

17:33

flooded me as I

17:35

read how he chalked them up to nothing

17:38

more than wasted life. I

17:41

kept reading, and I saw that

17:43

his freak show was a success for

17:45

the four years that it ran through

17:47

rich neighborhoods in southern Tennessee. Things

17:50

began to flop towards the end, but

17:52

it didn't matter. A

17:55

fire broke out only two weeks

17:57

after he confessed failure, leaving

17:59

any Every performer dead. He

18:03

showed no empathy for any of the

18:05

victims in his writing. It

18:07

was as if they had never existed. He

18:15

headed west to Colorado and

18:17

lived off the show's income for a while. But

18:20

he blew through the money on women

18:22

and alcohol. And before

18:24

long, he was setting up

18:27

shop for his next adventure. A

18:29

family fun review with Southern

18:32

Charm brought directly to California.

18:35

It was a smash, according to Nick.

18:38

He spoke of a girl named Maria, a

18:41

cute little number that sang like heaven.

18:44

He had written of her months before she

18:47

joined the review. A

18:49

later entry claims that Maria's parents

18:51

didn't support her dreams, which

18:53

allowed him the angle to convince her that

18:55

the review would make her a star. He

18:59

wrote that she rejected him when he confessed

19:01

his love, saying that she

19:03

was with Benjamin, the banjo player. Nick

19:07

only wrote of her once more after that,

19:10

in an update four weeks later to

19:12

state that the review had taken its

19:14

final bow. Benjamin

19:17

had murdered Maria before ending

19:19

his own life. The

19:24

third act in his showmanship was the ballet

19:26

troupe. I smiled as I read of its

19:28

humble beginnings, a traveling ballet with strong, focused

19:30

performers. I

19:35

could sense the growing substance abuse as

19:38

time passed in Nick's entries. Focus

19:40

faded as their strength crumbled. Betty

19:47

DeWitt, Betty

19:50

DeWitt was scribed eight months

19:52

ago for the first time. I

19:55

read what he had to say about me. Betty

19:57

DeWitt may be the kindest soul

20:00

I have ever known, but he

20:02

didn't know me. He met

20:04

me four months ago. He

20:06

wrote, she

20:09

works as a seamstress in town. I

20:12

know her soul to be pure because

20:14

I watched an elderly woman struggling

20:16

to count out enough money to pay her. Betty

20:19

put her finger to her lips and

20:22

smile and push the money

20:24

back into the woman's hands, giving

20:26

her the dress free of charge.

20:30

I know that Betty needed that money. Her

20:32

home isn't much to look at and her shoes

20:35

have holes in them. Panic

20:38

paralyzed me. The

20:40

journal slipped out of my hands as

20:43

the reality struck me. I

20:46

had been stalked, prepped,

20:48

and preyed on. There

20:51

was a stirring outside, shocking

20:53

me back to life. I

20:56

hid the journal back and shut

20:58

the nightstand just as the trailer

21:00

door slammed into the wall. Oh,

21:05

what are you doing on my side? I

21:08

was only picking up the socks you left out. I

21:11

lied, bending over and retrieving them.

21:14

Ah, so I know

21:17

that you thought that puppetry was a

21:19

horrible idea, but I have

21:21

something to show you. I

21:24

looked past him with discomfort, refusing

21:27

to make direct eye contact. Oh,

21:30

yeah? What is it? Oh,

21:33

just a little experiment I came up

21:35

with, something the world has never seen

21:37

before. He

21:39

walked around to me with

21:42

a big grin on his face, and

21:44

he took my hand in his. My

21:48

clammy hands shook as he

21:50

interlaced our fingers. He

21:53

asked me why I was so tense as

21:56

he drug me into the night. It

22:03

was dead outside as I scanned

22:05

the fields of this deserted place

22:07

we had settled in New York.

22:11

Every tent was dark. Where

22:14

are we going? I

22:16

asked, fearful as he led

22:18

me into the tree line, far

22:21

from our camp and far

22:24

from civilization. Why

22:26

to see my surprise? He

22:29

gripped my hand tighter as

22:32

we disappeared into the darkness. After

22:36

countless silent minutes, we

22:39

stood face to face with

22:41

an old red barn.

22:45

The sighting was falling off, revealing

22:48

its ugly insides. Too

22:51

scared to run or cry for help,

22:54

I stood tall at his side, in

22:57

the spotlight shining from the one

22:59

overhead light in the front of

23:01

the barn. Are

23:03

you ready? I gave

23:05

a shy nod, causing him

23:07

to release his hold and stand

23:10

beside me. My

23:12

back met his front side, sending

23:15

a pulse through me and

23:17

straightening my posture to perfection.

23:21

His right hand covered my eyes, while

23:24

his left hand opened the barn

23:26

door. We

23:29

stepped inside and

23:31

he led me forward. Now

23:39

on three, I want you

23:41

to close your eyes. One,

23:43

two. I

23:47

heard him messing with his clothes while

23:49

I waited. And then

23:52

I heard the click. The

23:58

second I opened my eyes. his

24:00

right arm dropped to hold me in

24:02

a lock, and his

24:04

left hand put the barrel on

24:07

my left temple. Deja

24:09

Vu ran through me as

24:12

I recalled that the bullet wound

24:14

killing Maria had entered

24:16

her left temple. A

24:20

gasp escaped my mouth while

24:22

I looked before me. All

24:26

eleven of my fellow

24:28

ballerinas hung before me

24:30

on a mock stage, each

24:33

mutilated in their own way.

