“Please…”
Whispers.
“Help me.”
Whimpers.
A dark voice replies.
“You should go back to sleep. Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?”
“No, just let me out.”
“Shh.”
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Scissors gonna get you a mockingbird.”
“Please, stop.”
“And if that mockingbird doesn’t sing, Scissors gonna snip snip that fuckin’ thing.”
“Please…”
“I’ll get you a mockingbird, little buddy. How does that sound? I’m going to go and get you El Mariachi Muerte – the most beautiful of mockingbirds there ever was. I’ll make him squawk…”
Scissors clears his throat.
“Sing.”
“I’ll make him sing for you. He can sing you as many lullabies as you’d like. He just loves to sing about Death, so imagine just how much fun you’ll have. ”
“He could mimic the song of your father.”
“Enough! Leave him alone!”
“Oh no, we’re just getting started. I’m going to go and get you El Mariachi Muerte. He’ll be all yours, Felix. He can sing, dance and perform for you whenever you’d like. He’ll be your own little birdie. I’ll have him in a cage this Monday night and when I do, there will be no escape.”
“Just imagine the songs our little mockingbird could sing you.”
“The tales he could tell.”
“You’d be asleep in minutes, little buddy.”
“I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP!”
“But you need to, Felix. You’re tired. Just look at how sad you are. You didn’t like my song! I know that songs are hard; that’s why I’m going to get you a friend.”
“Muerte is a Mariachi – music is his business. That’s what he’s good at. If you don’t like my songs, which hurts my feelings, you’ll surely love his.”
“He won’t sing for you, Scissors.”
“He’s not singing for me; he’s singing for you, Felix.”
“There’s no need to worry, either. I’m going to make sure I can get a tune out of that little birdie on Monday night. I’ll make him sing, don’t you worry. I’ll want to hear his beautiful voice in all its tremendous glory.”
“He’ll simply not be able to refuse.”
“You’re sick! You’re sick in the head!”
“I’m sick? I think you’ll find that I’m you and you’re me. We’re peas in a pod.”
“I know what this is all about. You’re worried that once I capture the mockingbird, he may refuse to sing. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Well, rest assured, if you wanted him to sing and he refused, I would grab that little mockingbird by the throat and wring its scrawny little neck.”
“He’d sure put out a tune then, don’t you think?”
“You’re insane!”
“Don’t worry little your little head, Felix.”
“I’ll take care of everything.”
“Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Scissors gonna get you a mockingbird.”
“Please, not this again.”
“And if that mockingbird doesn’t sing, Scissors gonna snip snip that fuckin’ thing.”
Scissors whistles against the screams of Felix Foley.