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[The scene opens with a shot of James puffing down the mainline with a rack of coaches while Percy passes by in the opposite direction with a set of mail vans]
[Transition to the canal as Ten Cents and Theodore V. pass each other with their respective barge loads under the rail bridge]
[Transition to the book shop owned and run by none other than Belle herself, in collaboration with the Mane Family of Theo, Cleo, Lionel, and Leona. Pan into a shot of the exterior of the building as Bugs, Daffy, Fox, Wolf, Pamela, Cruella, Twilight, and Penelope Pitstop pass by before transitioning into the interior as the shop is still open for the evening]
[Several critters can be seen organizing the books on the shelves, such as Lumiere and Cogsworth organizing the catalogs alphabetically, Mrs. Potts making sure that the books are arranged neat and tidy, while Chip is shown jumping up and down between the shelves to see if anything is out of place]
[Beast is shown arranging some books on a shelf while Belle is shown arranging them on another shelf while also giving them a little dusting. The Mane Family can be seen on the upper level managing a cart of books]
[Several patrons can be seen either looking through the selection of books; the Catallic Cat gang, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup accompanied by Professor Utonium, Frankie, Pooh, Piglet, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Silver, Blaze, Simba, and Nala]
[Cut to another set of the store where one of the clerks; Francis, is shown organizing some of the tapes and discs kept towards the back end where people can either purchase or rent films and shows. He is shown putting the tapes marked under "P" in order when he notices that one of the tapes is in an unlabeled case, merely marked by the initials P.T.]
Francis: Hmmm…
[Francis takes the tape out from the shelf and looks at it more closely, flipping it around to see any other trace of identification, but nothing else can be seen on the cover]
Francis: Interesting…
[Francis takes the tape across the room and spots Belle having finished helping out a few customers in the form of the Heeler family pick out some books]
Belle: No problem, glad to be of service…oh, Francis, is there something you need?
Francis: AHEM, Miss Belle-
Belle: Hmmhmm, you don't have to be so formal.
Francis: Either way…I don't suppose you know the details behind this tape I found?
Belle: Huh? Lemme see…
[Francis hands the strange tape over to the brunette who eyes it curiously]
Belle: Strange, there's hardly any labels on this thing.
Francis: Perhaps it might be a bootleg.
Belle: Maybe, what's it say on the contents?
[Francis opens the case and the tape itself has a single white sticker in the center that reads "01/24/1980-11/20/1980". The tuxedo cat narrows his eyes at the label, to which Belle notices]
Belle: Francis?
Francis: Hold on…something about that date feels strangely…familiar…
Belle: Does it now?
Francis: It's admittedly a little foggy at the moment…perhaps a demo might reveal something?
Belle: Okay, I suppose we can do that, there's a television with a VHS player in the break room.
[Belle notices Beast coming towards them and ushers the chimera]
Belle: Oh, Beast! I think you need to see this.
Beast: Yes? What is it, Belle?
Belle: It's this tape that Francis found, there's barely any labels on it.
Beast: Lemme see that…
[Francis hands the tape over to the chimera who examines it carefully]
Beast: Hrrrrrrrmmmmm…awfully suspicious to find something like this…we need to review the contents before someone picks this up.
[Cut to the break room as Francis puts the tape into the player and presses the play button. The deterioration on the tape can be seen through the static and fuzzy quality early on, but the picture starts to become clearer as the exact date appears in the top left corner of the screen "24 Jan 1980"]
Belle: Huh…that looks a lot like a lab of sorts…
Francis: Wait a minute…
"...This lab is my dream…F…Ar…hasn't compromised…finanical…Zeibold and Grey."
[The tape shows the interior of a laboratory as test tubes, beakers, and other scientific equipment are shown panning to the right before we cut to a professor tinkering with the dial on one of the machines as two other assistants can be seen carrying supplies around him]
Beast: I don't think this is a film, but someone's recollection…
[The time of date in the upper left changes to "18 Mar 1980" as a black cat is seen being placed on the table. Cut back to Francis as something appears to click with him almost instantly. He gasps]
"I know that my tissue bonding glue will revol-"
[The tape suddenly pauses as Francis hastily removes it from the player, much to Belle and Beast's surprise]
Belle: Francis? What's wrong?
