Chapter 9
Kim stared at DM as the mouse sat on the sofa with his head bowed. In the last hour, too much had happened - so much, that Kim and Penfold hadn't had an opportunity to ask more about Damien.
After DM had uttered the words "The night he died - it was Halloween", several cars from HQ had turned up. It appeared that Agent 57 had gone to see DM, but after finding no-one at home, the Mark III gone and a gun missing, he had alerted headquarters. Not long after the search began, DM, Penfold and Kim had been found via radar. Crumhorn had been taken into police custody, but there was no more news about him. As for Woodruff, he'd been treated for his head, and now, had just left for the police-station. Everyone was hoping they'd be able to put Crumhorn on trial after what he did.
Now however, the three victors sat in one of the waiting rooms in headquarters, and the mood was far from victorious. His head bound with bandages for the second time in two months, DM sat on a seperate sofa, not speaking. Kim and Penfold sat opposite; Penfold was asleep.
"DM?" said Kim quietly. "What happened to Damien?"
DM looked up, and Kim saw his eyes were filled with tears.
"I guess I can't hide it any longer", said DM after a long silence. "It's best for you to know. I've hidden it from Penfold for four hard years - I don't want to go through all that again".
Kim reached over and gave Penfold a shake to wake him. The hamster woke up yelling.
"So let her go or I'll - !" Penfold's voice trailed off and then he blushed. He'd obviously been having dreams of himself as a superhero again.
"Penfold", said DM. "I'm sorry".
Penfold looked over at him, looking confused.
"For what...?"
"I kept a secret to myself - and I should have told you about it", replied DM.
"Go on", said Kim. She was relieved to be finding out the truth at last, and glad for DM as well. It would probably be good for him to get it off his chest.
DM turned his head to look at the windows in the waiting room door. He suddenly looked terribly sad.
"Well - I'll start from the beginning", he said. "As you now know, Damien was my brother - my elder brother. There were five years between us".
DM paused, then continued.
"I suppose the whole thing really started with my eye-problem. You two know that I was born with my left eye in a mess". He looked over at them. "And so I had to wear an eye-patch right from the start. Because I'd gotten it as a baby, I was used to it as I grew. But when I turned five, it seemed not a lot of other people were.
"When it came to my eye, there were three types of behaviour. One - not look at me whilst talking. Two - treat me like a two-year-old and ask every five minutes if I was alright. And three - tease me about it".
DM gave a heavy sigh.
"I loved my parents", he carried on. "But with them, it was usually number two. With visitors, it was number one. And with people my age - it would normally be number three.
"But not Damien. He looked out for me and noticed how people behaved around me. He had always treated me how a boy treats his younger brother; tease me gently, give me a hug every now and then, play with me... something that gave me a sense of relief.
"But now I was five, I couldn't understand everyone's behaviour. The children upset me of course, and so did any visitors who came to see us. So I crept into Damien's room one night and talked to him about it. And he listened. And more importantly, he UNDERSTOOD.
"I asked him if I was weak, because of the way Mother was always asking after me. He looked shocked for a moment, and then told me that it wasn't true. He told me I was as strong as anyone else - and after that, he called me his 'strong little champion' ".
A rueful smile appeared on DM's face as warm memories came flooding back; so warm, he felt as though an angel had reached out to embrace him.
"Damien seemed to be good at everything. I envied him, but every day, he found a moment for me".
DM gazed at a Halloween banner that was hung up across the room. It was orange with pumpkins, skeletons, witches, bats - and mice. DM's rueful smile stretched a bit.
"We really loved Halloween", he suddenly said. Kim and Penfold looked up, their ears pricked, as DM, more confident now, went on:
"When we younger, we weren't allowed out by ourselves. So every year, our father took us to the graveyard and we sat on the tombstones and talked. Then we would go home, have a hot chocolate, and then after Damien and I were put to bed, we would take turns that night to creep out and see each other.
"When we got older, it was apparant we could look after ourselves at night. When I was ten and Damien fifteen, we went to the graveyard alone. As usual, we'd sit on the gravestones, and talk about anything. Any problems that were on our minds, everyday life - our future. We liked to imagine ourselves at big white weddings, one of us the groom, the other the best man. Damien told me that when I was older, the girls would swarm over me. I didn't know if that would be true. I still don't".
