Kayden's Toby (Sample from Chapter 5)

I reached for the doorknob but stopped mid-turn and looked down at Michael whose eyes were fixated on the door.

“Michael”, I said, breaking his concentration, “This is serious”.

Michael looked up at me. He looked both concerned and curious.

“This is something that can be extremely dangerous, so you need to be careful, ok?” I said.

Michael’s eyes slightly widened and his face went serious and he stood up a little straighter as he prepped himself for what seemed like anything…anything expect what really stood behind that door.

“I understand”, he said standing even taller. We looked at each other for a moment. I tried to read how he was going to react, but I couldn’t, so I turned the knob anyway. Michael’s eyes concentrated on the door again and a small smirk began to to grow on his face.

I turned the knob, pushed the door open and reached over and pushed Michael in the room while looking behind him for Jessica, making sure she wasn’t around. As I pushed Michael in I followed him and quickly shut the door behind us. Michael’s eyes searched the room but it was not well lit, the only source of light coming from a night light against the wall by his bed and the night sky from our large bedroom window. Toby laid motionless on my bed, still fast asleep. Michael walked the room, looking at me for some kind of guidance. As I walked in, I headed for the light and when I flipped it on, Toby’s orange coat stood out like a beacon.

Michael was still looking at me and watching my eyes. The moment I turned on the light his eyes followed my glance to my bed. As Michael looked, it took him a second to process what he was looking at until Toby’s eye’s flickered and squinted, adjusting to the light, his ears twitched. Michael paused for a moment, still processing until Toby lifted his head, opened his mouth in a wide yawn and stretched out his limbs in a full body stretch. Toby’s already large size seemed to double as he stretched a good three feet past the edges of my bed. My heart skipped for a moment as the realization that a live tiger had just taken over my entire bed seeped into my brain. I looked over at Michael who stood frozen, as if he were going to jump right out of his skin.

“Oh my God!” he cried out in excitement. I ran to shush him but it was too late. Michael was already on my bed cradling Toby’s head with joy and passion. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” Michael squealed in joy. “It’s a tiger, Kayden! Look! Oh my God it’s a tiger! Hi Tiger!” Michael said, looking into Toby’s face. Toby just sat there as Michael rubbed his face all over him, snuggling and talking babytalk, which was muffled as Michael pushed his face into Toby’s fur. I stepped back, cringing, fearful that at any moment Toby would have his fill and turn on Michael. As Michael crawled all over Toby, I watched as Toby began to purr and push his head against Michael’s hand. I looked in curiosity, my head cocked and eyes squinting, realizing Toby was actually enjoying the attention.

Michael crawled back and sat on the edge of my bed, his arms wrapped around Toby’s neck, pushing his face into Toby’s soft furry chest. I just stood there, staring in complete awe as I watched a small boy falling in love with a massive tiger. In some minuet way I was jealous. Jealous that Michael was fearless enough to give that love so willingly; and jealous of the fact that Toby enjoyed every moment of it.

“What’s his name?” Michael asked, putting his face in Toby’s. It took me a moment to respond.

“Toby”, I said flatly.

“Oh, Hi Toby the Tiger!” Michael cooed in Toby’s face as Toby’s eyes closed in pleasure while Michael scratched either side of his head. Toby’s head was a foot in diameter, twice the size of Michael’s.

As I watched Michael and Toby interact I saw them fall in love with each other. It was instantaneous and pure. Maybe it was Michael’s innocence, maybe it was Toby’s nature. Whatever the case, it was something I wanted, but I knew I could never be ignorant or trusting enough to throw my entire body weight onto a 500lb tiger, let alone put my face so close to his. I may not know big cats, but I’ve been around enough small ones to know they can turn at the drop of a hat and that was enough to detour me.

“Are we keeping him?!” Michael suddenly asked, excitedly perking up.

“What?” I asked. The question surprised and confused me. I hadn’t expected it, nor had I considered it. “I don’t think so, Michael” I looked at Toby who looked at me and his look told me I didn’t have a choice in this matter.

“Awwwww” Michael whined. He leaned in and hugged Toby who was still eyeing me. I shrugged as if to say “what?”. Toby continued to stare at me. I shook my head and it became evident that I could shake my head until it fell off…Toby was staying.

“NO!” I said out loud. Michael looked up at me, surprised as I was by my outburst. “No, we can’t keep him. It’s ridiculous…we are not discussing this…” I stood up a little taller as if it would make me any bigger, but I needed to stand my ground. Toby shifted his weight and sat up on the bed, pushing Michael to the floor. Toby was about to prove his Alpha dominance in the house. My heart beat in my throat as he stood up straight and said, “You don’t have a choice in this matter”, his voice deep and low.

“WHOA!” Michael called out as he shuffled away from the bed, his back finally running into his bed, stopping him from going any further. “You can TALK?!” Michael scrambled to get up and run to Toby. Toby just sat there stiffly, staring at me. My heart was racing and I felt slightly sick. His size alone was intimidating, let alone his deep, low, authoritative voice.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe you can talk!” Michael continued. He got to his feet and started running towards Toby but I raced to him and grabbed him, turning him by the shoulders to face me.

“Michael! Stop!” I grabbed his shoulders tighter as he tried to squirm as he looked over at Toby who held his ground. “You can’t tell anyone what you’re seeing right now! You have to be quiet! Jessica is going to come up here and you’re going to blow this for everyone and potentially get us eaten! So Stop!”

When the words “eaten” passed through Michael’s ears he instantly looked at me and froze. With the all-consuming thought of danger planted in his innocent mind, Michael paused and looked up at me with pleading, pathetic eyes.

“But Kayden”, Michael said, matter-of-factly, “Toby would never eat us”. He looked over at Toby. “Right Toby?” Toby just continued to stare me down, unmoving since the second he stood up. The room grew silent and Michael’s body became weak and defenseless under my grip, which I softened a little. The tension began to grow thick under the silence. Michael’s eyes were pleading to both me and Toby. It was sad and sweet; such a naive little boy. I almost envied him for his hope and trust.

I looked down at Michael whose eyes were pleading with me, looking for an answer.

“Michael, Toby is a tiger. You can’t trust tigers…” My voice trailed off and in the silence you could almost hear Toby’s heart breaking. It was a mean thing to say, but I felt it was true. I looked at Toby and Michael followed my glance.

“People are not to be trusted, Kayden”, Toby corrected me, breaking the silence. “Tigers don’t lie. And Michael, ” Toby said, looking down at Michael, whose face had gone from pitiful to defeated “I promise I won’t eat you”. Michael smiled, and nodded his head, his eyes closed, a look of confidence back on his face. He knew he was right. Toby looked back at me sternly, “And I am not going anywhere. I am staying right here. You are just going to have to get used to that idea, Kayden”. My heart skipped when he singled me out and I got angry.

“Are you kidding me?!” I scoffed at the notion of him thinking he would be allowed to stay, especially in my bed! “How in the world are we going to convince my parents to keep you? We can’t necessarily HIDE you! Guaranteed my dad and mom will absolutely freak out!”

“Trust me, Kayden”, Toby reassured me as he settled back into the bed, making himself comfortable. Michael wiggled from my grasp and joined Toby, snuggling Toby’s fur with his face. Toby’s gaze softened and he continued, “They’ll do it. I promise”