A FRIGHT TO REMEMBER
AUTHOR'S NOTES: The idea for this story came to me in the summer of 2005, while I was at my grandma's house for an overnight visit. While I can't say that anything in particular inspired me to write this fanfic, the plot idea was nonetheless appealing to me & I thought it would make a lovely little one-shot story.
All GMD characters are property of Disney, but all other characters, including Chester Cheeseman, are mine & musn't be used without permission. Thanks in advance.
Do enjoy the story, & feel free to leave a review when you're done!
Olivia Flaversham scanned the pages of the book she was reading with a ponderous gaze, soaking up each sentence & every word her tiny blue eyes locked upon. No sounds interrupted the mouseling's peaceful reading, falling on deaf pink ears as Olivia became more & more wrapped up in the events of the story, which were coming to a fascinating point as the two heroic scientists were hot on the trail of the target of their relentless pursuit, a wicked vampire count who preyed upon the innocents of his native Transylvania. And now that Seward's lady love had fallen under Dracula's evil spell, the grim tale was only getting better...
"Hey, Livvy," a raspy voice spoke quite loudly as its winged owner hobbled over to his sister's side, "whatcha readin'?"
"Shhh," Olivia replied softly, putting a finger to her little lips as she continued to read her book. "Let me finish the chapter, Fidget." It took a while for Olivia to find a good stopping point, but when she finally marked her place & gently closed the book shut, Fidget's patience appeared to have paid off. Now remembering her batty brother's question, Olivia turned to face Fidget with an enraptured smile accentuating the sparkle of fascination in her eyes. "Have you ever heard of Dracula?" she asked coyly.
"Heard of him!?" Fidget exclaimed. "I've seen every freakin' movie about Dracula ever made! And let me tell ya," he added with a shudder, "dat guy scares da ever-lovin' snot out of me!"
"But have you read the original book?" Olivia asked, taking the novel from her little side-table & holding it up so her brother could see.
It was a while before Fidget made his reply: "I'd probably have a lot more fun readin' it if it were in comic book form...but what da heck? I think I'll have a look-see..."
As it turned out, Fidget came to be very interested in the true tale of Dracula, & as he read each page with great interest, he asked plenty of questions & offered comments on everything he read. In fact, Fidget was so caught up in the book that he actually gasped in surprise when Olivia told him that he would have to stop where she had left her bookmark until she completely finished reading.
"But why?" Fidget whined. "C'mon, Livvy, let me finish da story now! Ple-eee-eeease?"
"Not till I'm done with the last chapter & I give it back to you," the mouseling insisted. "I don't want you to get ahead of me, & besides," she added with a wink, "I think you'll have more fun finishing the book when you've felt a little suspense."
"Just don't let da suspense last for more dan a couple of days," Fidget pouted as he reluctantly handed the copy of Dracula back to Olivia. After stuffing her book in her dress-coat pocket, Olivia smiled reassuringly & said, "I'll do my best not to." Just then, Olivia & Fidget let out small gasps of surprise & looked up to see their godfather Basil dashing down the staircase, muttering to himself as the rapid patter of his descending footsteps echoed throughout the spacious living room.
"Hey, Papa," Fidget asked, "are you OK?" Basil did not reply, but continued to murmur under his breath as he rooted through the small drawer nestled inside the telephone table. Finally, the detective cried in enlightenment as he pulled out a tiny syringe & a bag of powder—much to Olivia & Fidget's dismay. "Papa," Fidget warned, "what did Dr. Dawson tell you about doin' dat?"
"It's only a 7-percent solution, my boy," Basil replied as he put a bit of the powder in the syringe, injected it into his arm with a tiny wince, & quickly put the needle & bag back in the drawer. "Not nearly enough to cause me harm, but enough to keep me excited during this awful bout of boredom!"
"You won't be bored for much longer, Basil," Dr. Dawson said as he strolled into the living room. "We have a case tonight!" Upon hearing this, Basil got even more wound up & went up to his portly assistant, jabbering incoherently while he begged to hear the details. And with Olivia & Fidget joining in the ruckus, it didn't take very long for Dawson to spill the proverbial beans on the Baker Street Family's newest assignment. "We've been called down to Mouse London Cemetery," the good doctor explained. "Apparently, there's a mysterious winged assailant who's been frightening all the grave visitors...& making a mess of sacred ground, while he's at it!"
"Winged assailant?" Basil mused. "Most fascinating, Dawson! Did they say anything else?"
"They couldn't get a good look at the blackguard," Dawson said. "So I guess it's up to us to find out who that flying felon is, & put a stop to his roguish activities!" No sooner did Dawson say this than the rest of the Baker Street Family gathered to hear the news of their latest case, & then went upstairs to prepare for the task that lay ahead.