DM cast a look at Kim as he spoke. She blushed and looked at her feet.
Menawhile, Penfold, completely immersed, started to imagine the past and saw the two young mice in his mind's eye, laughing and talking. The image made him smile properly for the first time in a short while.
"So then what?" he asked, wanting to know more.
DM knew he had to tell them the truth. So he didn't hesitate before going on to the next part of the story.
"I really loved Damien. He made me live again, and taught me not to give up on ANYTHING, EVER. Then when he was sixteen, he started to become interested in something more dangerous. He wanted to become an agent.
"When he told me this, I was scared. Scared I might lose him. But Damien sat me down, and promised me he would be alright. And I believed him.
"Damien enrolled and got a place as a trainee and assistant. He was so good, he became a full agent within seven months. He was delighted and so was I. But his mentor - his mentor was no other than Doctor Crumhorn".
Kim and Penfold gasped.
"You never told me Crumhorn was a member on the force", said Penfold.
"Well, he was", said DM. "He was a terrific scientist, I have to give him that".
He then continued.
"Crumhorn and Damien were good friends. The way Damien talked about him - he sounded great. But when Damien brought Crumhorn round one night in late November, I felt scared. Something about him wasn't right. I couldn't understand how Damien could stand living with him. I spoke to him about it in private - and Damien told me not to worry. He said Doctor Crumhorn was a genius. But I had my doubts.
"And it looked like I was right. Ten months later, people at HQ were beginning to become wary of Crumhorn. My parents started to worry about Damien, but Damien insisted everything was alright. But I couldn't help thinking he looked a little nervous. I tried to talk to him but he shrugged me off. That just increased my fear.
"Than, less than a week later - Crumhorn assaulted one of the trainees for no apparant reason. He was arrested, but Damien got him out on bail. My parents panicked, told Damien they didn't want him to live with Crumhorn any longer and a row broke out.
"Everything was quiet for a while. I was upset because I thought I was losing my brother. And I was right. Halloween night arrived".
DM"s voice broke off and he started trembling.
"You don't have to continue", said Kim gently.
DM looked up, shaking his head.
"No. I have to do this. Not just for me, but for Damien".
"OK", said Kim softly, and then stopped talking so DM could continue.
DM took a few deep breaths.
"On Halloween night, I thought I was going to spend it alone. But to my surprise, Damien came round and asked me to go to the graveyard with him. He looked scared".
"How old were you?" asked Penfold.
"Thirteen", said DM.
"Anyway, we went to the graveyard, and Damien revealed that Crumhorn wanted him to steal a lorry full of radioactive isotopes. He said that Crumhorn had threatened my life on his account. He didn't know what to do and I urged him to go to the police. But Damien said he couldn't, because Crumhorn would burn our home down if he did. He then confessed that Crumhorn had blackmailed him into bailing him out of prison.
"I said that we should warn our parents, and we set off for home. As we were walking home, it started to rain and before long a thunderstorm started up.
"Our route took us past the canal. As we were passing, we heard a little girl's cries for help; she'd fallen in. Damien dived in without a second thought, and he managed to save the little girl. He pushed her towards the side and I helped her out. But - Damien - the current was too strong, and he floated away down river. I left the girl and ran along the river bank, trying to keep him in sight. But then he - he vanished beneath the water, and I panicked, diving in after him.
"I saw his - his body underwater. He - he couldn't - he wasn't moving. I made a grab for his hand - but - but - I-I couldn't reach him. Then I realised I couldn't breathe and had to make for the surface. Then I tried to get down after him again. But I - I couldn't find him!"
DM's nerve suddenly broke and he burst into sobs. Kim's eyes filled with fresh tears as she wallowed in DM's misery, not wanting to think about what happened next. Penfold looked sad and silent.
"Police and Ambulance-men came", said DM, after he'd calmed himself. "I was sitting on the side of the river, trying to catch some sign of Damien".
"And?" prompted Kim.
DM looked at her, and the look in his eyes was all Kim needed to know.
"They found his body two days later", said DM. "I saw his - the - HIM. He looked terrible".
"Oh, DM", whimpered Penfold. "Poor, poor Damien".
"DM - I'm so sorry", said Kim. "I can't even begin to think how you must feel..."
