Unraveling the Spine-Chilling Enigma: Decoding Season 2's Sinister Nursery Rhyme

Throughout season 2 of From, the characters have experienced unsettling dreams featuring a haunting nursery rhyme. This eerie phenomenon, along with other supernatural occurrences, poses a potential danger to the town's residents. Following the discovery of horrifying secrets in the forest during season 1, the characters in season 2 have been subjected to shared visions and supernatural events, in addition to the original nocturnal monsters. Notably, a music box, cicadas, and the recurring nursery rhyme have emerged as key elements intertwined with the town's perilous mysteries.

The nursery rhyme takes on a particularly foreboding significance in season 2 of From, initially appearing alongside the music box and cicadas in Kenny's dream. The rhyme itself goes as follows: "They touch, they break, they steal. No one here is free. Here they come, they come for three, unless you stop the melody." Episode 9 of season 2 reveals that the nursery rhyme has also manifested in the visions of other characters, coinciding with the death of a resident in her own dream. By the conclusion of the second-to-last episode of From's second season, it becomes apparent that the ominous threats implied within the nursery rhyme's verses may be coming to fruition.

What From Season 2's Nursery Rhyme Really Means

The nursery rhyme in season 2 of From serves as a foreboding message from the forest and the supernatural forces that control the town. While some characters in From, such as the bus driver, recognize the nursery rhyme from their childhoods, the town has twisted it into a chilling threat to their safety. Each line of the nursery rhyme appears to be referencing specific characters in the town, the enigmatic monsters in From, the music box and cicadas, and the potential deaths of three residents.

The line "They touch, they break, they steal" seems to allude to the actions of the characters in From while they are in the town. For example, "they touch" could be referring to Boyd, who passed the worms from Martin to himself and then to the smiling monster through physical contact. "They break" may be a reference to Kenny, who shattered Sara's ornament in a fit of anger, or it could be alluding to Kenny, Kristi, and Boyd for breaking open the monster's body. Lastly, "they steal" might be referring to Marielle, who stole from the medical supply, or to Kenny, Kristi, and Boyd for taking bile from the monster's body.

The second part of From's nursery rhyme suggests that no one in the town is truly free. It could be interpreted as a reference to the children trapped in the tower or as a general statement about the town itself. From's characters are all confined within the town's boundaries, and their freedom is only realized once they find a way to return home. The line "Here they come, they come for three" may allude to the monsters or supernatural threats from the town pursuing three specific residents. The final part of the rhyme, "unless you stop the melody," implies that unless the characters can put an end to the songs of the music box and the chorus of cicadas, three of them will meet their demise at the hands of From's town.

Who Are The "Three" In From's Nursery Rhyme?

From’s nursery rhyme appears to ominously warn that three characters will meet their demise unless the residents are able to combat the effects of the new, mysterious musical threats. While the three that would be targeted were theorized to be the same characters who “touch, break, and steal,” From season 2, episode 9’s ending suggests this isn’t the case. At the very end of “Ball of Magic Fire,” Randall, Julie, and Marielle are being attacked by visions of cicadas, with all three being on the brink of death before the episode cuts to black.

It is reasonable to assume that these three characters are the ones mentioned in the nursery rhyme, indicating that the town needs to find a way to stop the "melody" in order to save them. However, it is also possible that Randall, Julie, and Marielle are merely distractions, and the real victims will be revealed in the finale of From season 2. While it is likely that three characters will meet their demise in the second season, they may not be the ones attacked by the cicadas in the ending of episode 9.

Is From Season 2's Nursery Rhyme Real?

The fictional nature of From's nursery rhyme is not surprising, considering that Ethan's frequent references to the Cromenockle stories are based on books created specifically for the Stephen King-approved horror TV show. However, the nursery rhyme still exists outside the town in From's literary universe, suggesting that it may hold a deeper meaning related to the characters' own childhoods. This could explain why Fatima's pregnancy triggers Elgin's memory of the rhyme from his dream at the beginning of From season 2.