He told Audrey that Mr. Mushnik is visiting his sister in Czechoslovakia. She hasn't asked when he'll be back. He's not sure what he'll tell her when she asks
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Suddenly, there's a beaming man with a necktie and a microphone right in front of Seymour. "And here he is himself, Mr. Seymour Krelborn!"
Somebody shines a bright light in Seymour's face. Once he gets his vision back, he can see that it's a spotlight. The TV crew's already here. So is Audrey, who applauds and waves from behind the cameras.
"Mr. Krelborn," the man with the microphone continues, "there are so many questions that the American people in our television audience have for you!" He hauls Seymour up by the elbow and drags him over to the nearest camera. "Come over here and tell our viewers at home and elsewhere about this particularly amazing agricultural phenomenon! A phenomenon, I might add, that's made you one of the most talked-about plant scientists in the country--"
He turns to the man with the microphone. "It doesn't eat plant food. And I can't feed it now."
His gaze sharpens - focusing back on the present. On all the people. All the success. (a man screams an axe goes Thud)
"Why don't you just go away, all of you? Why don't you just go away and leave me alone?" He gestures to the television crew, raising his voice for one of the few times in his life. "Go away, all of you! Get outta here, leave me alone!"
The crowd is still outside. He can't stand it. He stalks towards the window, to the door, still shouting desperately, "Go away! Leave me alone! Go away! Get outta here! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!"
And then he turns and bolts, nudging his way through the crowd, to hide in an alley behind Audrey's apartment building.
He takes a few deep breaths, pacing as he thinks out loud.
"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? I never should've started but I did, and now if I don't feed it it'll die. And I'll lose her, I'll lose everything...."
"You're acting funny." She steps closer. "It wasn't nice throwing those people out. Those men said Seymour Krelborn's Gardening Tips is sure to be a very big TV show..."
At one o'clock the other day Seymour caught himself wondering why Mr. Mushnik was late from his lunchbreak. He tried to clean the bloodstains off the floor last night. They don't come out. He can't keep living like this.
Seymour walks further into the alley. "I know, I'm sorry, I feel terrible...."
He actually doesn't feel terrible about what he just did. Just terrible about everything else.
Somebody shines a bright light in Seymour's face. Once he gets his vision back, he can see that it's a spotlight. The TV crew's already here. So is Audrey, who applauds and waves from behind the cameras.
"Mr. Krelborn," the man with the microphone continues, "there are so many questions that the American people in our television audience have for you!" He hauls Seymour up by the elbow and drags him over to the nearest camera. "Come over here and tell our viewers at home and elsewhere about this particularly amazing agricultural phenomenon! A phenomenon, I might add, that's made you one of the most talked-about plant scientists in the country--"
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Then another.
And then, almost in slow motion, the plant topples over, landing with a THUD that rattles the shop windows.
"CUT!" the microphone man yells, his cheery demeanor suddenly gone. "What's going on in here? What happened to the goddamn greenery?!"
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But it's happening. The same way so many things that terrify Seymour have happened.
"It just needs to be fed," he mutters distractedly.
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Honestly, what's the big deal? Could even make for good TV, showing how to take care of an exotic plant like this...
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"I can't feed it, not now...."
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His gaze sharpens - focusing back on the present. On all the people. All the success. (a man screams an axe goes Thud)
"Why don't you just go away, all of you? Why don't you just go away and leave me alone?" He gestures to the television crew, raising his voice for one of the few times in his life. "Go away, all of you! Get outta here, leave me alone!"
The crowd is still outside. He can't stand it. He stalks towards the window, to the door, still shouting desperately, "Go away! Leave me alone! Go away! Get outta here! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!"
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Audrey steps up and slaps him lightly on the cheek.
"You're hysterical."
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"I know," he says softly. "I'm sorry."
And then he turns and bolts, nudging his way through the crowd, to hide in an alley behind Audrey's apartment building.
He takes a few deep breaths, pacing as he thinks out loud.
"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? I never should've started but I did, and now if I don't feed it it'll die. And I'll lose her, I'll lose everything...."
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It's Audrey, coming up the alley behind him, her face full of worry.
"Who are you talking to?"
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Seymour notices Audrey, surprised that she followed him.
"No one," he says quickly.
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Seymour walks further into the alley. "I know, I'm sorry, I feel terrible...."
He actually doesn't feel terrible about what he just did. Just terrible about everything else.
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