"It's alright", said DM. "You're not to blame for any of this".
"Is this why you and Crumhorn are enemies?" asked Kim. "Because of what happened to Damien?"
"Yes", said DM.
Then he told the remainder of a story that had so cruelly unfolded on his life.
"I remember the funeral. Colonel K was there. He came up to offer some words of comfort before the service started. I wasn't taking his words in. All I knew was that the one person whom I had loved and admired had gone and left me all alone. And my grief deepened knowing that he had died out on our Halloween walk.
"Colonel K then told my parents that with Damien gone...the postion was open to me. He said that I could join the force if I wanted to. This was a shock proposal and my head was reeling all through the service. When it was over, I watched as they lowered Damien's coffin into the ground. Suddenly, everything seemed to hit me at the same time, and I broke down.
"I don't know why I did. Maybe it was just out of grief, or maybe it was because I was now faced with an impossible choice. I just didn't know what to do. It was a while before I realised that I could carry on with Damien's work, and get even with Crumhorn for threatening him. So my parents took me to see the Colonel, and I accepted the challenge".
Kim walked across the room and put her arms around DM in a hug.
"I'm glad you did", she whispered in his ear.
Penfold went to sit by DM's other side. He squeezed his friend's arm, and DM squeezed back, suddenly feeling glad that he had finally told his two best friends the truth.
"Crumhorn disappeared right after the funeral. Seven years later", added DM, as he cuddled his two friends close. "When I was a full agent, I bumped into Crumhorn again on a mission. He confronted me, and told me that it was my fault that Damien had died. He said that I should have tried harder to bring his body to the surface. I escaped, but I couldn't get his words off my mind".
Kim looked up at him, and then squeezed him tighter.
"Don't think that way", she said softly.
At that moment, Colonel K entered the room. DM, Kim and Penfold looked up at him expectantly.
"Good news", smiled the Colonel. "Crumhorn will be put on trial, and as he doesn't have a lawyer, has had concrete evidence retrieved, and has four eyewitnesses, there isn't much hope of him breaking free".
"That's wonderful news", said DM in relief.
The Colonel smiled at him.
"Are you alright, DM?"
"Now, yes", said DM. "And Penfold and Kim now know what really happened all those years ago".
The Colonel smiled ruefully.
"He was a good agent, your brother. And such a polite lad. You would have made him proud".
DM blushed.
"Now, if I were you, I'd get home and rest. You've just come out of a trance and you'll need some sleep".
"And some food - I've suddenly realised I'm STARVING!" exclaimed DM, as his stomach gave a loud rumble.
Colonel K chuckled.
"Come on, you two", said DM to Penfold and Kim. "Let's get home!"
"Yes, sir!"
*
The Mark III was passing over an animal graveyard when DM suddenly swooped down to land.
"DM - ?" asked Kim, hanging on as the Mark III slid across the ground.
"There's something I want to show you", said DM quietly.
Getting out of the car, he went up to the gate of the graveyard and waved Penfold and Kim in.
"Oh, 'eck", said Penfold, shivering. "Why are we here? I HATE graveyards".
"Follow me", said DM, and he took off between the gravestones. Kim and Penfold exchanged glances, and then ran after him.
They walked along until DM put out a hand to stop them.
"Look".
Before them was a black marble headstone. On the top-right hand corner, it had the picture of a mouse - Damien. There was a birthdate and a deathdate written in gold below. And it said at the very bottom:
'Till we meet again, dear brother. From your strong little champion.'
"I asked for that to be put on", said DM.
"Oh, it's beautiful", gasped Kim, kneeling down beside the grave. Looking at Damien's picture, she felt saddened when she thought of this young, healthy mouse who had drowned beneath the waters on a cold rainy night, with threats and troubles on his back.
"It's been a while since I've been here", said DM, looking around. He looked guilty. Then he smiled.
"But now I feel comforted. Somehow, I don't feel that Damien is really gone".
Kim smiled, and stood up, as Penfold ventured closer to the gravestone and ran a hand over the smooth marble.
"Yes. I can feel it", he suddenly whispered.
DM picked his little friend up and gave him a hug.
"It's all over now", he whispered in Penfold's ear. "I'm back, little one".
Penfold replied by squeezing him tighter. Then Kim put an arm around DM's waist and laid her head on his shoulder. The trio made their way slowly back to the Mark III in a group hug.
