Chapter 3: The Mansion

Finally, the Dolphin-Kowalski family pulled up in front of a tall, black, wrought-iron gate. Blowhole squinted at it and then around outside the car window. "See an intercom or anything, Jan?"

Kowalski rolled down the window and shook his head. "Maybe I need to get out and try to open it?"

But before his husband could answer, or he unbuckled, the gates swung slowly open. The two exchanged a glance before Blowhole drove forward through it. They could hear the soft creak as it closed behind them, causing a chill to go down Kowalski's spine.

"New question...Are we really sure we want to do this, Francis?"

"Jan. It's some silly human's house where they're trying to scare you, because of the will for the property. We're going to be fine. If anything I think our pod would scare humans away before they could even pretend to be ghosts. I mean come on, have you seen our sons' little chompers lately?"

"Trust me, I'm well aware of their teeth...Very well aware." He rubbed his flipper at the thought and sighed. "Alright then, I guess we should get out then."

Blowhole nodded and opened his door. "Way ahead of you. I'll get the segways from the back."

"Right...And I'll get the kids." The penguin nodded and hopped out his own door. He opened the rear side door and looked at his tired and confused children.

"Papa, this is not the beach." Eddy frowned.

Kowalski unbuckled him with a nod. "You're right, it's not. Your father decided for us to take a detour for the night."

"Why?" Benny tilted his head.

"Because your father has an attraction to real estate." He rolled his eyes, getting the two chicks out of their car seats.

Eris unbuckled and reached over for Lyris. "Is he buying this dump?"

"No, it's free real estate if we stay here until morning."

"What's the catch?"

"Supposedly it's haunted."

The young dolphin passed her half-sister up to Kowalski. "And Dad is having us all stay here? Has he thought this through?"

"You've met your father. He's a brick wall when he's decided he wants to do something."

Blowhole loudly cleared his throat from the trunk. "I know, I'm a hot discussion topic, but can we gossip a little less and get a move on already?"

Eris and Kowalski exchanged a glance before getting out of the car. She got her Segway from her dad and then scooped up Benny into her little basket. "I have Benny."

"Francis, can you get Eddy since I have Lyris?"

"Yeah." He said before snatching him up before he could slide off. "Nice try, hot shot, but you're sticking with the group."

Kowalski nodded at that and sighed. "Alright, everyone try to be on your best behavior here. It may be ours after tonight, but until then it isn't ours and I'm sure the 'you break it, you buy it' rule would be in effect."

"I'm sure we can fix whatever they break, Jan."

"Oh I'm sure, but I would rather if they at least try to be well-behaved."

Blowhole rolled his eye as he rolled towards the mansion's front door. His family followed and watched as he took the long, silver door-knocker in his flipper and knocked.

The door was shortly opened by an oddly enormous and very hairy orangutan in a dapper suit. The ape easily towered over the dolphin and his family. He adjusted his bowtie with a cheeky grin. "Welcome, monsieur. What brings me this pleasure to greet you all?" His low-voice was melodic.

Kowalski and Blowhole shared a glance. An orangutan was far from what they had expected. This was certainly not a naïve human...and very well might put a damper on their previous get-land-quick scheme. Just this bizarre butler alone was enough to cause Kowalski unease. Orangutans simply do not grow to be that tall. Perhaps as tall as Francis in extreme cases but-He had to be close to seven or eight feet tall. That's not natural.

Blowhole then cleared his throat and nodded up to the primate. "Hello. We're here about that ad on the radio, about the contest for the property. Assuming it is still ongoing?"

"Oh! You here to spend a night with us?" His thick Cajun accent chuckled with glee. "Why, we haven't had guests in a dog's age. Want to own this nice piece of land now?" The ape raised a brow at him.

"Yeah, cheap real-estate is something I'm always on the lookout for. It just so happens this location would make for a great vacation house." He shrugged.

"Ha yes, Ol' Blue Manor here is a real beaut," the babbling butler nodded. His hand patted the doorframe gently. "Carved 'n crafted bout the late 1800s, originally owned by an ol' human couple. When they passed away, their beloved animals took over, which lead to decades of animals owning this large estate." He sighed and looked away from them. "It's current owner is the great-granddaughter, Lady Daisy Blue. She herself is a sight, ha…" He stopped, his mind seemed to be elsewhere, before he gave out a big fit of laughter. "Ha! My greatest apologies, I'm rambling! You're guests, please come! Come in, I'll show you around!" The orangutan then moved aside, finally allowing the family inside the Victorian mansion.

"Fascinating, thank you." Kowalski politely smiled but gave a pointed look to Francis.

The dolphin just rolled in and the others followed him, though a little grudgingly. "So, I take it you're her minio—butler?" he asked, glancing around.

"Why yes, been so for many years, and counting," He chuckled. As the door is closed behind, the dark hallways are suddenly lit by candlelight, like magic.

The chicks chirped with delight. Eddy tapped on his daddy's rostrum and pointed. "Fancy lights!"

"Mmhm, real aesthetic aren't they?"

