“And?” Robbie asked.
“And?” Amy said. “Isn’t that enough?”
She held her hands up in frustration, looking from her brother to Robbie and back.
“Depends,” Robbie said. “What’s a Tootheater?”
“He’s some kind of monster. Like a boogeyman,” Zack said.
Robbie’s lip curled into a smile, like he’d just found the only kid that still believed in Santa Claus.
“Right. So, even if that was true. Even if I don’t leave this tooth, he’ll find another one, right?”
“No. He’ll eat you,” Zack said.
“He’ll what?” Robbie shrieked, laughing hysterically.
Amy pushed him and said, gesturing wildly, “I heard he ate a kid when my parents were little. That kid refused to put his tooth on the manhole and he disappeared. Then this girl, Cindy, in my class, said she knew a...”
Zack put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her away from Robbie, interrupting her story. His face was sullen, not a joke in sight.
“He’s a monster, Robbie. A demon or something. He’s lived down there for hundreds of years eating frogs and rats and stuff. But teeth are his favorite. Children’s teeth.”
“That’s retarded.”
“You don’t wanna believe me? Fine. Take your tooth home. It was nice knowing you.”
Zack walked to his bike and Amy followed him. She got on hers and looked back over her shoulder at Robbie who stood, mouth agape, hands out as if questioning what was happening.
“Have a nice life, kid,” she said. “What’s left of it.”
Robbie furrowed his brow and bit his lower lip.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll leave the stupid tooth. What am I gonna do with it anyway? I stopped believing in the tooth fairy last year.”
“Last year?” Zack said, a smile on his face.
“Shut up,” Robbie said.
“There’s a difference between the tooth fairy and the Tootheater,” Zack said.
“What’s that?” Robbie said.
“One of them is real,” Zack said.
Robbie knelt down and let the tooth roll from his hand into one of the recesses of the metal lid. It made a barely audible clinking sound. At least it was barely audible to the children.
“You won’t regret that,” Zack said as he rolled next to Robbie on his bike.
“This is so stupid,” Robbie said.
“Better safe than sorry,” Zack said.
Amy nodded vigorously as Zack patted Robbie on the shoulder.
“Totally,” she said.
***
Underneath the manhole cover, the tiny clink reverberated and echoed down the tube into a wide tunnel, bouncing from one slime-covered corridor to another and reaching the ears of a shadowy being. Its head twitched as the sound reached its ear, and it recognized the noise with a grin that unfolded slowly. It turned and checked in each of the three directions it could see, but remained in the shadows. With a gnarled hand tipped in chewed-up, yellow fingernails, it reached out. On the wall, it scratched a hash mark next to hundreds of others. Another tooth for the collection.
***
Robbie looked down at his tooth and contemplated the situation.
“Did anybody ever go in there?” he asked.
“Go in where?” Amy said.
“Down there. Under the manhole. Down into the sewer.”
Amy’s jaw dropped to her chest. “You’re dumb and stupid.”
Zack’s eyes lit up. “Not that I know of,” he said.
Robbie scrunched his lips up to his nose, staring at the manhole cover.
“I say we investigate. We could bring cameras. Maybe we could find the Tootheater and beat the crap out of him.”
“Best of luck, dumbasses,” Amy said. “I’ll be at home watching cartoons and eating junk food.”
She started to roll away. Robbie looked at Zack.
“Wait,” Zack said.
Amy stopped and looked at her brother.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” he asked.
Amy’s eyes burned.
“I dunno. We could get stuck down there. We could catch a disease. The Tootheater could eat us?”
“That would be pretty bad,” Zack agreed.
“Aw, come on. You aren’t gonna wuss out like your little girl sister, are you?”
Amy slammed her bike to the ground, stomped over to Robbie and punched him in the arm. He recoiled.
“Ow,” he said, rubbing the spot.
“Take it back,” she said and punched him again.
“Okay,” he said. “Okay.”
Amy looked satisfied and went back to her bike.