*
Kim took Damien's certificate out of the shoebox and gave it to DM.
"How come there's no deathdate?" she asked curiously.
"This was Damien's first certificate", explained DM. "You see, they printed it when he first joined the agency. There IS another certificate, one with his deathdate on. I think my parents have that one".
The three of them were back in the Mayfair pillar-box. Tucked up on the sofa, Penfold had fetched the shoebox, and now they were all looking through it, as DM explained everything. He seemed to be at ease now and could talk about Damien less awkwardly.
"What exactly is this card?" asked Kim, holding out the 'Sorry' card.
"When I was seven, Damien hid in my room one night and made all these ghostly sounds", answered DM. "He kept me up half the night, scared stiff. When I found out it was him I didn't talk to him for two days - but then he gave me this card with an apology. He'd realised how much he'd scared me".
"Chief, what is this picture?" asked Penfold, as he took out the 'Caught!' Polaroid and showed it to DM.
"Oh!" DM laughed a little when he saw the picture. "Yes, I remember that! Damien got this 'Rhythm of the Night' CD for his birthday - " He took out the CD and held it up " - Dad had recorded it especially for him. Anyway, I caught Damien in the lounge that evening, dancing to the song - and lip- synching into a candle he was using as a microphone. He looked so funny and then I grabbed another one of the candles and joined him. Then a few moments later, our parents came in and saw us and Dad had his camera with him. So we struck up a pose and then he took a picture - it was great fun".
"So that's your dad's handwriting", said Kim, tapping the photo with one finger.
"Yes".
"You seem to have had some good times", said Penfold.
"They were the best times of my life", said DM, with a look of longing spread over his face.
He took another look at the picture of Damien, in a fresh new frame, and then placed it carefully on the table.
"I'll put the picture up later", he said. "But now, I'm rather tired..."
DM put everything else back into the shoebox and placed it on the table. Then he gave a yawn as he sat back. Feeling tired themselves, Kim and Penfold both rested their heads on DM's shoulders.
Five minutes later, they were both fast asleep. DM, however, did not drift off as easily as he would have thought. Everything seemed to swirl - was something happening?
"DM..."
DM heard a gentle voice calling to him. Then a curiously cool touch stroked his cheek.
"DM..." said the voice again. Now though, it sounded more familiar.
"Hi, my strong little champion", said the voice.
DM didn't know whether he was awake or asleep. He could vaguely see the surroundings of the lounge, but the voice calling to him was something else. But he knew who it must be - it was HIM.
DM wanted to call to his brother, but something stopped him. He couldn't open his mouth, but could feel the cool touch of a hand.
"I'm so proud of you", said the voice. "Tonight, you proved yourself even better than you have before. Don't feel bad about what happened - it was an accident. Don't EVER give in to your enemies. And NEVER think that you'll be alone".
DM felt his fingers being gently clasped open and something round and circular was dropped into his hand.
"I have to go now. I just had to come back one last time. Now that they know what happened, I can rest in peace. But a part of me will always be here with you.
"Thankyou, my brother. And one more thing". The voice now had a small hint of playfulness and mischief.
"Happy Halloween".
A burst of light suddenly seemed to engulf the room. DM watched in fascination as a figure emerged from the light - an outline of a mouse.
"Go to sleep now", said the voice. "Sleep well, my strong little champion".
The figure hovered for a few seconds, and then suddenly whisped into smoke. The light and the smoke faded - and then the lounge was the same again.
DM suddenly had a feeling of extreme exhaustion - and then he just saw the darkness.
*
A few hours later, DM opened his eyes. He felt confused for a moment, and looked around, to see that Kim and Penfold were still sleeping.
DM suddenly felt something in his hand. He opened his grasp.
It was a white badge, about the size of his own. Written on it in black letters, were the initials DM - Damien Mouse.
DM gave a soft smile, and closed his eyes, clutching the badge to his heart.
"Thankyou, Damien", he whispered. "And Happy Halloween".
At that moment, the clock on the wall struck midnight.
Halloween was over.
The End (?)
*
PS - If anyone reading this has lost a sibling due to an accident or illness, please accept my apologies - this fic is not meant to offend anyone out there whose brother or sister has passed on.
