Dante was a 13-year-old orphan boy who washed ashore on an unknown land. While exploring, he found a lost toy that he decided to keep as a friend so he wouldn't be lonely. He taught himself how to manipulate the toy like a marionette. His marionette show became very popular, but his thirst for fame grew stronger. After a successful national television performance, Dante got drunk at a celebration party and lost his marionette. Devastated, he searched everywhere for her but to no avail. Overcome with grief for his lost friend, Dante walked into the ocean and drowned himself.

1. She’s alive no more
left alone on the shore,Dante wake up unaware of everything .He was a 13 years old
boy;charged by a ship of marchandise & goods;Dante was a kind of lost,homeless,or an orphan.In
other words,his identity was unknown.He opened his eyes as the sun was getting shiny little by
little.Then,saw a crowded zone full of fishers and marchandise loaders ; « am I in a haven »,he
wondered ? Definitely,he couldn’t remember anything because of the hard times he lived,and
because of the sea voyage that took two whole weeks to reach the haven ;However,Dante still
remember one thing from this obsucre adventure ,that he was lost,looking for a shelter to settle,to
protect him from that cold weather,or a place to work in.Dante viewed the place very well,and then,
he thought to steal someone’s coat,to cover with for his next scary days ;slightly, he did what he
wanted to do,and run away as quick as possible ;he was running without stopping,afraid that
someone would catch him for this stolen coat,after crossing many streets ;Finally,he stopped at a big
kids-toys shop,he saw the children brought by their parents to spend good times ,and go back home
with a bunch of games and toys ;this made him feel sad for this life,this worthless life.he cried out
loud,and couldn’t stop it at all,as he was turning his diary-pages,his awful diary pages, one after
another .While he was looking toward the ground,he was surprised by a toy,a lost toy,that probably
,fell from a kid’s pocket.Dante was so glad,so lucky of this graceful gift ;at least,he found a thing . « it
can be a friend,to talk to,to play with,and to live happily together »,he said thoughtfully to
himself ;thus,he wouldn’t be alone anymore since he liked it so much ;besides,the toy was as similar
as Dante,lost.He headed then to the beach,where he stayed the night there,staring at that toy.
« she’s beautiful ;blue-eyed,with a sharp black hair that covered her face nicely,with a stylish clothes
as well » he looked to the sky and sighed hopefully. The brightness of the stars up there,the
whispering of the waves in front,sparkled his innocent eyes,and gave him a pure honest hope that his
days were going to be better as he said Holding that toy: « Emmm,I will not be alone anymore,I will
not be sad anymore,I have no parents ;no siblings,but this is not the case from now on,I have this
lovely girl,I will hold her forever,make her tell the world my story,and tell the world that she does like
me ;since her fate was to meet me »,he said repeatedly.Dante wanted to turn that toy into a
marionette,he went to a shop of sewing stuff,there he bought some strings ;then,he headed back to
the seaside ;he tried to make her move,dance,or even talk ;unfortunately,his efforts went in
vain.Surrendering was his immediate decision. « I’m done » he said, « I thought that you like me
too,but you even didn’t say something ». Sadly,he let himself fall over the sands,putting his toy
aside,but without releasing the strings from his fingers .He looked at her deeper,for
minutes ;then,for hours and hours ;he couldn’t take his eyes off her , exactly as the moon does,with
darkness ; Because he wanted to feel what she feels,to share his feelings with her ,to feel safety even
in a scary darkness.Short,the marionette moves her body ;then,her head and hands
too, « Wow,that’s amazing »,he said.He was totally astonished by that,he couldn’t believe his eyes
that his girl is really wagging. « yuppy,now she’s moving by herself,she got what I wanted to say
from the very beginning,and understood my feelings for her ». But actually,he was incapable to
realize that she was not moving by herself,she was moving because of him,because,now, he masters
the marionette skills like a professional ;since he got the right emotions and feelings that were
required to make a marionette move fluently.Minutes were passing,and he was getting tempted and
tempted by her ;by her moves,her dance,her smiles that were purely cute.He enjoyed his time
playing with her all the night,tolling her and talking ;exactly,as what the waves were doing to the
beach sands.The dawn broke,and Dante seemed that he slept for just an hour ;which was just an

