Olivia isn't pleased with her father's newest creation but she knows the doll isn't at fault. He's just a victim who had no choice in his resurrection. The only thing is, Toby seems to be a little to dedicated to his given job and just like her father, Toby is going to push Olivia too far.
“I cannot believe you!” I felt myself scream, “You didn’t even bother listening to me! Dad, this isn’t fair.”
He peered at me with confused eyes like everything I was screaming had nothing to do with the situation at hand. He didn’t seem to grasp that bringing a wooden doll to life was against all the rules of nature, at least in my world.
“Dad! Are you even listening?”
My father frowned, “Olivia, I don’t see what has gotten you so worked up. Toby will make sure you have everything you need. He’ll take care of you.”
“Take care of me?” I snarled, “I don’t need him to take care of me! I’ve been taking care of the both of us for five years now!”
He only scoffed, “Olivia, stop being so dramatic.”
My mouth just hung agape.
“Now,” and his hand was placed gently upon my stiff shoulder, “I have a few more things to tend to in my study. Why don’t you introduce yourself to Toby?”
Toby.
I turned around. Toby was standing there with a cheerful smile upon his young face. He looked so little, so young that made me seem old.
“Have fun you two,” and my father disappeared into his study.
“Hello Olivia,” spoke Toby. His voice was surprisingly deep, “It is very nice to meet you.”
“Y-Yeah,” I muttered, plopping myself down upon the sofa, “So... Toby...”
“Yes?” He was still standing, still beaming.
“Er,” I rubbed the back of my neck, “You should sit down, hun, you’re kind of freaking me out.”
“Oh! I apologise,” and Toby followed my lead, plopping down with a stiff feel. Regardless of if he looked human, Toby still moved like a doll.
“Don’t... apologise,” I muttered, “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But you were ‘freaking’ out,” stressed the boy.
I giggled, “Yes, but you don’t know any better.”
There was a pause, a silence as Toby sat staring at me with unblinking eyes. I frowned.
“So... uh... speaking of knowing, what do you actually know? I mean my father must’ve pre-programmed you with something other than my name.”
“My job,” said the doll, “is to make sure you are always safe.”
“Safe?” I giggled, “I’m sorry Toby but you’re going to have quite a boring life ahead of you.”
“I do not understand,” He muttered.
“We’re not in my Dad’s home world. This is a mortal world, a human one, and we’re in one of the safest cities. The most danger I could get in is failing to get to work on time.”
Toby still looked confused.
I sighed, “What I’m trying to say is you don’t have to follow me everywhere, alright?”
“But your father -”
“Forget what my father said, okay?”
“But it’s my duty -”
I ran a hand over my face, “Yes, yes, I know, I know but I don’t want you to follow me everywhere, okay? I don’t want that protection.”
His face fell, “You do not like me, Olivia?”
I felt myself gulp, “No, no, that’s not it at all, darling. I just don’t... need you in that way... Toby, what do you like?”
“I like you, Olivia.”
I giggled again, “No, sweetheart, you don’t. You don’t even know me.”
“But -”
“How about this,” I said, smiling at the confused look upon the wooden boy’s face, “I’m going out tonight and I still need a few hours of sleep. I’ll teach you how to watch TV and maybe you’ll find something you actually like.”
He gazed up at me with large puppy dog like eyes, “But I really do like you, Olivia.”
My head shook, “Wait a few days and we’ll see, alright hun?”
“Alright.”
So I set the TV up for him and taught Toby how to change the channel and raise the volume. When he was settled I explained I was going to sleep for awhile and when he tried getting up to follow, I gave him a sharp look and he fell back to his seat.
“Olivia?” called a gentle voice, “Olivia?”
“Mmm?” My eyes slipped open and found the newborn Toby standing above me, “Toby, what are you doing in here?”
“Your father said I was too watch you and did not appreciate that I was watching the television.”
I scoffed and motioned the boy to step away so I could slip from under the covers.
“What time is it?”
“I believe it is half past four.”
“Alright, well Toby, I’m awake now and I need to get changed -”
“I found something I really like today, Olivia,” said Toby, cutting me off just like my father did.
“Really? What’s that, darling?” I pulled open my drawer, reaching in for a pair of jeans.
“I really like Egypt.”
“Egypt, really? Well one day I’m sure you’ll be able to visit -”
“Do we have sand here?”
“Yes, Toby, just at the beach -”
“Would we be able to go see it?”
“Yes, maybe tomorrow if I’m not too hung over -”
“What’s -”
“Toby,” I turned to him with a sigh, “I need to change, can you please go sit in the living room?”
“Oh! O-Of course,” and he raced out with a quick apology.
I sighed, throwing the jeans upon my bed. I understood he was technically a victim. He was literally created out of thin air with the only knowledge that his purpose in life was to make sure I was unharmed. It was my father’s fault he was so oblivious, it was my father’s fault he was alive but it was hard not to get annoyed by the constant confusion.
