Dick began his exploration of the haunted mansion with the front hall. He nearly tripped over a roll in the Persian, possibly French he didn't know, rug. He jumped on it, attempting to flatten it, but only succeeded in pushing it in the opposite direction. Pouncing on the bump entertained him for a short time before he moved on.
The 'parlor' (as Alfred called it) had seven tall, grimy windows. Dick used his sleeve to wipe off some of the grime, then he and mini-me peered out at the dead gardens. Browning hedges lined the outer edges while bushes, that may have been rosebushes at some point, were planted against the house.
The boy cartwheeled back into the hall and over the roll in the carpet, before running up the creaky stairs. In his designated room, there were two windows which didn't help the dreary darkness that was rotted into every corner. As he didn't have much to begin with, there were little to no decorations, save for a picture of his parents and him after a show. They were in their costumes that his mother had made in signature Grayson colors: red, green, and yellow. A stuffed elephant sat on the bed. Dick continued on to one of the bathrooms.
He pulled the crumbling shower curtain aside to find the shower wall covered in crawling cockroaches! "EW!" He squeaked. (He'd protest this later.) He entered the shower, trying to smash the bugs. To wash the bug guts off his hands he turned the faucet; only to have rust-filled water pour down from the shower head. He jumped out of the shower and dried his hand and hair off with a dusty pink towel.
The simplest and quickest way back downstairs was to slide down the bannister Dick deduced. So that he did. After he landed on the floor with a thud, a closet door opened on the side of the staircase. Dick creeped in and pulled on a string to switch on an overhead lightbulb. The closet held a rusty water heater, which he marked on the notepad, and a fuse box of sorts. It opened with a good tug and dozens of switches were revealed to temptation. Despite the DO NOT TOUCH sign, the temptation was too much; Dick flipped a red switch. The lights flickered and he could hear Bruce yelling. This prompted him to flip the switch back and quickly exit the closet.
Finally, he came to the main living room. The deep red wallpaper was peeling off the walls in strips, the glue dissolved due to age. Tall bookcases lined the walls. Dust covered sheets covered various sofas, sitting chairs, and tables. He laid the doll on a table and began looking around. A stone fireplace was positioned on the far wall. A portrait with a man and woman reigned over the room. Dick walked closer. The woman wore a simple but formal red gown with a white stole, her dark short hair was in perfect curls. The man with his arm around her also had dark hair and a mustache. He wore a grey suit with a red tie. Their faces held matching solemn expressions.
Dick scowled at the couple. "And two blue bloods dressed in red." He said as he wrote on the notepad. He looked around, "Eight tall, infectious windows. And no more doors." He walked back to the table to grab the doll, but it wasn't there. "Hey, where'd you go?" He crawled on his hands and knees, looking under the tables and sofas. After a few minutes of searching, Dick stood and scratched his head. There was only one place he hadn't looked, the covered thing between the bookcases.
He walked over and pulled off the sheet, releasing a heavy cloud of dust, and revealing a large oaken grandfather clock. The doll was visible through the glass door of the body of the clock. He was perched on the pendulum, his button eyes staring ahead above the vacant yarn smile. "There you are! How did you get in here?" Dick exclaimed. The case door swung open easily, but the doll was slightly tangled in the hanging weights. Dick pulled the doll free, moving the clock forward in the process. There was now a slight gap between the clock and the wall, but it seemed to be bolted to it. Dick could feel cool air seeping through the crack. It could be a secret passage! He thought, he quickly ran back into Bruce's makeshift study.
"Bruce!" He exclaimed as he swung the door open. Bruce turned his chair around. "Follow me! I found a secret door!"
"Dick, I'm busy right now,"
"Please?" Dick begged. Bruce sighed and stood. The boy left the study and headed back to the big room, glancing behind to make sure his guardian was following. When they reached the room, the boy ran to the clock. "See? There's a crack and I can feel air coming from behind it! So, it might lead outside or behind the walls!"