Robbie continued, “We could get some flashlights and head down there, just to check it out.”
Zack looked at his sister, then at the tiny tooth.
“I think I’d rather live, but thanks,” he said.
“Tomorrow then, when it’s daylight. We could go first thing in the morning. My mom will want me out of the house so she can unpack. Dad will be at work. What do you say?”
Zack paused, considering the offer. Amy glared at him and shrugged.
“You’re both dumb and stupid. Boys are just dumb and stupid,” she said.
“Maybe we should find something else to do,” Zack said.
They all paused and stared at each other for several seconds. Robbie sighed first, breaking the stalemate.
“Fine. I’ll see you dorks tomorrow, then,” Robbie replied. “We’ll do something lame.”
“That’s just one dork. I’ll stomp your face,” Amy said.
“Whatever,” Robbie said.
“You want another punch?” Amy asked.
Zack chuckled and then looked back at the manhole cover. His smile faded.
“Got a piece of paper?” Robbie said.
Zack reached in his pocket and found the crumpled receipt from the ice cream sandwiches. He had a pen in his other pocket, something he always carried, just in case.
“This is my mom’s cell. Call me later when you figure out what we’re going to do.”
He handed the paper back to Zack who folded it neatly in half and put it in his pocket with his pen.
Robbie got on his bike and started to roll.
“You leaving?” Zack asked.
“I’m starving. I dropped my ice cream and yours, remember?”
“Well, you’re going the wrong way. Follow us, we’ll get you home,” Zack said.
Robbie blushed, but said with confidence, “I knew that.”
The three pedaled under the overpass, then up the hill where they met Alex, riding an X-men skateboard and coming the opposite way. He had an X-men t-shirt and backpack on.
“What’s up, Alex?” Zack said.
Alex nodded and gave a shy, “Hi.”
He stared at Robbie.
“This is Robbie. Robbie, Alex,” Amy said. “He just moved in a couple houses down from us.”
Alex waved.
“Where are you off to?” Robbie said.
Alex shrugged. Zack circled the group on his bike.
“We’re all going to hang out tomorrow if you wanna come. Early, like right after breakfast.”
Alex shrugged. He looked from face to face to face, then nodded. “Sure.”
“Let’s all meet at Mort’s at nine?” Zack said.
“Okay,” Alex said.
Alex moved along without another word, passing Zack, then Amy and Robbie and pushing his skateboard to the top of the hill.
***
Alex disappeared from their view and coasted under the overpass, stopping at the side of the road and pulling off his backpack. He stuck his tongue out in concentration and reached his arm inside the pack to his elbow. He peeled his lips back and revealed a missing tooth on the top row.
“Got it,” he whispered.
He pulled out a ziplock baggy with a tooth inside and knelt next to the manhole cover and dropped the tooth quickly
, not noticing there was already one lying there. When he stood, his body shuddered and he shook off the chill from the cold, and from being next to the manhole cover. Grabbing his skateboard, he hurried back up to the top of the hill.
Under the overpass, the ghostly figure of a man in 1800’s clothing watched him. It glanced back at the manhole cover and smiled a wicked smile, clapping translucent hands with silent glee.
“This could be the one,” the ghost-man hissed.
The figure exploded in a puff of vapor, and disappeared into the shadows.
***
Under the manhole cover, down in the sewer, beyond the main corridor in a dimly lit tributary, the same wrinkled hand with the chewed-up yellow fingernails drew another hash mark on the wall. Two teeth in one night.
CHAPTER 8
Robbie walked into his new house before 3:00 pm. His mother was cooking. Boxes were stacked haphazardly in every room, each marked with black magic marker: Dining, Living, Kitchen, etc. It smelled of garlic and oregano and tomatoes. Robbie smiled with one tooth missing on the top row.
“Spaghetti!” he shouted.
Evelyn Chance peeked at him through the doorway.
“I hope that’s alright. I haven’t found all the pots and pans yet. Your father and I were starving, so I thought we’d do dinner early. Snack later,” she said.