24:37

The show had to go on, darlin'. You

24:40

weren't the only one who learned about our little

24:42

money crisis. They all plan to walk

24:44

out on me tomorrow. I

24:47

gasped. So you...

24:49

you slaughtered them? No,

24:52

of course not, Betty. They're

24:55

puppets! He

24:57

moved me closer, taking me

24:59

to the single chair before us.

25:02

Ropes were placed under it. You

25:05

get to be our first audience

25:07

member. He

25:10

slammed me down into the seat and

25:12

tied me to it, threatening

25:14

to shoot me if I squirmed.

25:17

Nick's lips pressed to the top of

25:20

my head before he

25:22

went backstage to start

25:24

his show. My

25:26

feet tapped anxiously as I examined

25:28

what I was looking at. Renee,

25:31

dressed in her white costume,

25:34

stained crimson with her blood.

25:37

I squinted and saw that

25:39

he had removed her eyes

25:42

and exchanged them for buttons.

25:46

After a glance, I

25:48

noticed that all of their eyes

25:50

had been stolen and

25:52

replaced with cheap buttons. raised

26:00

as you become a part

26:02

of history. I

26:05

proudly present the world's

26:07

first human marionette

26:10

show. I

26:17

watched in horror as

26:19

Renee's right arm lifted toward the

26:21

ceiling. He controlled

26:24

all of them with long

26:26

strings sewn through their palms

26:29

and tied to a large wooden

26:31

cross brace near the ceiling. Nick

26:35

manipulated Harry's arms, making

26:37

him bow excessively, following a

26:40

skit where he had maniacally

26:42

laughed. A ripping

26:44

sound echoed through the

26:46

barn on the fifth raise to

26:49

bow. Blood poured

26:51

out as Nick continued

26:53

the act. Harry's

26:55

limp body lulling to the

26:57

right side. His

26:59

left arm had been ripped off

27:01

at the socket, leaving

27:04

it hanging from the string, exposing

27:07

the bone. As

27:09

the shock subsided, terror

27:12

took its place. The

27:14

twisted performance made me sick, the

27:17

vile vomit rising in the back

27:19

of my throat. Nick

27:22

appeared on the stage with a

27:24

mad smile as he clapped approvingly

27:27

of his work. Well,

27:33

what do you think? He

27:36

beamed at me with satisfaction

27:38

and pride. I

27:41

think you're sick. I

27:43

shouted at him, unleashing

27:46

my emotions uncontrollably. Wailing

27:49

rang out from him as

27:52

he jumped from the stage,

27:54

aggressively stomping toward me. In

27:57

my state of disassociation, I have

27:59

a I hadn't even felt the

28:01

vulgar cries exit my body as

28:04

they erupted from deep inside. His

28:07

hand revealed a knife, and

28:10

he stood before me grinning. I

28:13

sobbed, knowing the

28:15

inevitable truth that loomed before

28:17

me. You

28:20

know, there's only one thing missing from

28:22

the show, darling. He

28:24

wiped the blade on his coat, and

28:27

then he held it above me, staring

28:30

at his reflection in the spotless

28:33

steel. His eyes

28:35

dropped to me one last

28:38

time. We

28:40

need our star back

28:43

on stage. Thank

28:57

you for joining us for this episode of 13. If

29:03

you like what you heard, stop what you're doing and

29:06

leave a five-star rating and review wherever you listen to

29:08

podcasts. This

29:11

was The Puppeteer, written by Madeline Smith. Narrated

29:15

by me, Brooke DeWitt. I'm

29:27

Brooke Jeanette. Nick was Ian

29:29

Epperson, editing and sound design by

29:32

Brooke Jeanette. Additional assistance from Bridget

29:34

Freeman. Our producer-level patrons

29:36

are Tattooed Fox, Sean

29:38

Geary, Anthony Diaz, Michael

29:41

Vasquez, Amy Harper,

29:43

Jackie Kay, Delta Tango,

29:45

Chantel Payne, Nick, Stephanie

29:47

Clinger, Jay Carr, Abigail

29:50

Perez, Emily Toll, Amanda

29:52

Lee, Cozumine, K-Cup Chuck,

29:55

and Adeline. Thank you so

29:57

much for your support. Click the

29:59

link in the show now. to learn more about joining

30:01

us on Patreon. And check us out

30:03

on social media. You can find us on

30:06

Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram under Pod13. And

30:09

you can join the Facebook group for 13

30:11

Podcast. Just look for the logo, and

30:13

you'll find links to all of that in our show

30:15

notes. If you'd like to submit a story to be

30:17

performed on the show, or if you'd like to contact

30:20

us about anything else, you can

30:22

get in touch at info

30:24

at 13podcast.com. You'll find

30:26

submission guidelines and other info

30:28

on our website, 13podcast.com. And

30:31

you can find that in the show notes too. Bridget

30:34

Freeman is backstage pulling

30:37

the strings. Thanks

30:39

for listening, and we'll see you soon.