Kowalski glanced around. "Must be some of those...LED candles?"

"LED candles?" The orangutan asked, but before Kowalski could answer, he was cut off by another question. "My, you have children with you?" He asked giddily, looking over the four young animals.

"Oh yes." Kowalski nodded. "This is Lyris, then there's Benjamin, Eris, and Edmond." He pointed them out each in turn.

The ape's smile widens. "How delightful! Why, they're as cute as homemade pies. Lady Daisy is very fond of children."

At least slightly, Kowalski is relieved. Perhaps Francis didn't lead them and their children into a death trap after all. Maybe everything will turn out fine after all.

"So where are you leading us now?" Francis then piped up, glancing around. "To this Lady Daisy, or rooms, or what?"

The dolphin could've sworn the butler gave him an annoyed glance, but the ape laughed instead. "Of course, right down this hallway." He nodded and led the way, not at all answering his question.

"Very informative…" He murmured under his breath.

Eddy looked up at his father before looking at this strange ape. "What are you?"

The said weird ape glanced back at the young pengolphin. "Why, I'm an orangutan, boy."

"Is that a type of Bigfoot?" He tilted his head.

Kowalski and Francis both glanced at their son.

There was silence from the large butler…before he cracked a large laugh. "Oh, boy! Bigfoot wishes." He snorted.

They're soon shown the main foyer, where many fancy chandeliers and large staircases are.

"Not a bad style." Francis murmurs.

Kowalski adjusts his grip on the little dolphguin in his flippers as she's starting to get fussy. "It does have that Victorian antique charm."

"Oh yes, those ol' humans loved the Victorian theme, so they kept it when they moved to America." The butler nods, admiring the scenery himself, even if he's seen it a thousand times daily.

"Hungry." Benny then whined from Eris's basket, looking over at his parents.

"Oh oh, hungry little one? Say no more. The dining room is right this way, down on the left, big door." He gestured them to the right hallway. "Y'all continue on the tour, I'll alert Lady Blue of guests so dinner may be prepared."

"Thanks." Kowalski nodded to him as they continued to the next room.

Blowhole looked around thoughtfully. "I haven't really seen anything yet that would make it seem perilous to stay the night here."

"Ghosts usually wait until night, Francis. It's only late afternoon."

The dolphin rolled his eye and looked down at the chick in his flippers. "We're not going to see any ghosts because they're not real."

"You say that, but I have in fact had the dishonor of fighting a possessed Lunacorn a few years ago."

Benny gasped. "No fight Loonicorns!"

Kowalski turned his way. "It was… uh… a bad Lunacorn. He wanted to destroy the planet. But he can't make Lunacorns look bad anymore, okay? Your uncles, aunt Marlene, and I took care of that."

The small chick looked relieved and nodded, hugging his own Lunacorns closer to himself.

"How much longer?" Eddy whined. "Bored."

Blowhole gently sat Edmond on his head with a smile. "I'm sure not much longer."

There was then a gentle knock on the door. They all look over to see a small, flat-headed penguin and a slightly shorter but pudgy penguin waddle through the door in little tuxedos.

"Uncle Skipper and Private?" Eddy tilted his head. "You're lost."

The two penguins bowed slightly. "Good evening, we're here to show you to your rooms."

Kowalski and Blowhole stared at them for a long moment. "...You look a lot like...Some guys we know."

"We get that a lot." The flat-headed, Skipper-look-alike shrugged.

"Can we get your names?"

"I'm Skippy, and this is Junior." He nodded, waving for them to follow him.

Junior took a candle from the wall and held it to light the way. Unlike what Kowalski had suggested before, no, this was a real candle with real fire, not LED bulbs.

Blowhole looked down at his son as they continued on, attempting to ignore the flickering candle flames along the walls, but also making sure not to roll over anyone with his Segway. Changing all candles to electric fake-fire LED lights would be his first update to this house for certain.

Continuing on down the halls, the groups finally reached the bedrooms. Skippy looked at them all thoughtfully. "How do you want to divide up for rooms?"

Kowalski looked at them, thinking. "Eris, would you mind-?"

"Staying with the boys?" She gave him a pained glace. "Do I have to?"

"Eris." Her father gave her a stern glance.

"...Fine, yeah, sure." She huffed, looking away. Benny gave her a big smile to which she gently patted his head and sighed.

"Then just two rooms. Francis, Lyris, and I in one, and Eris, Eddy, and Benny in the other," Kowalski said, turning back towards Skippy.

"I'll put you in a pair of adjoining rooms then." He nodded before unlocking two doors side by side.

"That works great." Blowhole poked his head into the rooms, glancing around. "Is the door between them locked as well?"

"No, I don't believe it has a lock on it at all." Junior shook his head. "The rooms once belonged to a pair of twins. They wanted their own rooms but didn't want to be far apart."

"Alright, thank you. You'll be back when dinner is ready?"

"Yep, we'll let you get settled til then." Skippy said before the two bowed once more and waddled away.

The whole family entered the first room and closed the door. This house was getting weirder by the second.