"The house does have a few 'secret' rooms. But I don't really have the time to try and open the clock for you." Bruce faltered at Dick's begging blue puppy eyes. "Okay, fine. Just give me a moment." The man opened the glass protecting the clock face and stared for a moment. He walked to the stone fireplace and grabbed an ornate knob off it. He placed the knob over the axel of the hands of the clock and began to twist. Click went the hands when they reached 10:48. The case now swung open easily. Dick's face fell in disappointment. There was a steel plate. No staircase or tunnel, just another wall.
"Ah," Bruce didn't seem surprised. "When I was born my father had most of the rooms sealed to prevent me from hurting myself or getting myself lost." He placed the knob back on the mantle. "Sorry Dick, but I need to get back to work."
Dick pushed the clock back until it clicked. Another disappointment. The doll under his arm just stared vacantly. Well, that unpacking isn't going to do itself. With that the boy left the room.
At dinner, it was only Dick at the kitchen table. Alfred had deemed the official (and huge) dining room 'a breeding ground for infectious organisms.' So, they were eating in the kitchen. Alfred pulled a pan out of the oven and turned it off.
"Thank you for being patient Master Dick." The oven mitts plopped onto the counter. "The casserole is now ready!" A plate full of a steaming substance was set in front of Dick.
It looks like barf… Dick thought silently. The substance was a mixture of greens, yellows, and browns. Alfred stood looking at him expectantly.
"Thanks Alfred." Dick picked up his fork, he then glanced over at the empty plate and chair. "Is Bruce going to come eat with us?"
Alfred sat down with his own plate of mush. "Probably not, Master Dick." He placed his napkin in his lap. "This transition to his old home is rather difficult for him. And when Master Bruce is faced with unpleasant or rather any type of emotions, he buries himself in his work." There was silence for a few seconds. Alfred sighed. "I suppose we all have our own ways of coping. Master Bruce locks himself away and works." The butler looked around the kitchen. A slight smile formed on his face. "I clean. I'll keep scrubbing, dusting, organizing until the residence is fit to host her majesty's presence."
Dick set down his fork. "Is my being here… disrupting the coping process?"
Alfred looked surprised. "Of course not young master! In fact, I believe you being here may speed things along." He paused to chew. "Just give him some time. He'll come around. But now you need to eat! This casserole has plenty of good vegetables in it. Eat up."
The mush was actually pretty good. Dick finished his serving and even had seconds. He offered to help with the dishes, but the butler shooed him off to shower and go to bed.
Dick flopped onto the large bed, showered and with brushed teeth. Thankfully Alfred had washed all the bedding in the rooms they were occupying, so no dust! His stuffed elephant and mini-me rested on one of the hundreds of pillows. How one person could sleep in a gigantic bed with so many pillows was beyond him. Here he was, trying to accomplish just that. The room itself was huge too. The ceilings were high and the large bed didn't take up that much space. It's like a cave. The ceilings are high enough that there could be bats up there… Upon closer inspection: no bats. The bedside lamp was from his trailer at the circus. One of the set designers had painted elephants and tigers on the shade so when it was turned on, it cast shadows on the wall. Dick clicked it on and it illuminated his parents' picture.
Tears began to form, but he fought them back. I'm fine. Things couldn't have worked out better. I have a home, food, and people to care for me. Somehow these thoughts didn't help. He hugged the picture close for a moment before setting it back on the nightstand. The covers were pulled back and then tucked under his chin. The temperature of the room wasn't cold, but the atmosphere was. It was probably the cave structure emitting this feeling.
Dick flipped onto his side and nestled deep into the blankets. As he drifted off, the doll watched intently with its vacant button eyes.
The elephant and tiger shadows on the wall began to swirl and dance. Moonlight gave the dark room a warmer blue tint.
Chitter. Dick sleepily sat up. I thought I heard something. He thought. It was almost chalked up to be a dream before another, louder, chitter occurred. Dick scanned the room and saw his door was cracked open. At the base of the door sat a white rat standing on its hind legs. It chittered, rubbed its face, and hopped out into the hall.