Francis: …You don't need to see the rest of the contents…I know exactly what's on this tape.
Belle: Oh…it's that bad, then…
Francis: Yes…I think it would be best if I…disposed of this tape. I've seen it before, though not in a long time. What I will say is that the rest of the contents are…unsuitable for those who are squeamish…
Beast: Hmmm…based on that, I'd say that's the best course of action. We don't need to disturb our patrons.
Francis: Correct. I'll hold onto this and dispose of it somewhere. I don't know how something like this even got in here…
Belle: Either way, I think it's best if we got this out of here.
[The three are shown leaving the break room, but while Belle and Beast continue on, Francis stays behind to look at the tape once more]
Francis: I haven't seen this in ages…who could have sent this here…
[Francis looks over to a bin. He holds the tape over it to throw it away…but then he retracts and looks back at the cover]
Francis: …Oh, what am I doing, this thing needs to be tossed away…and yet…someone else could find it…perhaps.
[Francis looks from left to right before walking away with the tape]
[Cut to later in the evening as Francis arrives back at his apartment, flicking the light switch on, then off, then on, then off, then on again. He sighs as he looks ahead before heading over to the living room. We then see what was originally hidden, the tape in his hand as he sets it down on the counter]
[Francis sits down on the couch as he looks toward the television…he then looks down at the tape. In spite of removing it for the safety of the store, the feline finds it hard to think of anything but the tape, knowing the contents on it]
Francis: …No, the deed is done. It's staying locked in there.
[Francis stands up from the couch and goes over to the kitchen to prepare some tea for himself. With this distraction in mind, he tries to think about something else, although he occasionally peers back at the living room]
[Cut to Francis setting the cup of tea down on the table before grabbing the remote to watch the television. The current program is set to the news as the theme plays over the logo "TCN". It cross-fades to focusing on the reporters]
[Francis however tunes out whatever is being said on-screen as his eyes drift off back to the tape, he tries to focus ahead…but his eyes drift down once more]
Francis: …Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it.
[Francis smacks his paw down on the table as the tape jumps up before falling back down…the feline sighs as he picks the tape off the table. He looks over to below the TV where a VHS and DVD player can be seen]
Francis: …Do I really risk bringing back the memories…[sighs]...this is ridiculous.
[Francis picks up the case and takes the tape out before walking over to the player and inserting the VHS into it. The tape has been rewound to the start as shown by the first date in the upper left]
"...This lab is my dream…F…Ar…hasn't compromised…finanical…Zeibold and Grey."
[Francis watches the film with a neutral expression as the memories of him first finding the tape come back to him]
"I know that my tissue bonding glue will revolutionize medical science…"
[The tape buzzes as the cat is strapped down on the table. One of the scientists takes out a blade while the other grabs a test tube of a green liquid]
"T…first exper…has failed-"
[Before the tape can showcase the results of the first experiment, the screen is suddenly paused, cutting back to Francis haphazardly holding the remote with his arm stretched out, knowing what contents lie beyond this point]
Francis: …This isn't exactly what you'd call a pleasant trip down Memory Lane…of course, here I am, still playing this tape regardless…AHEM, I think we've seen enough.
[Francis stands up from the couch and goes over to the player to take out the tape, but just as he's about to select the eject button, he pauses…]
Francis: Okay…now…
[Francis puts his finger to the eject button…it slowly slides over to the play button…Francis' brows lower as the music tenses up…]
[Transition to Francis sitting back on the couch with his paws on his lap, his eyes focused on the tape playing before him]
"Yeees, Claundandus, talk to…Fascinating, isn't it? The animal…sense of…did he say I…let hi…the cage…prepare to fight…?"
[Cut to the tape as a pair of eyes pierce through the darkness of the cage]
"What was that…I've got to save Claudandus!"