2. hour of a very light night. « we should go to the city,come on,hurry up »,he told her and the
emotions of happiness were easily noticeable on his face.He decided to go to the city,there he would
let her show the world,all the world,that she does love him,and he wouldn’t be a lonely person
anymore.One hour later,they arrived in a very pouplar street,where he was lost in an eye-contact
with her before she started to move ;unfortunately,he wasn’t lucky that day.He got disappointed
again,because none of the passers came to watch his show. « I should do something more
interesting »,he said to himself,and went back to the beach ;meanwhile,he was so hungry as he
didn’t eat a thing for two whole days ;Dante looked around,he found people camping just 100 feet
aside.He went there,begged them,and yet they fed him gently,he thanked them,and then,he was
about to get back to his favorite place on the beach ;suddenly,he stopped for a second, « It might
be a good idea to show these people what I’m capable to do »,he thought.Quickly,Dante brought his
marionette and looked at her saying with begging eyes : «Please my girl,we will try something better
this time.Ok ».He went back to the tent hoping that his show will be loved by them,thus,that family
liked his show,which was so touching,and they invited him to stay the night there which in term
made him amused.The next morning,they suggested to take him to a good place so as he get lot of
viewers ;as they were on their way to that place,he stared at his girl and smiled «thanks a lot ;this
time, you made it up for me.Because of you,I am here,having a chance to be famous,to be rich and
say bye to poverty »,he told her. « we will do this together,I’m putting all my trust on you »,he
added.One of that family gave a look at them,as they were sitting beside a bus’s window,and their
bodies were relfected on that wet window,yet it was a wonderful reflection of a lovely inseparable
couple.A quarter after,Dante arrived and started his show ;little by little,he was getting viewers from
all over the street and the surrounding streets as well,and they started to support him ;exactly as
pieces of darkness gather together to cover the whiteness,and let a new star to be lightened up.He
gain lot of money as his show was finished ;thus,he achieved a good step into famousness. « now,we
have enough,enough money ;we can reserve in a motel for couple of days »,he said happily.They
settled in a motel for days,and he was,totally,enjoying his time with her that made him forget his
awful past .Days passed,and their brilliant shows were passing too,one after another ;yet his desire
was going further as he said : « not only,I want to be the famous person in this city,but in the whole
country as well » He was so thirsty for famousness than ever before ,and this time,Dante shown up
in the local newspapers as « Dante,a marionette player,in the road to the celebrity »,this made him
feel more and more cocky and arrogant ;Meanwhile,Dante decided to participate in a regional big
show that he finished it ,in a theatre including a huge audience, with success.He greeted the
audience ,packed his stuff,and signed up for his fans ;after a while,he met celebrities of the city
outside,he was walking slowly with them,but because he was wandering in talking with those
celebrities about shows;life;money,and because of his carelessness for his marionette,she fell over
the ground,that was full of mud ;the marionette got dirty,very dirty ;then,he sight what happened
and said regretfully : « oh,my darling,I’m so sorry,I’m so sorry of what have just happened,I love you
and you know that,sorry for my mistake,I will clean you ».When he picked up his marionette,
dissatisfaction signs were very noticeable on her face ;however,he couldn’t see that,as she was trying
to say : « Stop Dante,what do you want more than what we do have right now,we have enough
money to spend good times,to buy a house,and to live happily everlasting.Besides,look to what have
just happened because your carelessness for me,what else will be happening because of your
thirstiness to be fame,I’m really worried…just stop Dante,please ! ».Dante couldn’t feel what she was
suffering from,and he kept on presenting his shows.Dante’s shows spread to all TV stations,yet he
was offered a national live show where all people,all over the world,could see him.he didn’t hesitate

3. at all to accept that offer.He determined to move to the city where his show will be taking place,after
arriving there ,and after two hours later,his famous show was done,with millions of people watching
him,with millions of fans from now on,yet he,himself couldn’t believe what he had achieved ;he
couldn’t believe that he reached his goal,that is to be fame ;he couldn’t also believe that he will be
touring in every place in the world and present his shows ;thus,he couldn’t feel that his cockiness
could tear down everything.Dante was invited to party night as a celebration of his brilliant work,it
was really a crowed party with the presence of most celebrities of the country.He,then,welcomed his
friends,especially the VIPs,and sat on a table. « cheers Dante »,said his friends. « cheers
mates »,replied Dante.He enjoyed his time drinking,dancing and playing cards as well ;actually,he got
drunk.At 2 after midnight and when the party night was over,he went to the beach where he lied
back,looked up to the sky,and took out his marionette,and said : « you see my darling,all the world
wants me,I will be travelling,and travelling, and travelling… ».Repeating his new world’s words,he got
lost into a deep sleep,as he was fully drunk and exhausted.Dante woke up with emptiness in his
hands,with love being gone forever. « where are you ?? where are you my darling… »,he screamed
out loud. « where have you gone »,he screamed again. « no,no,that’s impossible…just tell me where
are you… ».He kept on wondering where is she,the time she was wandering with death,so another
chance,there wouldn’t be.He was crying without stopping,crying his feelings,that were actually tears
of love,tears of loss,tears of nonexistence anymore, as he remembered his first beautiful days with
her.Full of continuous crying,Dante thought that his marionette was gone somewhere,or
probably,taken by someone.He returned to the city,where he searched in everyplace,every street
that he used to present his shows in ;then,to every toys-shop that could have a marionette like
her,but nothing was found.Dante went back to the beach,and every step in the sands reminded him
of her smiles,her…all that made him cry and cry more ;he stepped to the water watching their
shows,their real shows of his expected happy everlasting life with her.One forward step after
another,and the water was getting higher and higher ; he was blaming himself repeatedly,as if her
soul were transmitting messages with the waves saying « your ignorance,your cockiness,your
unawareness…ruined eveything ».The water reached his head and he looked up the sky from
inbetween the water,he kept hope that one day,he will find her…Smoothly,he started to breathe,not
air,but water instead…and let himself drowning…
Written By : KHELIFI Abdenour