“Fine by me,” Robbie replied.
“How was your day?”
“Fine,” he said.
“New friends?”
“They’re alright, I guess.”
Robbie turned the faucet on in the kitchen sink and washed his hands. The counters were stacked with dishes, cookbooks, clean utensils and those doused with marinara sauce. He wiped his finger across a slotted spoon and licked it, then made the “mm” sound.
“Just alright?” she asked.
“Yeah. A little weird is all.”
“Well, they’re new. You’re probably weird to them, too.”
He thought about the tale of the Tootheater, about his tooth on top of a rusted manhole cover, and about dropping not one, but two ice cream sandwiches.
“Somehow, I think they’re weirder than I am.”
“I’m not sure how that’s possible,” his father said, entering the kitchen.
He poked Robbie in the belly and then dodged a counter attack. He grabbed his son and hugged him. Robbie squirmed.
“Dad, cut it out.”
“Fine. Okay. So, Robb-o, got any adventures planned for tomorrow?”
They piled pasta and sauce onto plates and sat at a small table in the kitchen’s breakfast area. His dad pulled three soda’s out of the fridge and placed them in the center next to some parmesan cheese and a stack of napkins.
“Not really,” Robbie said.
“Are you going out with the same kids tomorrow?” his mother asked.
“Probably. I might get up early and go.”
“Fine by me. Maybe I should call their mother, just to make sure it’s okay, you hanging out over there.”
“Nah. They’ve got an older brother, sixteen or seventeen. He’s in charge while they’re at work.”
“Ahh. I should definitely call then.”
His dad twirled a huge mound of spaghetti on his fork before stuffing it into his mouth. It barely fit. Evelyn rolled her eyes and Robbie laughed, grinning and presenting the hole in his smile.
“You lost a tooth,” his mother said.
“Oh, yeah. Bit into an ice cream sandwich and it popped right out.”
Greg’s eyes lit up and he swallowed the mountain of food he’d been chewing.
“Ice cream sandwich?” he said. “Have we got any of those?”
Evelyn ignored him.
“Are you going to leave it for the tooth fairy?” she asked.
“Ma, I’m a little od for fairies, don’tcha think?”
“You didn’t swallow it, did you?”
“No,” Robbie said.
Greg continued shoveling and chewing, watching them volley the conversation back and forth.
“I’d believe in the tooth fairy for a few bucks. I think five is the going rate. Right, Greg? Five bucks a tooth...toward that guitar he wanted?”
Greg coughed, his eyes watering.
“Five bucks? I should pull my own teeth.”
“Can’t you just give me the money?” Robbie asked.
“There’s no fun in that,” his dad said. “Remember what grandpa always said. Those who believe, receive...”
“Yeah, yeah,” Robbie interrupted. “And those who don’t, won’t.”
His father laughed. “I always loved that one.”
He stared into some distant place and smiled, shoving another forkful of pasta in his mouth.
***
Zack and Amy sat on Zack’s bedroom floor, pondering a football. Zack flipped it, one handed, trying to catch it by the point as it spun. He failed more often than he succeeded.
“Why’s it shaped like that?” Amy finally said.
“What?”
“The football. Why is it pointy, not round?”
“So it spins when you pass it. It’s called a spiral.”
“That’s dumb. Why not throw a round ball. That’s easier.”
“It also makes it look cool,” Zack said and flipped it again, catching it that time.
She scrunched up her face. “It looks like a turd.”
“Everything is turds with you.”
Brad appeared in the doorway with a menacing grin.
“Hey, it takes one to know one... and I see two. Two...stank...turds.”
Zack punched his brother in the belly and gripped him by the thigh, holding on like a baby chimp. Brad leaned down and peeled his little brother off of his leg. Once he had Zack where he wanted him, he hooked his arm through both of Zack’s elbows and held him to the ground. Amy giggled. From the other room, their mother yelled, “Cut it out!”
