It had been a pretty good day for Tobias. Business was booming, and Toby need never worry about money again. He had a house, warm bed, food, money…everything he’d ever need. But at what cost? Toby lit a candle and stepped into the dark parlor. He set it on the harpsichord and sat down on the little bench. He ran his hands over the keys. Toby couldn’t play, he’s always just sang along with… Mrs. Lovett. By the time Toby opened the bake oven doors, there was nothing but bones left of her. He glanced out the window at the little grave he’d made for his mum. He’d taken a knife and chopped it into a rolling pin to make a cross and buried what was left of Mrs. Lovett between the grinder and the bake oven. “Sweet Polly Plunkett lay in the grass, cast her eyes heavenward sighing…” sang Toby softly in the candlelight. He closed the harpsichord and laid his head down on it. Absently, he stroked his prematurely white hair. He was still just a child. What was the point of a warm parlor and money without a mum? Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett were dead, but Toby was left behind. Why? Toby ambled over to the wooden door. It was getting dark. Where had Mrs. Lovett gone? He pushed on the door. It didn’t budge. He pushed harder, slamming his fist on the door. “Mrs. Lovett!” He called. A factory whistle slashed through the still night air as a bloody body tumbled through the wall right beside Toby. Toby screamed and stumbled backwards. “Mrs. Lovett! Mrs. Lovett, let me out!” He ran backwards and tripped. Frantically, he looked around. He spotted the old door that led down to the cellars. Mrs. Lovett warned him about those cellars, but whatever was down there couldn’t possibly be as bad as the nightmare up here. Toby scrambled down into the cellars. He tripped and fell, tumbling down the stairs until he hit the dusty floor with a dull thud. He laid there, breathing hard. His once sunny red hair stood on end, stark white. Tears began streaming down his cheeks. Dead rats lay around him, but he didn’t are look around or move. Toby laid there for what seemed like an eternity. The light sounds of a harpsichord floated down through the darkness to him. He could hear Mrs. Lovett’s voice. “…I am a lass who alas loves a lad who alas has a lass in Canterbury…” Slowly, timidly, Toby stirred. He got to his knees and started creeping back up the cellar stairs. Warily, he stuck his head through the door. His vision was unfocused. All he saw was flickering shadows, as if the only light was fire… He stumbled forward in the smoky haze, softly singing along. “Is a row, dow, diddle dow day…t-tis a row dow diddle dow day…” Another shrill whistle sounded. Toby jumped and let out a small cry. He stopped dead, not wanting to make a sound. “M-m-mrs. Lovett…m-mum…m-mum…” his calls were so soft that he could barely hear them. He stopped and listened. There was a soft, rustling sound, and a low huff of shallow breathing. “Mrs. Lovett…?” Toby whispered so quietly that is was hardly more than a whisp or air. “Hhh…hhh…hhe…lll…pp…” “Who’s there?” squeaked Toby softly. “Mum? Please come to me, mum…” He took a few more shuffles forward. A white hand appeared, reaching for him. Toby stopped, transfixed and horrified. A man was reaching for him. He lifted his head. He was white as a ghost, white hair, white skin. The only other color was red. Deep, scarlet red that poured from his neck and mouth. The hand grabbed Toby’s shirt. Toby slapped it off him, screaming once then backing away quickly. He tripped. Shaking his head, he sat up. He jumped back, eyes wide. A woman lay dead and bloody less than a foot away from him. He backed away until he hit something solid. He backed up against it, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the dead woman. Toby glanced over his shoulder and did a double take. He backed up against another dead, blood-soaked body. He began shaking and screaming uncontrollably, scrambling away. Blood and death was all around him, he could not get away. Toby threw himself onto his feet and ran, completely off-balance. Stumbling but running desperately, he fled to the cellars. In the dark, he ran until he hit a corner. He sank to the ground and sat there, curled up. He was shaking and shivering as tears rolled down his face from his wide, horror-stricken eyes. As he sat there, alone in the dark, he cried and cried, knowing that this was the night he would die. These were the last few moments of his life. “Toby, where are you love?” Mrs. Lovett’s voice rang out in the darkness. Toby scrambled to his feet. “H-here mum, here!” He called quietly. He started limping towards the stairs. “Where are ya lad?” Mr. Todd was with her. Toby backed into a wall and sank to the ground once more. He started shivering all over again. Mr. Todd was here…Mr. Todd… ‘Nothin’s gonna harm you, not while I’m around…” Mrs. Lovett’s voice was like an angel’s. “Tooobyyy…” Mr. Todd sounded like well, Mr. Todd. Mrs. Lovett was in danger, it wasn’t safe to be alone with Mr. Todd, but Toby couldn’t move. His eyes burned and he suddenly burst into tears again. Mrs. Lovett was going to die! No, no, no. And it was all Toby’s fault. He ran his fingers through his pale white hair, ripping at it while his whole body shook with every sob. I promised nothing would ever harm you…not while I’m around. Nothin’s gonna harm you…not while I’m around. Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays…I’ll send ‘em howling, I don’t care, I’ve got ways. Toby cried harder. He wished he was dead, he couldn’t even run up to save his mum, the only person Toby had ever really cared about. The only person who ever really cared about Toby. “Die, damn you, die!” Toby sat bolt upright. Mrs. Lovett? He ran up the cellar stairs and stopped at the door. He opened it a crack. “Mum!” he whispered. He opened the door wider to run out to her. Suddenly the wooden door opened with a snap. Mr. Todd stood there holding a bloody razor. Toby shut the door again in panic. He opened it a crack. He couldn’t move, all he could do was watch. With every fiber of his being, Toby hated Mr. Todd. The only thing stronger than his hatred was his fear of Mr. Todd. Toby watched his mum die. As Mrs. Lovett died, so did Toby. Only Tobias remained. He couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think straight. Something bad was happening to him, but he knew one thing: Toby did die that night, but Tobias refused to die. Patty cake, patty cake, barber man. Bake me a cake, no…no…bake me a pie. Twinkle twinkle razor blade, sink it through the necks you hate. When Mr. Todd does finally die, he’ll make a most delightful pie…twinkle twinkle razor blade, sink it through the necks you hate. Toby woke up crying. Used to be, when he woke up with a nightmare, Mrs. Lovett would sing to him, then pet his head while he fell asleep. Toby was alone in the world, now. He went out to her grave and fell asleep beside it, There’s a boy that no one sees. There’s a boy that lives alone, There’s a boy who weeps in silence for the life he’s never known… The life he’ll never know.

Annons

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September 2009