[The tape begins to ripple before the feed is cut…pan over to Francis watching with a stoic look on his face…it drops to a more solemn expression]
Francis: It's all coming back to me…it's safer here, no one should have to bare witness to this…
[Cut to later at night as Francis is now asleep in bed…cut to a hallway lit by dim lights on the ceiling as the feline's footsteps echo throughout, a tense piano melody plays in the background…Francis stares dead ahead at the seemingly endless room until he comes to a door]
[The feline cautiously puts his paw on the knob and slowly turns it, revealing the other side to be a collection of faces from the past; Bluebeard…Felicity…Nhozemphtekh…Claudandus…the latter of which has his signature resting look of contemplation on him]
[The two felines stare down each other before Claudandus' lips curl to a grin]
Claundandus: You can't run from the past, it will always catch up with you…hmmhmmhmm, just like it did with me…I was right, you know…you live your ordinary little day, and at night, you sleep your ordinary little sleep, full of peaceful, stupid dreams…and I have brought you nightmares…
[Claudandus blinks and we are shown a flash of the events through his eyes; Francis finding the tape, rediscovering the contents, the echo of him flicking the light switch on and off to recreations of scenes from the original film; Francis discovering the first body with Bluebeard, his encounter with Felicity, his encounter with Nhozemphtekh, Deep Purple's discovery, Solitaire from an angle to obscure the obvious contents based on Kong's reaction, Jesaja in the Catacombs, Joker's preaching to the Claudandus Sect, the fantasy of meeting Felidae himself, the fire of Professor Preterius' house]
[Cut back to Francis himself as he opens his eyes to the early morning sunlight coming through the room…he looks at the clock reading "7:00"...he sighs to himself]
[Cut to Francis walking out on the street before coming to a stop against a lamp post. He leans against it and puts his paws to his head]
Francis: What is seen cannot be unseen…
[He looks to the other side of the road…Claudandus is watching him with his default expression. Francis blinks twice and the Brown Havana has disappeared…Francis stares at where the other feline just stood for some time…that is until a paw snaps its fingers in front of his face]
Bluebeard: Hey! Earth to Smartass, do you read me?
Francis: Huh? Oh, it's just you.
Bluebeard: Well, ain't that a way to greet someone.
Francis: …I apologize, just had a lot on my mind recently.
Bluebeard: Hmm, so nothing new then.
Francis: Yes…more like something old that came back to haunt me.
Bluebeard: Which is?
Francis: That tape I found in the basement, showed up at the bookstore yesterday, I took it in for safety reasons.
Bluebeard: Huh, acting as the knight in shining armor for these poor delicate souls.
[Francis looks over to the other side of the street and notices Felicity and Nhozemphtekh walking together. Seeing this, he can't help but crack a small smile at Bluebeard's quip]
Francis: Rather I hold onto that trauma than have someone else witness it.
Bluebeard: Interesting way to look at it…that, or you're just crazy.
Francis: Who knows, I might be a little of both.
[Francis and Bluebeard are given permission to cross the road as the title song of the original film plays over them walking]
I was happy here unfettered and free
Living the life of contentment and luxury
Sucking on bones, sipping white wine
A superior cat, proud and divine
Felidae (Felidae)
Felidae (Felidae)
[Cut to black]
Character Guide:
Francis, Claudandus, Bluebeard, Felicity, Nhozemphtekh, Jesaja, Kong, Joker, Deep Purple, Solitare - Felidae (1994)
Belle, Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Bluey Heeler, Bingo Heeler, Bandit Heeler, Chilli Heeler - Bluey
Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, Professor Utonium - The Powerpuff Girls
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck - Looney Tunes
Cruella De Vil - 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Fox McCloud, Wolf O'Donnell - Star Fox
Frankie Foster - Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Pamela Bondani - Patrol 03
Penelope Pitstop - Wacky Races / The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
Peter Pan, Tinker Bell - Peter Pan (1953)
Pooh, Piglet - Winnie the Pooh
Riff-Raff, Hector, Wordsworth, Mungo, Cleo - Catallic Cats
Silver the Hedgehog, Blaze the Cat - Sonic the Hedgehog
Simba, Nala - The Lion King (1994)
Theo Mane, Cleo Mane, Lionel Mane, Leona Mane - Between the Lions
James, Percy - Thomas and Friends
Ten Cents - TUGS
Theodore V. - Theodore Tugboat