Tommy and the Monster

Chapter Six

 Roy awoke with a jolt. He was back in his own bed, far away from the castle and its monster.

 But he couldn't remember how he gotten home. He was thrown out the door, and hit his head. He reached up to touch the top of his head, but he felt no pain. Perhaps it had just been a dream, then. Maybe Tommy was right the entire time. Maybe he was just hallucinating. That would have made much more sense.

 He looked then, and saw a knife lying on the bed next to him. And he remembered what he had planned to do.

~~~~~~

 Roy opened the drawer, and pulled out the least blunt knife they had. It certainly wasn't much of a weapon, but it would have to do.

 "Roy?" he heard Tommy call. "Are you ready?"

 Quietly closing the drawer, Roy called, "Yes. I'm coming."

 Tommy didn't believe him. It was obvious by his attitude that he thought his brother had gone insane. But Roy knew what had happened, and he'd be damned if he let that monster take his brother away.

 He slipped the knife into his coat. Whether Tommy believed it or not, the monster couldn't hurt him if it were dead, could it?

~~~~~~

 Next to the knife was a slip of paper, which was written on in very neat handwriting:

 Did you really think I would not know what you planned to do?

 Clutching the paper in his hand, the magnitude of what had happened, what he had done, what he didn't do, hit him all too quickly.

 "Tommy!" Roy flung open his door and ran across the hall, throwing the door to Tommy's room open, only to find it empty.

 Everything his brother owned was simply gone.

~~~~~~

 Tommy awoke in the morning to find he was still there in the castle, and that it wasn't just a nightmare. But something was different. Next to his bed were two boxes, filled with the clothes and books he had left behind. How they were there, he didn't know, but there was certainly something strange about this place, so who knew?

 He pulled on his shoes and cracked the door open. There was no one in the hallway, and no sound. The castle was so deathly quiet that the creaking of the door seemed much louder. He hurried through the hall and down the stairs, wondering where the kitchen was. He hadn't eaten anything in hours.

 He turned left once he had reached the bottom of the stairs, and went through a pair of doors into a grand dining room. Or at least it must have been grand once. It looked so bare and dull. There was no one there but himself, but there was a plate of food set at one of the chairs. The room was empty, so he could only assume it was for him.

 Once he had eaten, he retraced his steps to the entrance hall. When he pulled at the front doors this time, they opened easily. The sun was out, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. The courtyard and gardens looked beautiful on a day like this.

 Tommy walked down the path, looking ahead. Just up there was the way he had come. There was no one outside with him, no one watching him; if he made a run for it, would it work? In this place, not very likely.

 Just off to his right was a patch of rosebushes. This must have been where Roy had stopped to pick a few, and was dragged off by Lady Floor, as she wanted to be addressed.

 "I did not think you would make the same mistake as your brother."

 Tommy looked up to see Lady Floor herself sitting on the top of the trellis, just about ten feet away from him.

 "I wasn't going to pick any," he said. "What happened to my brother?"

 "Mr. Khan will wake up in his own bed, safe and sound. If he is smart, he will simply move on with his life. I would say I've been merciful where he's concerned, since he would have killed me."

 "Why would you think Roy would try to kill you?"

 "To start," she said, "He returned with you much quicker than I thought he would."

 "That was my fault," Tommy said. "I insisted we come back right away to sort everything out. Roy was afraid to come back."

 "The other reason," she continued, "Was the weapon he kept hidden in his coat. It was a blunt kitchen knife, but he threatened me all the same. How silly he must feel now. He thought I wouldn't know."

 "But why I am here?" Tommy asked. "You didn't even know who I was before you saw Roy's locket."

 Lady Floor gave him a small, mysterious smile. "Have some patience, Tommy. You'll know in due time. Now, will you be joining me for supper tonight?"

 He shrugged. "I suppose so."

 "Good." She hopped down from the trellis. "I will see you tonight. We can talk more about your stay."

 "How long will I be staying?" Tommy asked.

 "As long as it takes, dear Tommy." 

 Tommy wondered as long as what took, but he thought it better he didn't ask. This didn't seem to be a place for asking questions.