Writer's POV.

"Where the heck is he!?" Natalie muttered nervously peeking from behind the curtains at the gathered crowd.
She checked the time then huffed. "The show must go on" she muttered to herself her mind set as she set about doing Josh's job by opening the curtains after introducing herself and the name of the show 'How humiliating! You're gonna pay for this Josh!'
Then she rushed backstage and started the music before opening the curtains and pushing the box with Kayla in it onstage to the rhythm  of the background music (twisted nerve).
She then called up for a volunteer and asked the little boy that had volunteered to open the box as she gestured for all to look. A leg fell out as the first fold closing the box was opened making the boy jump back scared before Natalie urged him on at wich he hurriedly opened the rest and then scuttled to a corner earning laughter from the crowd that then awed at the puppet noticing it had no strings. But it moved all the same as Natalie seemed to grab invisible threads connected to her hands pulling Kayla up onto her feet, at wich point the song changed (Mad Hatter-Melanie Martinez) and Natalie started to make Kayla dance to the music.

***

"Come on! There has to be something! I'm not insane! It's not just me having hallucinations! Something is wrong with that puppet! I know it!" Josh exclaimed tossing a book over his shoulder and avidly grabbing another, he didn't have much time left and he knew it, he knew something was amiss and it had something to do with his creation: Kayla.
His gaze fell casually on an open book infront of him a creepy old lady had left there earlier, that's when he saw it.
The answer! He lunged at the book grabbing it and engulfing himself in reading before looking up in horror and fear 'Natalie...' Was his only thought before dashing out to go find her. He had to cancel the show before it was to late.
Flashback.
"What bothers you sonny? The old creepy lady had asked him from across the table taking her gaze off the book she had been reading while muttering in a foreign  language. "something bad is going to happen, I know it!" Was all he said not even bothering to look up from his anxious search for the answer.
"You might want to go before it's to late my dear." And she had left leaving her book open.
End of flashback.
'She knew!' Josh realized speeding up running like crazy trying to get there in time before it was to late 'I can't lose her'.
But it was already happening...

***

The song 'ring around the rosies' started to play without anybody putting it on but the audience thought it only to be a special effect all planned out by the puppeteer Natalie as well as the smile on Kayla's painted face. What they didn't know was that Natalie now wasn't really Natalie physically "Let's play" said Kayla as the crowed gasped in shock, Natalie nodded and faintly sang along while going around in circles holding Kayla's hands. One by one the crowd fell into a trance and sang along all but one shadow hiding underneath a table his eyes shut tight and ears covered by his hands with his knees tucked against his chest.
Just at the last sentence was being sung, in bursted Josh shouting "Stop!" But it was to late "we all fall down" and at that point all those who had fallen into a trance including Natalie fell to the floor senseless. "No! Natalie!" Josh was halfway through, pushing through the slumped bodies of the audience as a knife came out from underneath Kayla's skirts and embedded itself in Natalie's chest "Nooooooooooooooo!!!!" Yelled Josh tackling Kayla to the ground as the lights flickered and all was dark a maniacal laughter emanating from Kayla before it once again became a simple puppet the laughter dying away.
The lights flickerd back on "Natalie!" Josh exclaimed rushing over and gently holding her in his arms a tear rolling down his cheek as he realized it was to late.
"Natalie... I love you." Were his last words before letting himself go and crying over her death.

***Seven years later***

It was all his fault. Natalie was dead because of him. He had promised to always be there for her but he had failed to maintain it.
He deserved the accusations and penalties held over his head.
When the police had come they had found everyone passed out, him lying over a stabbed in the heart puppeteer and had thought him to be the one who killed her and not the puppet lying on the floor with mouth and eye's now black. A clear sign of it having been controlled by dark magic. But they only thought him insane when he explained the truth at the interrogation and had sent him to this asylum. Not even agreeing that there had been a little boy there, they had seemed to not have noticed him.
But it was probably better that way, at least he was safe.
"Josh" he slowly turned around to face the door, a nurse stood there "you have a visitor" he nodded.
She moved aside and in stept a boy around 14 years of age.
The nurse then left the two alone, recognition flashed in Josh's eyes, it was him. That little boy who had escaped the trance!
"I want to know the true story of what happened" he announced standing before him.
Josh looked anguished, he did not want to. It would only make his suffering worse "please" the boy added
"What is you're name?" Josh asked "Arthur"
He replied "Well Arthur, sit for it is a long story." Said Josh giving in.

The end.