Kim stared at DM as the mouse sat on the sofa with his head bowed. In the last hour, too much had happened - so much, that Kim and Penfold hadn't had an opportunity to ask more about Damien.
After DM had uttered the words "The night he died - it was Halloween", several cars from HQ had turned up. It appeared that Agent 57 had gone to see DM, but after finding no-one at home, the Mark III gone and a gun missing, he had alerted headquarters. Not long after the search began, DM, Penfold and Kim had been found via radar. Crumhorn had been taken into police custody, but there was no more news about him. As for Woodruff, he'd been treated for his head, and now, had just left for the police-station. Everyone was hoping they'd be able to put Crumhorn on trial after what he did.
Now however, the three victors sat in one of the waiting rooms in headquarters, and the mood was far from victorious. His head bound with bandages for the second time in two months, DM sat on a seperate sofa, not speaking. Kim and Penfold sat opposite; Penfold was asleep.
"DM?" said Kim quietly. "What happened to Damien?"
DM looked up, and Kim saw his eyes were filled with tears.
"I guess I can't hide it any longer", said DM after a long silence. "It's best for you to know. I've hidden it from Penfold for four hard years - I don't want to go through all that again".
Kim reached over and gave Penfold a shake to wake him. The hamster woke up yelling.
"So let her go or I'll - !" Penfold's voice trailed off and then he blushed. He'd obviously been having dreams of himself as a superhero again.
"Penfold", said DM. "I'm sorry".
Penfold looked over at him, looking confused.
"For what...?"
"I kept a secret to myself - and I should have told you about it", replied DM.
"Go on", said Kim. She was relieved to be finding out the truth at last, and glad for DM as well. It would probably be good for him to get it off his chest.
DM turned his head to look at the windows in the waiting room door. He suddenly looked terribly sad.
"Well - I'll start from the beginning", he said. "As you now know, Damien was my brother - my elder brother. There were five years between us".
DM paused, then continued.
"I suppose the whole thing really started with my eye-problem. You two know that I was born with my left eye in a mess". He looked over at them. "And so I had to wear an eye-patch right from the start. Because I'd gotten it as a baby, I was used to it as I grew. But when I turned five, it seemed not a lot of other people were.
"When it came to my eye, there were three types of behaviour. One - not look at me whilst talking. Two - treat me like a two-year-old and ask every five minutes if I was alright. And three - tease me about it".
DM gave a heavy sigh.
"I loved my parents", he carried on. "But with them, it was usually number two. With visitors, it was number one. And with people my age - it would normally be number three.
"But not Damien. He looked out for me and noticed how people behaved around me. He had always treated me how a boy treats his younger brother; tease me gently, give me a hug every now and then, play with me... something that gave me a sense of relief.
"But now I was five, I couldn't understand everyone's behaviour. The children upset me of course, and so did any visitors who came to see us. So I crept into Damien's room one night and talked to him about it. And he listened. And more importantly, he UNDERSTOOD.
"I asked him if I was weak, because of the way Mother was always asking after me. He looked shocked for a moment, and then told me that it wasn't true. He told me I was as strong as anyone else - and after that, he called me his 'strong little champion' ".
A rueful smile appeared on DM's face as warm memories came flooding back; so warm, he felt as though an angel had reached out to embrace him.
"Damien seemed to be good at everything. I envied him, but every day, he found a moment for me".
DM gazed at a Halloween banner that was hung up across the room. It was orange with pumpkins, skeletons, witches, bats - and mice. DM's rueful smile stretched a bit.
"We really loved Halloween", he suddenly said. Kim and Penfold looked up, their ears pricked, as DM, more confident now, went on:
"When we younger, we weren't allowed out by ourselves. So every year, our father took us to the graveyard and we sat on the tombstones and talked. Then we would go home, have a hot chocolate, and then after Damien and I were put to bed, we would take turns that night to creep out and see each other.
"When we got older, it was apparant we could look after ourselves at night. When I was ten and Damien fifteen, we went to the graveyard alone. As usual, we'd sit on the gravestones, and talk about anything. Any problems that were on our minds, everyday life - our future. We liked to imagine ourselves at big white weddings, one of us the groom, the other the best man. Damien told me that when I was older, the girls would swarm over me. I didn't know if that would be true. I still don't".