That moonlit evening, our heroes made their way down to the local mouse graveyard, which was filled with a dense fog that made the scene all the more eerie. The Baker Street Family cast anxious glances in every direction as they cautiously tiptoed throughout the cemetery, the bright beam of a lone flashlight illuminating their way. Occasionally, when someone stepped on a twig or a dry autumn leaf, Fidget let out startled gasps...& often hopped into Ratigan's arms for protection (much to his displeasure).
"Fidget, my boy," the young rat assured his batty brother as he gently lowered him back onto the ground, "there's nothing to worry about. We're all here with you, & besides, if a scoundrel so much as laid a paw on us, he'd receive a nice bum-kicking in return. Now, I trust that makes you feel at least somewhat better."
"A little," Fidget replied as he continued to walk alongside his loved ones, sporting an anxious look. "But don't you think, Ratigan, dat we shouldn't be so worried about, you know, da dangers we can see, as opposed to da dangers dat we can't see? You know what I'm talkin' about, right?"
"It'd be nice if you could provide some examples," Eliza McBride replied with a cynical stare.
"I got a list," Fidget said. "Ghosts, ghouls, goblins, trolls..."—here he gulped—"v-v-v-vampires..." Though Fidget was literally shaking in his single shoe & his tiny fangs clicked & chattered fearfully, he was surprised to see everyone laughing in response. Olivia came up to Fidget & placed a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Fidget," the mouseling said reassuringly, "there's no such thing as—"
"I beg to differ, Livvy," Fidget retorted. "We've all seen enough of dose in our lifetimes! I'm not gonna even count how many ghosts & goobly-goblins we've..."
"Of course ghosts & goblins exist, Fidget," Olivia said with a little giggle. "But vampires don't!" Yet Olivia was not surprised when her batty brother began rambling nervously about Dracula. "You know he's made-up, Fidget," the mouseling said. "And everybody knows that made-up characters can't hurt you!"
"Tell dat to Basil," Fidget replied, pointing to his surrogate father. Much to everyone's concern, the detective was shaking violently & he was muttering panicked ramblings to himself as his green eyes darted in every direction, looking for some invisible presence that might do harm to him or his loved ones.
"Basil, darling," Victoria asked her husband with worried violet eyes, "is anything wrong?"
"No, of course not, angel!" Basil answered, trying to look as cheerful & undaunted as possible. "In fact, let's keep going on our merry way to find that wicked rapscallion!"
Young Julie McBride, however, quickly saw through Basil's fearless façade. "There's something about the case that's bothering you, & you're not doing a good job at hiding it," she deduced. "So...care to tell us what it is?"
"Nothing is bothering me, Julie," Basil insisted, forcing a smile. "I assure you, I'm quite—" Suddenly, the detective quickly became silenced as his eyes glanced fearfully in the direction of a tree branch looming above the Baker Street Family. And then nothing happened...that is, until demoniac laughter resonated through the foggy air, & a fearsome-looking demon with great wings swooped down to land on the branch, glaring at the Baker Street Family with an evil, fang-filled grin & glowing red eyes that matched the tiny bit of blood that drooled from his scarlet lips. Basil was the first to make a mad dash out of the cemetery, screaming in fright.
"What's gotten into you, Basil?" Dr. Dawson exclaimed a short time later as the Baker Street Family sat in the living room, helping themselves to some piping apple cider & cheese tarts. "You've never backed out of a case before!"
"I've said it before, & I'll gladly say it again," Basil snapped. "Nothing's wrong! I merely ran off, because...because I forgot that my favorite show would be on!"
"According to the TV guide, The Forensics Show ended at 10," Julie mused. "We were at the cemetery for 17 minutes after we left at precisely 9:43 PM, which means that you were actually 'running home' in time for Life Behind Bars. My, my, my, Basil," Julie added with a look of playful disappointment, "you were this close to coming up with the perfect excuse for your graveyard escape! Surely, the Great Mouse Detective can do better than that...after all, there mustn't be any room for flaws when dear old moiis working under his wing & hoping to learn his trade..."
"All right, all right, all right!" Basil finally cried, tossing his paws up in the air in exasperation. "If it's the truth you want, then the truth you shall have!"
"In the words of the Master, pray continue," Julie said, smiling coquettishly.
It was a while before Basil spoke again, & as he squirmed shamefully & his face blushed deeper with each word he spoke, it wasn't too hard to see why. "I know I claim to be a mouse of science, but as you are very well aware, I have an open mind & am certainly not blind to the millions of possibilities that are out there, no matter how far-fetched or unusual they may appear to be. I do not doubt the magical or the mystical or the miraculous, & so-called 'imaginary' creatures are no exception. In fact, as much as I am loath to admit this, one of those very beings haunts my darkest nightmares & makes me shudder at the mere mention of its name...& its ghastly ability to suck the lifeblood from an innocent mouse & bring him under its power..."
