Ahh, it's that time of the year once more,
When rain fills basements, floods the floor.
And children trapped with nowhere to flee,
Are swept away so tragically.
Well, fortunately, Tobey isn't in a basement.
Unfortunately, he's grounded in his room—and bored out of his mind.
Now, you might be wondering… what did he do this time?
Let me tell you—
"He cut a cockroach, just for fun,
Almost sent his mom to the sun.
Chased the cat and dog with a knife,
Lost his tool? He sharpened a stone—real life!"
So now, he's locked away like a prisoner, with no access to the utilities. Well, his dad is at home due to the red alert. working on his work like he life depends on it.
[Tobey, in his mind]
—Sigh— "I'm getting bored… I've read all the books in my room. Now what?"
"I don't know… I wish I had access to Dad's library."
He pauses, deep in thought.
"Well… I think it's time to break out of prison and get some groceries."
Tobey grabbed a pen and paper, ready to make his ultimate grocery list.
Alright, let's see what he's got:
"A set of pens from Dad's workroom—black, blue, green, yellow, white."
Okay, normal. Nothing suspicious.
"A pencil, eraser, a blank book, some books for reading, highlighter."
Alright, just kid stuff. Still normal.
"Some snacks for the kitchen, lemon-scented freshener, energy drin—"
Woah woah woah! Kid, you're five! No energy drinks!
…Oh, wait. He meant fruit juice. Okay, moving on.
"Rope from backyard."
Knew it. But what does he need rope for…?
"Clothes-hanging clips."
What?
"Heavy object."
Excuse me?
"Glass container, X9000 floor cleaner, paint remover, and my secret liquid hiding somewhere."
Oh no. Oh no no no no no.
"My tool hidden by Mom, and it's raining outside, so… frog, maybe?"
[Tobey, whispering to himself]
"Mission start. First step—escape. But how?"
He paces, mind racing. The rain pounds against the window, a relentless drumbeat. His eyes flick to the glass. Outside, water streams down in sheets, drowning the world in gray.
He smirks.
"Let's go extreme."
Tobey grabs six bedsheets, twisting them into a makeshift rope. He tightens every knot—double, triple—just to be sure. His fingers tremble, whether from excitement or nerves, he's not sure.
Outside, a drainage pipe runs down the side of the house, slick with rainwater.
[Tobey, muttering]
"That'll do."
He knots one end of the rope around his waist, the other to the wardrobe. A deep breath—his heart pounds. This is it.
He swings one leg over the window ledge. Cold air slams into him. His breath catches. His grip tightens around the rope. The bedsheets creak under his weight.
He descends. Slowly. Carefully. The wind howls past his ears. The rain stings his skin. One step at a time—down, down, down.
Then—
His foot slips.
His stomach drops. The pipe is no longer under his foot—nothing is. For a split second, he is weightless. Falling. The world tilts, spinning.
His hands shoot out—grasping, clawing—
Impact! His fingers slam onto the pipe. He grips tight, rain making it nearly impossible to hold on. His arms burn. The wardrobe creaks from above, the rope straining against it. *
The rain makes his grip useless. He's sliding—fast.
"No no no no—"
His body picks up speed, too fast, too slick—until—
THUMP!
He hits the ground. Hard. Mud splashes up his legs. He blinks, breath heavy, adrenaline coursing through him.
For a second, he just stares at the sky, rain pelting his face.
[Tobey, grinning, heart still racing]
"That… was a close call, oh god. Now, let's go to the backyard."
As he made his way toward the backyard, his foot caught on a rock—
THUD!
Face first into the ground.
This… this is what happens to bad kids
[Tobey, groaning, brushing off dirt]
"Ohh! My clothes got all dirty. I need to change this somehow… Let's go get my rope first."
As he stepped into the backyard, something caught his eye—a frog, sitting motionless in the wet grass.
[Tobey, grinning, whispering to himself]
"I'll get you later… after I find a container."
As he made his way to the shed to grab his rope, he reached for the handle—
Clunk.
Locked.
[Tobey, sighing, crossing his arms]
"Great. Now I need the shed key. Like, what the hell is in there that they need to lock it?"
He glances toward the house, thinking.
"Alright… I need to grab the key from the living room. But first, I need to know where my mother and father are—if possible."
Tobey rubs his chin, analyzing the situation.
"It's 8 AM… so Mom should be in the kitchen, and Dad would either be in his room or his workroom."
Tobey smirked, nodding to himself.
"Alright, now that I know everyone's approximate position… let's infiltrate the house."
With the confidence of a master spy, he crept toward the hallway door—only to stop dead in his tracks.
Clunk.
Locked.
Tobey blinked. Then sighed.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
"I thought I'd grab a pair of clothes on the way to the living room, but now I have no choice but to go in with wet and dirty clothes to get the key."
For those who don't know, Tobey's house has one of those fancy glass doors that connect the main backyard pathway to the living room, same with kitchen.
"Well, it's time to go nud—"
…At this point, I'm not even surprised. This kid is not in his right mind.
Why the hell is he going nude? Oh no. Oh no no no—I see what's happening here. If he walks in with dirty clothes, his mom will go full demon mode, and his dad? Dragged down with him.
Ah. So that's why. He's not a menace—he's a good boy.
[Tobey, nodding to himself]
"I should leave my underwear on. Don't want the neighbor's girl to see me naked."
…Well. At least he has some standards.
[Tobey]
"I should let these clothes hang out in the rain. They'll get somewhat clean."
He turned toward the rope used as a clothes hanger… and froze.
[Tobey, staring at the rope, dead serious, picturing his mother's reaction if she found out the rope was missing]
"I don't want to die."