Toby was a “Waterworks Deer” This is TOBY’S STORY

By Kelly Faris

As told to some residents of Columbia Heights on Wednesday December 31st, 2003:

Hello. My name is Toby. I am 8 months old. I live over here in your city inside the big fence. I love the apples and carrots you all throw to me. I don’t much like the potatoes or alfalfa you gave me, mom does though. My brother Joey and I love to play games out in the big open field. We chase each other and run as fast as we can, back and forth across the snow, up and down the hill, through the trees, and around the adults. Sometimes the bucks get mad at us when we play too close to them so we run away when they get mad. I have noticed a lot of you coming to the fence yesterday and saying “I’m sorry”. I don’t know what that means. Why are you crying when you speak to us? I’m too little to understand and mom won’t tell us what it all means. She says I will understand it when I am older.

Today so far, even though it is still dark and very early, many of you have been standing along the fence line talking to us and making loud noises. There are a lot of big loud cars and trucks going in and out today. There are a lot of new people in here. Why are they dressed so strangely? What are all those things they are carrying and why are they coming in the woods where we sleep? Why are they climbing up in our trees? Why are they scaring us? My mother, Daisy, told Joey and me to run away from them as fast as we could. We looked back and saw our friends and relatives running around really scared. I saw some of those people trying to chase us back into the woods with cars and keeping my friends in there with orange fences. My mother and Joey and I got out just in time. We turned again to see the people in there hurting the others. I saw my playmates crying out in pain and trying to run but they couldn’t. I saw my aunt Rosie running as fast as she could to get out but the strange people chased her back into the dark woods and I never saw her again. I saw my cousin Butter running really fast but all of a sudden something flew out of nowhere and stuck into her little belly as she cried out and fell.

Now mom and Joey and I are hiding out in a stand of trees away from the dark forest. It is light out now and I have seen more scary things than I can tell you about. I am so scared. Mom keeps saying everything will be OK but why is she shaking? What is going on. Oh no, here comes another one of those cars. Mom says we have to run again. My legs are so tired and achy from running. I never got to eat anything this morning. I’m so sleepy why did they wake us up so early? My belly hurts. They are making us go back into the bad place again. Why won’t you help us? Why are they doing this to us? I don’t think I can keep up anymore I am so tired, mom keeps telling me to keep going, Joey is falling behind us.

We are in the woods again now and I’m really scared, mom doesn’t know where to go. I can’t see Joey anymore, where did he go? What happened to him? Mom and I are still running around trying to get away. I hurt my leg really bad; I tripped and banged it on a log I couldn’t make it over. There’s so much going on. Oh no, mom got hit with one of those things. She yelled and fell down. Get up mom! Get up! She’s trying to run but she’s bleeding a lot. “Run my little Toby! Run away as fast as you can and don’t look back! I love you!”. I’m so scared, why is all this happening, I don’t understand!

I think I am safe for now, I am hiding in some bushes. Nope, some of those strange men are coming towards me. Oww! I think one of those things hit me too! It hurts so bad, I can’t move. I have to run. Oww, I want my mom! I can’t run anymore. Ouch there’s another one in my leg. It hurts. Why is this happening? I can’t breathe, I’m choking. It’s so cold. All I wanted was some of your apples and carrots.

“Toby” as he came to be known, was one of the 38 slaughtered fawns, does, and bucks on that last dark day in 2003. He will be deeply missed by all who knew of him.