DM cast a look at Kim as he spoke. She blushed and looked at her feet.
Menawhile, Penfold, completely immersed, started to imagine the past and saw the two young mice in his mind's eye, laughing and talking. The image made him smile properly for the first time in a short while.
"So then what?" he asked, wanting to know more.
DM knew he had to tell them the truth. So he didn't hesitate before going on to the next part of the story.
"I really loved Damien. He made me live again, and taught me not to give up on ANYTHING, EVER. Then when he was sixteen, he started to become interested in something more dangerous. He wanted to become an agent.
"When he told me this, I was scared. Scared I might lose him. But Damien sat me down, and promised me he would be alright. And I believed him.
"Damien enrolled and got a place as a trainee and assistant. He was so good, he became a full agent within seven months. He was delighted and so was I. But his mentor - his mentor was no other than Doctor Crumhorn".
Kim and Penfold gasped.
"You never told me Crumhorn was a member on the force", said Penfold.
"Well, he was", said DM. "He was a terrific scientist, I have to give him that".
He then continued.
"Crumhorn and Damien were good friends. The way Damien talked about him - he sounded great. But when Damien brought Crumhorn round one night in late November, I felt scared. Something about him wasn't right. I couldn't understand how Damien could stand living with him. I spoke to him about it in private - and Damien told me not to worry. He said Doctor Crumhorn was a genius. But I had my doubts.
"And it looked like I was right. Ten months later, people at HQ were beginning to become wary of Crumhorn. My parents started to worry about Damien, but Damien insisted everything was alright. But I couldn't help thinking he looked a little nervous. I tried to talk to him but he shrugged me off. That just increased my fear.
"Than, less than a week later - Crumhorn assaulted one of the trainees for no apparant reason. He was arrested, but Damien got him out on bail. My parents panicked, told Damien they didn't want him to live with Crumhorn any longer and a row broke out.
"Everything was quiet for a while. I was upset because I thought I was losing my brother. And I was right. Halloween night arrived".
DM"s voice broke off and he started trembling.
"You don't have to continue", said Kim gently.
DM looked up, shaking his head.
"No. I have to do this. Not just for me, but for Damien".
"OK", said Kim softly, and then stopped talking so DM could continue.
DM took a few deep breaths.
"On Halloween night, I thought I was going to spend it alone. But to my surprise, Damien came round and asked me to go to the graveyard with him. He looked scared".
"How old were you?" asked Penfold.
"Thirteen", said DM.
"Anyway, we went to the graveyard, and Damien revealed that Crumhorn wanted him to steal a lorry full of radioactive isotopes. He said that Crumhorn had threatened my life on his account. He didn't know what to do and I urged him to go to the police. But Damien said he couldn't, because Crumhorn would burn our home down if he did. He then confessed that Crumhorn had blackmailed him into bailing him out of prison.
"I said that we should warn our parents, and we set off for home. As we were walking home, it started to rain and before long a thunderstorm started up.
"Our route took us past the canal. As we were passing, we heard a little girl's cries for help; she'd fallen in. Damien dived in without a second thought, and he managed to save the little girl. He pushed her towards the side and I helped her out. But - Damien - the current was too strong, and he floated away down river. I left the girl and ran along the river bank, trying to keep him in sight. But then he - he vanished beneath the water, and I panicked, diving in after him.
"I saw his - his body underwater. He - he couldn't - he wasn't moving. I made a grab for his hand - but - but - I-I couldn't reach him. Then I realised I couldn't breathe and had to make for the surface. Then I tried to get down after him again. But I - I couldn't find him!"
DM's nerve suddenly broke and he burst into sobs. Kim's eyes filled with fresh tears as she wallowed in DM's misery, not wanting to think about what happened next. Penfold looked sad and silent.
"Police and Ambulance-men came", said DM, after he'd calmed himself. "I was sitting on the side of the river, trying to catch some sign of Damien".
"And?" prompted Kim.
DM looked at her, and the look in his eyes was all Kim needed to know.
"They found his body two days later", said DM. "I saw his - the - HIM. He looked terrible".
"Oh, DM", whimpered Penfold. "Poor, poor Damien".
"DM - I'm so sorry", said Kim. "I can't even begin to think how you must feel..."