With another sigh, I turned to get changed.
“Where are we going tonight?” Toby asked as I stepped out into the living room. My father was nowhere to be seen and there was dull hum coming from Toby’s travel show upon the television.
“We?” I smiled, “We aren’t going anywhere, Toby. I’m going out with a few friends. You are going to stay here and see if there is anything else you might enjoy.”
“Oh,” Toby shook his head, “I can’t do that, Olivia. I have to go with you.”
“No, you don’t, darling. Just because my father thinks he knows what is good for me doesn’t mean he does,” I tried to explain. I was only given that cute little head tilt as the doll tried his hardest to understand.
“Look, Toby,” I sat beside him, my hand falling upon his knee. In a shock, I tore it off. The fabric was real but his leg was still solid as wood. I reached forward again, curling my fingers into a fist and knocking upon his human looking knee.
“What are you doing, Olivia?”
“You really are made of wood,” I muttered and my hand traveled up his leg, “I can’t believe my father did this to you.”
“It is quite the gift I was given, wasn’t it?”
I frowned, turning away and shuffling off the couch. That could be one way of putting it. Toby watched with nervous eyes as I traveled to the kitchen to fix my father and I a simple meal.
“Did I offend you, Olivia?”
“No, you’ve done nothing wrong, Toby,” I paused in front of the fridge, “I suppose you don’t eat than, right?”
“No, I need nothing to survive, Olivia.”
“Lucky boy,” I teased but Toby didn’t get it. It wasn’t like I suspected him too.
My father never came out for dinner and I didn’t bother calling him to tell him it was ready. When there was a knock on the door, Toby was the one to get it after I gave him permission. He answered it happily, joyful to meet a new human life.
Unfortunately, this human was Megan, a rather pretty young girl who seemed far too curious for her own good.
“Liv?” called Megan’s voice as she peered at the smiling Toby, “Who is this?”
“My name is Toby,” said the boy.
“Yes,” Meg muttered, “You told me that already.”
Nervously I pulled the boy towards the couch and placed him upon the cushion with a glare.
“My father took on an extra hand for his research,” I tried to explain, “Toby is just a little... different.”
Megan nodded, “Yeah, I can tell. Is he a little... slow?”
I frowned, “Don’t say that in front of him.”
“Sorry, sorry,” but Megan didn’t seem to care. She’d insult anyone in front of their face, “Are you ready to go, Liv? Ryan said he’d meet us there.”
“Ready as ever...”
I turned to Toby, “Toby, if Dad asks can you tell him I’ve just gone up to the club?”
“The club? But Olivia I am supposed to go with -”
“Toby...”
“But it’s my job, Olivia!”
Megan frowned, “Your Dad still doesn’t trust you much, does he?”
I scoffed, “Not me. It’s more so my boyfriend he doesn’t trust.”
“Ah,” Meg giggled, “Well let the kid come. He looks like a light weight, should be fun to toy around with later in the night.”
“Fine,” I said with a sigh, “Alright, come on than Toby.”
“Oh thank you, Olivia!” and the wooden doll hurried towards us.
We reached the dance club, a shady place that usually filled to the brim with people by 12 in the morning. Right now, being it only 10, it was absolutely dead.
Toby was peering around with wide eyes as we entered the dark dance club. The music was pounding against the walls and all matters of lights were flashing in our eyes.
If only that had been enough to keep the dedicated doll occupied and distracted long enough to forget his job.
“Baby!” called a voice. I turned and sure enough Ryan Carl, my boyfriend, came hurrying from the bar, “Haven’t seen you in awhile, baby!”
I scoffed, “Been busy?”
He chuckled, “Got swamped with work.”
“I’m sure.”
“Oh don’t do that, Livvy,” smiled Ryan, “I’m here now, right?”
That frown I held slipped away, “I suppose so.”
“Come here,” and quickly I was pulled into a rough kiss.
Unfortunately for me, it seemed that was the moment Toby no longer cared for the lights or had at least gotten used to them.
“Hey!” I heard the doll scream, “You are not to touch, Olivia!”
Ryan pulled away, smirking down at the scrawny boy, “Is that so? And who are you exactly? Livvy’s bodyguard?”
Toby snarled, “Yes, I am to protect her.”
I released an embarrassed sigh.
“Protect her, eh? Well I’m sorry to inform you kid but I’m her boyfriend and if Olivia needs any protection, I’ll take care of it.”
Toby stiffened, “I was made to be her protector. I am to keep her safe. It is my job.”
Ryan grinned and I was pulled into a rough hug, one that was followed by the intense place of his lips. I groaned under the rough kiss and Toby seemed to take that as a moan of pain.
I was pulled away by the hard wooden hands of the doll and Ryan, well Ryan was instantly hit in the face the moment I was secured behind my ‘protector’.
I released a cry, “Toby! No!”
To be continued...
