Mystery of Tobias Smith

Submitted into Contest #168 in response to: Make a train station an important part of your story.... view prompt

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Horror Mystery Fiction

This story contains themes or mentions of suicide or self harm.

Night. 1887, 12th October.

Tonight is the night I will run away. Toby is waiting for me at the train station, I will meet him there once I have packed all of my things. I do hope Daddy doesn't wake up, he doesn't approve of Toby, he thinks Toby is a scoundrel and a thief. I do not think of Toby this way, he is charming, handsome, and smart. I love Toby, and I won't let Daddy get in between us.

I have finished packing all of my things, and now I am ready to go. I do hope Daddy is asleep, I can hear him rolling over in his bed through the wall. Jack is also asleep, I wish I could say goodbye, but he would start to cry if he knew I was leaving. He is only two, and one of my dearest friends. I will be sorry to leave him, but it cannot be helped, Toby says this is the only way that we can truly be together.

I am waiting at the train station, but Toby isn't here, I wonder where he is. I have just heard a noise coming from the bushes, I think it is Toby, he could be hiding just in case I am followed.

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Night. 1888, 12th October.

Tonight is the night I will run away. Toby is waiting for me at the train station, I will meet him there once I have packed all of my things. I do hope Mummy doesn't wake up, she doesn't approve of Toby, she thinks Toby is a scoundrel and a thief. I do not think of Toby this way, he is charming, handsome, and smart. I love Toby, and I won't let Mummy get in between us.

I have finished packing all of my things, and now I am ready to go. I do hope Mummy is asleep, I can hear her snoring through the wall. Daisy is also asleep, I wish I could say goodbye, but she would start barking. She is a dog, and one of my dearest friends. I will be sorry to leave her, but it cannot be helped, Toby says this is the only way that we can truly be together.

I am waiting at the train station, but Toby isn't here, I wonder where he is. I have just heard a noise coming from the bushes, I think it is Toby, he could be hiding just in case I am followed.

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Night. 1889, 12th October.

Tonight is the night I will run away. Toby is waiting for me at the train station, I will meet him there once I have packed all of my things. I do hope Sophie doesn't wake up, she doesn't approve of Toby, she thinks Toby is a scoundrel and a thief. I do not think of Toby this way, he is charming, handsome, and smart. I love Toby, and I won't let Sophie get in between us.

I have finished packing all of my things, and now I am ready to go. I do hope Sophie is asleep, I can hear her snoring through the wall. I will be sorry to leave her, but it cannot be helped, Toby says this is the only way that we can truly be together.

I am waiting at the train station, but Toby isn't here, I wonder where he is. I have just heard a noise coming from the bushes, I think it is Toby, he could be hiding just in case I am followed.

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Night. 1890, 12th October.

Tonight is the night I will run away. Toby is waiting for me at the train station, I will meet him there once I have packed all of my things. I do hope Mummy doesn't wake up, she doesn't approve of Toby, she thinks Toby is a scoundrel and a thief. I do not think of Toby this way, he is charming, handsome, and smart. I love Toby, and I won't let Mummy get in between us.

I have finished packing all of my things, and now I am ready to go. I do hope Mummy is asleep, I can hear her snoring through the wall. I won't be sorry to leave her, but I will be sad to leave Augustine, she is my best friend, but it cannot be helped, Toby says this is the only way that we can truly be together.

I am at the train station, and have decided not to wait for Toby, he has not shown up, and I am worried that he has been caught.

I am at Augustine's house, Toby did show up, but only as I was leaving. He had a knife in his hand, and I got scared and ran away. Thanks to my new bicycle Daddy got me I am much fitter now, so I ran all the way to Augustine's house, and alerted the police. Augustine says I was lucky to make it out alive, apparently Toby was a wanted murderer, and he had killed many different young women like me at train stations. I am terrified that he will find me and get revenge for telling the police. He was so nice to me, but Augustine said that it was probably fake, and that he only wanted to kill me.

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All of these diaries were found at different train stations all around Europe. All except the last one, belonging to Francine Young, the only known survivor. Unfortunately, 'Toby' was not found, he managed to escape, but there were no more deaths, no more sightings. It is as if he was scared off by the close shave with authorities.

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I cursed the demon as it coursed through my body once more. It had taken too many young women, and I would not let it take any more. I was so happy that Francine escaped, she was one of my favourites, rebellious, smart, beautiful. The demon knew that if I was caught, it's supply of food would disappear for another century, so it made me run away. I so dearly wanted to turn myself in, but I did not resist as the demon forced my legs to move, I could not let it hurt any other people. That is why I am standing here, knife to my chest, demon fighting against me, ready to sacrifice myself. As I plunged the knife deep into my heart, I felt the demon leave me, the swirling purple dust clumping together above me. I thought it was strange for it to chose a century of imprisonment over death. Then I realised, the demon must have another host ready, it must have known that I was going to do something. I cried as I faded from this world, knowing that I had done nothing, my death was in vain, and people over the world would not be safe.

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This boy is smart, but not smart enough. He should have known that I would pull a stunt like this, release myself at the last moment, and find another host. I floated away as his mortal body crumbled into dust, leaving a bloody knife lying on the dark, forest floor. The wind howling, I left the horrid place, and floated away to the nearest train station. The ghostly train arrived at the station, and as I boarded it, I could hear police men shouting and dogs barking in the distance. I chuckled as they looked straight past me, and swept the station. The train whistle cut through the air, as I rode away, to my next host.

October 19, 2022 07:51

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