"It's alright", said DM. "You're not to blame for any of this".
"Is this why you and Crumhorn are enemies?" asked Kim. "Because of what happened to Damien?"
"Yes", said DM.
Then he told the remainder of a story that had so cruelly unfolded on his life.
"I remember the funeral. Colonel K was there. He came up to offer some words of comfort before the service started. I wasn't taking his words in. All I knew was that the one person whom I had loved and admired had gone and left me all alone. And my grief deepened knowing that he had died out on our Halloween walk.
"Colonel K then told my parents that with Damien gone...the postion was open to me. He said that I could join the force if I wanted to. This was a shock proposal and my head was reeling all through the service. When it was over, I watched as they lowered Damien's coffin into the ground. Suddenly, everything seemed to hit me at the same time, and I broke down.
"I don't know why I did. Maybe it was just out of grief, or maybe it was because I was now faced with an impossible choice. I just didn't know what to do. It was a while before I realised that I could carry on with Damien's work, and get even with Crumhorn for threatening him. So my parents took me to see the Colonel, and I accepted the challenge".
Kim walked across the room and put her arms around DM in a hug.
"I'm glad you did", she whispered in his ear.
Penfold went to sit by DM's other side. He squeezed his friend's arm, and DM squeezed back, suddenly feeling glad that he had finally told his two best friends the truth.
"Crumhorn disappeared right after the funeral. Seven years later", added DM, as he cuddled his two friends close. "When I was a full agent, I bumped into Crumhorn again on a mission. He confronted me, and told me that it was my fault that Damien had died. He said that I should have tried harder to bring his body to the surface. I escaped, but I couldn't get his words off my mind".
Kim looked up at him, and then squeezed him tighter.
"Don't think that way", she said softly.
At that moment, Colonel K entered the room. DM, Kim and Penfold looked up at him expectantly.
"Good news", smiled the Colonel. "Crumhorn will be put on trial, and as he doesn't have a lawyer, has had concrete evidence retrieved, and has four eyewitnesses, there isn't much hope of him breaking free".
"That's wonderful news", said DM in relief.
The Colonel smiled at him.
"Are you alright, DM?"
"Now, yes", said DM. "And Penfold and Kim now know what really happened all those years ago".
The Colonel smiled ruefully.
"He was a good agent, your brother. And such a polite lad. You would have made him proud".
DM blushed.
"Now, if I were you, I'd get home and rest. You've just come out of a trance and you'll need some sleep".
"And some food - I've suddenly realised I'm STARVING!" exclaimed DM, as his stomach gave a loud rumble.
Colonel K chuckled.
"Come on, you two", said DM to Penfold and Kim. "Let's get home!"
"Yes, sir!"
*
The Mark III was passing over an animal graveyard when DM suddenly swooped down to land.
"DM - ?" asked Kim, hanging on as the Mark III slid across the ground.
"There's something I want to show you", said DM quietly.
Getting out of the car, he went up to the gate of the graveyard and waved Penfold and Kim in.
"Oh, 'eck", said Penfold, shivering. "Why are we here? I HATE graveyards".
"Follow me", said DM, and he took off between the gravestones. Kim and Penfold exchanged glances, and then ran after him.
They walked along until DM put out a hand to stop them.
"Look".
Before them was a black marble headstone. On the top-right hand corner, it had the picture of a mouse - Damien. There was a birthdate and a deathdate written in gold below. And it said at the very bottom:
'Till we meet again, dear brother. From your strong little champion.'
"I asked for that to be put on", said DM.
"Oh, it's beautiful", gasped Kim, kneeling down beside the grave. Looking at Damien's picture, she felt saddened when she thought of this young, healthy mouse who had drowned beneath the waters on a cold rainy night, with threats and troubles on his back.
"It's been a while since I've been here", said DM, looking around. He looked guilty. Then he smiled.
"But now I feel comforted. Somehow, I don't feel that Damien is really gone".
Kim smiled, and stood up, as Penfold ventured closer to the gravestone and ran a hand over the smooth marble.
"Yes. I can feel it", he suddenly whispered.
DM picked his little friend up and gave him a hug.
"It's all over now", he whispered in Penfold's ear. "I'm back, little one".
Penfold replied by squeezing him tighter. Then Kim put an arm around DM's waist and laid her head on his shoulder. The trio made their way slowly back to the Mark III in a group hug.