Dick swung off his bed, determined to follow the creature. He creeped after down the dark hallway, down the stairs, and into the big library room. Dick watched as the rat disappeared behind the clock. He ran over and pulled the clock open; there was no steel plate!
Instead there was a swirling tunnel of red and gold lights. The rat was hopping to a bright blue light at the end.
"What the?" Dick dropped to his hands and knees and began to crawl through. He kept moving forward until the blue light enveloped him. But to his surprise he was back in the library room. Except, it felt off. The wallpaper wasn't peeling off the walls, it was vibrant and rich in color. All the furniture was uncovered, the tables looked freshly waxed.
A warm fire was lit in the stone fireplace. The portrait's colors were much brighter. Dick squinted at the couple, they had buttons for eyes.
A pleasant smell drifted into the room. Dick inhaled, then set out to follow it. The kitchen was also different. The lights cast a warm glow throughout the room. All the tiles were in place and gleamed. Alfred was humming as he stirred a bright green pot on the stove.
"Alfred! What are you cooking? It's like midnight." Dick asked, puzzled.
The elderly man turned around, and his face caused Dick to gasp. He had buttons for eyes! And a giant smile. "Good evening young master! You're just in time, dinner is almost ready!"
Dick, a little creeped out, stared for a moment. "You're not Alfred. Alfred doesn't have bu-bu-"
Alfred's gloved hands tapped his eyes- buttons. "Bu-bu-buttons? Do you like them?" When Dick didn't answer Alfred returned to stirring the green pot. "I'm your Other-Butler. Now, if you could please go and let Master Bruce know that dinner is ready."
Not thinking of anything better to say, Dick replied, "Uh, are you sure he will? I thought we were supposed to leave Bruce alone so he could work."
"Nonsense! This is Other-Bruce. He's in his study."
A familiar spicy smell drifted out of the pot. Dick's stomach grumbled. "Okay, be right back." He walked down the bright hallway to the study. He knocked tentatively.
"Come on in!" A cheerful voice sounded. Dick pushed open the door. The study was illuminated with warm lights and instead of a desk there was a small piano. The walls and floor were in pristine condition, the figure seated at the piano spun around. Dick almost didn't recognize Bruce with the big smile that covered his face. "Hiya Chum! What are you up to?" If he had eyes, Dick was sure they'd be twinkling.
"Um, Alfred said to come and get you for dinner?"
"Ha! That sounds wonderful! But first," He twirled back to the piano. "Want to hear my new song?" He played a quick scale up and down the piano, the keys made bouncy, crisp notes.
"I don't think Bruce sings." Dick said. "Or plays the piano."
"Oh, but you forget," he popped his fingers, "I'm Other-Bruce!" With that his fingers began to fly over the keys.
"For as we know, criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot!
They plan and plot, but they always get caught!
Their evil schemes all come to naught!
A superstitious cowardly loooooot!"
Bruce finished the long note with some finger-work on the piano. "That's all I got so far, I'm writing a musical about a Caped Crusader who fights crime in a batsuit!"
"Huh." Dick honestly had no idea on how to respond. "Well, it's entertaining. No offense, but I can't imagine you prowling around the city in tights and bat ears."
Other-Bruce's buttons seemed to twinkle. "Neither can Alfred. Speaking of Alfred, we'd better get to dinner!"
The pair made their way into the dining room. A giant golden chandelier hung from the ceiling above a long oaken table. A red table runner ran down the center, holding various vases of fresh roses and plates of warm, steaming food. The curtains were tied back to show gleaming windows, which hosted a view of the yard. The bushes were pruned into various animals and the grass looked green and soft.
Dick sat down at the head of the table with Bruce to his right. Alfred came in and sat on his left. The older man clasped his hands together, Bruce and Dick did the same.
Bruce prayed, "We give our thanks and ask to bless, Alfred's masterpiece!"
With that, Alfred began spooning food into bowls from a large green pot in the middle of the table. Dick slurped a spoonful and was surprised, it tasted like his mother's chicken stew!
"Is, is this chicken stew?"