For the next few minutes, the Baker Street Family was too shocked to say anything, until Gadget McBride finally made her incredulous reply. "Golly, Basil," the young genius questioned, "you're afraid of vampires?" When the detective ducked underneath the purple couch & whimpered fearfully, all Gadget could say was, "Well, that answers my question."
"Vampires!?" little Jane nearly shrieked, her green eyes becoming as big as saucers. "Oh, gosh, now I have another thing to worry about!"
"Jane," Julie reprimanded, "no vampires are gonna hurt you...but to be safe, I already filled your room with garlic, wooden stakes, & crucifixes soaked in holy water. That should be enough to protect you, right?" Hearing this, Jane gave a nod of assurance to her sister & began to calm down a little, though she still shook & looked anxiously around her for any signs of danger...as did most of the other Baker Street Kids. Ratigan, however, didn't even flinch; in fact, if he were photographed & you looked at his mugshot out of context, he'd probably appear to you as though he felt he could take on a vampire & rip it apart with his bare paws.
"Basil," the young rat said, "vampires or no vampires, we've got to solve the case. We shall return to the cemetery, & post-haste—otherwise, Mr. Simpson won't offer us a single penny in our paychecks."
"The lot of you can go," Basil said, "but I prefer to stay."
"NOW, BASIL!!!" the rest of the Baker Street Family shouted in unison. Basil moaned in dismay & quickly changed out of his robe, until he was back in his mouse detective clothes & ready to complete the assignment he had been given; without anyone to back him up, he didn't have much of a choice. Basil hoped, though, that whatever nightly creatures would be lurking at Mouse London Cemetery would not plan to have any rodents for dinner.
When the Baker Street Family returned to the graveyard, Basil pretended to act like his normal, brave self, but as his loved ones trudged further & further onto the misty grounds, the detective quickly lost his composure with frightened yells, his feet circling wildly in the air as he made a last attempt to leave before it was too late. Victoria, however, grabbed Basil's tail & kept her grip on it as she dragged her whining husband through the crisp autumn grass, which Basil clutched desperately as he tried vainly to stop himself from venturing any further into the ominous realm of the cemetery.
"Well, this is where we saw the vampire," Olivia noted as the Baker Street Family stopped at the old tree. "Perhaps if we wait, he'll appear again." Needless to say, this only upset poor Basil more, & his anxiety increased with each passing moment. When an uneventful hour had lapsed, Big Ben chimed 11:00; still, the Baker Street Family did not make an effort to head back for home, as they were determined to finish the job they had started. Finally, after what seemed like a small eternity, the rodents were alerted to the sounds of rustling leaves & creaking wood.
"I think our twilight visitor may be returning," Ratigan noted with a mischievous smile.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the winged demon from earlier swooped down & landed on the same branch, leering at the Baker Street Family with his glowing red eyes & evil smile. Small droplets of crimson blood stained the monster's white fangs, & his hideous, bat-like wings unfolded to reveal their great span as high-pitched, nasal cackles bubbled forth from his lips, occasionally interrupted by snorts. When Basil gave a terrified shriek & curled in a tight ball for protection, the rest of the Baker Street Family prepared to bravely battle the vicious intruder.
Olivia & Cousin Timmy were the first to attack, & immediately, they were upon the vampire, kicking & punching at him as best they could. They stopped, though, when the monster began begging for them to have mercy on him. "I swear, I wasn't gonna do anything to you," the little vampire said in an oh-too familiar voice. "Why would I hurt my best buddy in the world & his little cousin?"
"Chester Cheeseman?!" Cousin Timmy exclaimed in shock. "What the heck are you doing at the cemetery?"
After rubbing his sore bruises & putting his glasses back on his face, Chester took the fake vampire teeth out of his mouth & tossed them aside, along with his makeshift cape & set of wings, before finally explaining things: "You know about that creepazoid who's been scaring everybody & messing up the graves? I happened to come across him just after you guys left the cemetery; he said he was a vampire & he wanted to suck my blood. Can you believe that?"
"I wouldn't be surprised, Chester," Olivia said with a coy wink.
"Anyway," the nerdy mouseling continued, "this alleged 'vampire' was just about to bite my neck, but all of a sudden, he turned into dust. I guess he realized that he was on hallowed ground...so, like I was saying, I was actually pretty excited to know that I was in the presence of a real-live vampire. And I thought, for a moment, that it would be kinda cool to be one, you know what I'm saying? So I got all this fake stuff from the party shop down the street; after taking about 15 minutes to try & put everything on, I started goofing off & stuff. That's where you guys came in."
"So I suppose the case is closed," Basil said with a modest grin. "But just how to explain to my boss that an actual vampire was responsible for all this hullabaloo?"
Chester returned the detective's smile. "If all the evidence doesn't convince him, perhaps some eyewitness reports may. And it sure helps if your coroner has some experience finding evidence in dust of the undead."
THE END