*
Kim took Damien's certificate out of the shoebox and gave it to DM.
"How come there's no deathdate?" she asked curiously.
"This was Damien's first certificate", explained DM. "You see, they printed it when he first joined the agency. There IS another certificate, one with his deathdate on. I think my parents have that one".
The three of them were back in the Mayfair pillar-box. Tucked up on the sofa, Penfold had fetched the shoebox, and now they were all looking through it, as DM explained everything. He seemed to be at ease now and could talk about Damien less awkwardly.
"What exactly is this card?" asked Kim, holding out the 'Sorry' card.
"When I was seven, Damien hid in my room one night and made all these ghostly sounds", answered DM. "He kept me up half the night, scared stiff. When I found out it was him I didn't talk to him for two days - but then he gave me this card with an apology. He'd realised how much he'd scared me".
"Chief, what is this picture?" asked Penfold, as he took out the 'Caught!' Polaroid and showed it to DM.
"Oh!" DM laughed a little when he saw the picture. "Yes, I remember that! Damien got this 'Rhythm of the Night' CD for his birthday - " He took out the CD and held it up " - Dad had recorded it especially for him. Anyway, I caught Damien in the lounge that evening, dancing to the song - and lip- synching into a candle he was using as a microphone. He looked so funny and then I grabbed another one of the candles and joined him. Then a few moments later, our parents came in and saw us and Dad had his camera with him. So we struck up a pose and then he took a picture - it was great fun".
"So that's your dad's handwriting", said Kim, tapping the photo with one finger.
"Yes".
"You seem to have had some good times", said Penfold.
"They were the best times of my life", said DM, with a look of longing spread over his face.
He took another look at the picture of Damien, in a fresh new frame, and then placed it carefully on the table.
"I'll put the picture up later", he said. "But now, I'm rather tired..."
DM put everything else back into the shoebox and placed it on the table. Then he gave a yawn as he sat back. Feeling tired themselves, Kim and Penfold both rested their heads on DM's shoulders.
Five minutes later, they were both fast asleep. DM, however, did not drift off as easily as he would have thought. Everything seemed to swirl - was something happening?
"DM..."
DM heard a gentle voice calling to him. Then a curiously cool touch stroked his cheek.
"DM..." said the voice again. Now though, it sounded more familiar.
"Hi, my strong little champion", said the voice.
DM didn't know whether he was awake or asleep. He could vaguely see the surroundings of the lounge, but the voice calling to him was something else. But he knew who it must be - it was HIM.
DM wanted to call to his brother, but something stopped him. He couldn't open his mouth, but could feel the cool touch of a hand.
"I'm so proud of you", said the voice. "Tonight, you proved yourself even better than you have before. Don't feel bad about what happened - it was an accident. Don't EVER give in to your enemies. And NEVER think that you'll be alone".
DM felt his fingers being gently clasped open and something round and circular was dropped into his hand.
"I have to go now. I just had to come back one last time. Now that they know what happened, I can rest in peace. But a part of me will always be here with you.
"Thankyou, my brother. And one more thing". The voice now had a small hint of playfulness and mischief.
"Happy Halloween".
A burst of light suddenly seemed to engulf the room. DM watched in fascination as a figure emerged from the light - an outline of a mouse.
"Go to sleep now", said the voice. "Sleep well, my strong little champion".
The figure hovered for a few seconds, and then suddenly whisped into smoke. The light and the smoke faded - and then the lounge was the same again.
DM suddenly had a feeling of extreme exhaustion - and then he just saw the darkness.
*
A few hours later, DM opened his eyes. He felt confused for a moment, and looked around, to see that Kim and Penfold were still sleeping.
DM suddenly felt something in his hand. He opened his grasp.
It was a white badge, about the size of his own. Written on it in black letters, were the initials DM - Damien Mouse.
DM gave a soft smile, and closed his eyes, clutching the badge to his heart.
"Thankyou, Damien", he whispered. "And Happy Halloween".
At that moment, the clock on the wall struck midnight.
Halloween was over.
The End (?)
*
PS - If anyone reading this has lost a sibling due to an accident or illness, please accept my apologies - this fic is not meant to offend anyone out there whose brother or sister has passed on.