"Why yes young master." Other-Alfred replied. "I heard it was one of your favorites!"
"Are there possibly any rye rolls to go with it?" Dick asked hopefully. His mother always made a fresh batch of rolls every time she made stew. "Please?" He added.
"But of course!" Alfred smiled. "Here they come on the train now."
A chug chug, choo choo was heard as a toy train weaved the various vases and plates on its track. It curled around the centerpiece and down to Dick's place. A warm brown roll plopped onto his plate from a boxcar, then the train chugged on its way. Dick hummed as he took a bite, perfect.
"Is there anything else?" Bruce inquired from his side. "Maybe some corn? Or maybe some peas?"
"Actually, I'm a little thirsty." Dick said after he swallow the last of his roll.
"Coming right up!" The chandelier descended from above. "Any requests?"
"How about a strawberry soda?" The various dispensers spun until a bright pink one was in front of the boy. A small spout opened and poured the fizzy drink into his cup. After it ascended back to the ceiling, a small cake with icing reading 'Welcome Home' sat on the table.
"Home?" Dick questioned. The Other Bruce and Alfred smiled warmly at him.
"We've been waiting for you Master Dick." Alfred said.
"For me?"
"Yep, wasn't the same without you chum." Bruce squeezed his shoulder.
"I wasn't aware I had… Others?" Dick said slowly.
"Everyone does!" Other Bruce exclaimed. "Whether they're parents, guardians, caregivers, everyone has them!" His button eyes twinkled.
"Really?" Dick sounded skeptical.
"Of course! And when you're done eating, we can play a game!" Bruce said warmly. His fingers thumped on the table.
"Huh? You mean like hide and seek?" Dick was confused.
"Perfect!" Other Bruce exclaimed. "Hide and seek in the rain!"
"What rain?" Dick asked, just then lightning flashed, thunder sounded, and a heavy rain began falling outside. "But what about the mud?"
"We love mud here!" Other Alfred chimed in.
Other Bruce rose and walked towards Dick. "Mud pies, mud baths, mud fights, it's perfect for poison oak." He pulled up one of Dick's hands.
Dick jerked his rash covered hand away. "How did you know I-" His eyes narrowed. "I'd love to play, but I'd better get back to other Bruce."
"But I'm other Bruce." Other Bruce smiled.
"I meant, my other, other Bruce." He yawned and stretched. "I should get to bed."
"Of course, young master." Other Alfred stood. "It's all made up."
"Wha- But," Dick began, but Other Bruce stepped beside him and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Come along chum." The trio left the dining room and headed to Dick's bedroom.
Dick pushed the door open and his mouth dropped at the sight. First, the room didn't seem as cave-like. It too had a warm glow to it, the animal shadows, cast from the lamp, chased each other around on the upper walls and ceiling. The bed cover was now a colorful, heavy quilt, his stuffed elephant was jumping on the bed. Pictures of the circus lined the walls. As the boy neared the pictures the clowns juggled, the ballerinas spun on the tightrope, and the elephants marched. He jumped onto the bed, enjoying the bounce. His blue eyes glanced over to the picture of his parents. They too had button eyes and big smiles formed when they saw Dick.
"Hello sweetie!" His mother chirped.
"Mom, dad? How are you guys? Are you here too?"
His father smiled and wrapped an arm around his mother. "We're well son! And we're here! We'll hopefully see you real soon!"
Dick hugged the picture to his chest for a moment before placing it back on the side table. Alfred came forward and pulled the covers up. He gently clasped Dick's hand and rubbed some mud on the angry red rashes.
"Oh yeah, the mud." Dick said. He laid down and Bruce came forward to pull the quilt higher.
"See you soon chum. See you soon…"
Dick's eyes felt heavy, the room, its colors, and Other Bruce and Alfred began to blur. And within moments, he was asleep.
Author's Note: I'm Back! For the moment. My sister's laptop is working, so she's being generous and letting me borrow it. My own laptop has a polluted hard drive or something, but the IT guy was very helpful and optimistic. I should be getting it back in healthy condition soon. Thank you for being patient!