Brad let go of Zack and sat back on his rear.
“So what you two been up to?” he said.
Amy sat next to him, still looking at the football, which she’d taken control of in the skirmish.
“We met a new kid. His name is Robbie.”
“Yeah, I saw the moving van... Hey, has Robbie got an older sister?” Brad asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No. Perv,” Amy said.
“I’m just asking, take it easy. Is he cool?”
“Seems okay so far. He’s a little weird,” Zack said.
Amy nodded in agreement. The three sat for a few moments in silence.
“So... is his mom cute?” Brad asked.
“Not as cute as his dad,” Amy said, blushing and laughing out loud.
“Who’s the perv now?” Brad said.
Zack changed the subject, blurting out, “He lost a tooth today. We made him put it on the manhole cover.”
Brad’s eyes glazed over. He looked at his sister, then his little brother.
“People still do that? I didn’t know that story was still around.”
Amy nodded furiously.
“Of course it is. Cindy, this girl in my class, she said she knew a kid who didn’t...”
Brad clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled her onto his lap to finish the story for her.
“A kid who didn’t put his tooth on the manhole cover and he disappeared. I know, I know. Same story when I was little. Some BS the older kids used to scare their younger brothers and sisters.”
“You told me that story,” Zack said.
“See,” Brad replied.
Amy giggled and Brad let her go. His expression grew grave and he reached to shut the door to Zack’s bedroom.
“You want to hear the real story of what’s under that manhole?”
Zack’s eyes grew as round as full moons. Brad turned on Zack’s desk lamp, then closed the blinds in his room and clicked off the overhead light. He sat back down and huddled his siblings together.
“Wait!” Zack said.
“What is it?
” Brad said.
“We need Robbie to hear this.”
“Why?” Brad asked.
“Because he didn’t believe us.”
Zack burst out of his room and down the hallway to the living room where his parents were sitting.
“Mom...Dad. Can the new kid spend the night? He just moved in down the street. His name’s Robbie.”
His parents looked at each other and shrugged.
“Fine by me,” his dad said.
“Sure,” his mother said, sipping her wine and looking back at her magazine.
Seconds later, Zack had pulled the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, the one that had Robbie’s mother’s phone number on it. He dialed the phone in the living room and within seconds, Robbie was packing with his mother’s cell phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear.
“I’m good to come over. I’ll call you back if they freak out for some reason,” Robbie said.
In the background, Zack heard Robbie’s mother yelling, “Get their phone number for me!”
“Okay, mom!” Robbie shouted back.
“Bring anything you think we might need,” Zack said, and peeked into the kitchen at his parents, who hadn’t moved and weren’t paying any attention.
“For tomorrow,” he finished.
“Got it,” Robbie said.
He placed the phone back in the cradle and went back to his room.
“This shmo coming or not?” Brad asked.
“Yeah, he’s coming. He should be here in a bit.”
“Well, I’m going to grab some food, but I’ll be back later. Don’t bother me until then,” Brad said and shoved Zack, playfully.
***
Robbie left his empty plate on the sink and hurried back to his room. Boxes were stacked on his mattresses, on his dresser, and in his new closet. He scanned them, looking for one in particular. It had a smiley-face sticker on it. On the smiley-face, he’d drawn eyebrows in a downward “V” shape to make it look angry.
“Sweet,” he said when he found it.
He picked up the box that was on top of it and set it to the side, then he opened the marked box. Inside was a plastic grocery bag, tied off with its own handles. He untied them and looked inside, pulling out sparklers and tossing them aside. Under the sparklers, was a bundle of Roman Candles. He pulled those out with a grin.
“Sweet,” he said again.
Robbie grabbed his backpack which hung from his bedroom doorknob and stuffed the fireworks inside. He grabbed a clean t-shirt and sweatshirt from his open suitcase which sat on the floor in front of his bed. He dug further to find jeans and underwear, then pulled a Ziploc bag out which held his toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.