NIGHTMARE ON BAKER STREET
A GMD Fanfiction By The Mouse Avenger
AUTHOR'S NOTES: In addition to all the new GMD fanfics that are constantly being added to my never-ending project list, I'm also working on editing & revising the majority of my old stories. For my latest update, I am proud to present you with the new-&-improved version of one of my favorite GMD tales...the spine-tingling horror-suspense thriller, "Nightmare On Baker Street". And just in time for Halloween! ^_^ I sincerely hope you will enjoy the newest edition of my spook-tacular story!
When you're finished reading, feel free to leave a review. I'll take anything from simple comments to constructive criticism, as long as they're not flames or written in a mean, stern, or overly-harsh manner.
And, now, for a brief copyright & disclaimer...
All "Great Mouse Detective" characters, elements, & properties © Disney.
All original characters, elements, & properties © The Mouse Avenger (that's me). Please be sure to ask for my permission before using them in your stories or role-playings. Thanks very much in advance.
And now that my copyright & disclaimer is finished, let the fanfiction begin! Happy reading!
Chapter 1: Some Legends Never Die
Wednesday, October 26, 1904
It was a dark & stormy night in Mouse London. The rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets, rattling along the housetops, & fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness. The wind-swept waters of the Thames River fiercely pounded against the wooden rollercoaster & ramp that led to the entrance of the Rat Trap Family Restaurant...& the exterior edifice of the establishment was not spared from the storm's fury, either, as rain & river water mercilessly battered the outer walls like a boxer's fists slamming against his opponent. Inside the Rat Trap, however, things were a bit more quiet & peaceful. The main room of the restaurant was plunged in pitch-black darkness, save only for the pumpkin-scented candles that gave off a gentle golden glow. Nearly all the tables were empty, except for the largest one of all, placed in the center of the eating area...Table #7.
At said table, a mass multitude of rodents—all of various species, ages, & appearances—were seated together in a circle. All these rodents happened to be part of a family that had become very famous in Mouse London over the past 6 years...none other than our beloved batch of heroes, the Baker Street Family. Clan leader Basil Holmesington Of Baker Street (aged 35), his wife Victoria (82), his daughter Fuchsia (6), his son Basil II (3-going-on-4), physician Dr. Dawson (59-going-on-60), mousekeeper Mrs. Judson (62), adopted sons Ratigan & Fidget (24 & 22, respectively), & their surrogate "sub-families"—the Flavershams & the McBrides—all listened attentively to the tale being told by the tall, heavy-set mouse sitting close to them on a big wooden stool...their very good friend & companion, Evelyn Rosedale.
The 40-year-old Rat Trap co-owner / co-manager / head cook / headwaitress (& former barmaid) was telling the Baker Street Family a ghost story—which was rather fitting, considering that Halloween was just a few days away—but, mind you, this was not just any ghost story. This particular yarn that Evelyn was spinning, was based off a legend that had been circulating through the Western mouse world for almost 20 years. It was a tale of love, pain, hatred, betrayal, revenge, & murder. It was the tale of Rebecca Du Maurier, the notorious "Ghost Bride" of Massachusetts.
"Years ago, in the city of Mouse Boston, there lived a family known as the Du Mauriers. The father, Andrew, was a wealthy businessmouse, while mother Abby worked as a mousewife; the couple had two daughters, Emma & Rebecca. By all appearances, the Du Mauriers seemed to be a perfectly-happy, loving family...but, unbeknownst to the outside world, secrets were hiding behind the façade—secrets of a dark & sinister nature. But whatever those skeletons in the closet might have been, Andrew kept them well under wraps. To this day, no one knows the truth about the Du Maurier family, for all of their secrets have been taken with them into the grave, never to be revealed...
"But here's what we do know about Rebecca Du Maurier, & what became of her & her kin: At the age of 13, Rebecca ran away from her family's home in Boston, & fled to the Mouse Manhattan borough of New York City, where she hoped to make a new life for herself. But poor Rebecca had no friends or relatives who lived in Manhattan, & she spent her days wandering the streets alone...that is, until a wealthy architect—Maxim Danvers—happened to cross paths with her one day, on his way home from work. Taking pity on the wandering waif, Maxim brought Rebecca to his Upper East Side mansion, & allowed her to live there under his care.
"As time passed, Maxim grew increasingly fond of Rebecca, & came to view her as a sort of daughter-figure. Rebecca, however, didn't have quite the same feelings as Maxim did; she found herself falling in love with the older mouse! Whatever faults Rebecca had seen in her father, were lacking in Maxim, & Rebecca's attraction to the architect was intensified as a result of this. But while Rebecca's deep love for Maxim continued to grow, Maxim was becoming more & more uneasy with how the whole relationship was developing...yet he did not admit those feelings to Rebecca, for he feared that doing so would crush her heart—the last thing he wanted to happen to Rebecca, after all the pain & suffering she had gone through in her life! So, Maxim kept his inner insecurities to himself, & pretended to feel the same way as Rebecca did...even accepting her proposal to marry her.
"But in the days before the wedding, Maxim became filled with dread & anxiety, not sure that he could really bring himself to wed a mouse who was considerably younger than him—let alone one that he considered to be like his own daughter! After hours of wallowing in an emotional quagmire, Maxim finally remembered the older sister that Rebecca had told him about, & decided to marry her, instead; as soon as Maxim had changed his mind, he sent a telegram to the Du Maurier family in Boston, asking for Emma's paw in marriage. Though they were a little surprised at the stranger's unexpected proposal, Andrew & Abby were nonetheless delighted by the prospect of their older daughter marrying a wealthy gentlemouse, & they immediately accepted Maxim's offer. With that, Maxim made his way to Mouse Boston, & married Emma Du Maurier in a private ceremony. Meanwhile, Rebecca Du Maurier arrived at the church for her own wedding, only to discover that she had been left at the altar...
"It was then that Rebecca became consumed with unrelenting rage towards Maxim Danvers—the very furson who she had hoped to spend the rest of her life with, but abandoned her for her older sister! Hell-bent on seeking revenge for the great wrong that had been done to her, Rebecca made her way back to Boston, making her first stop at an abandoned barn that she & Emma visited frequently during their youth. After digging around in the hay, Rebecca was delighted to find a big, sharp axe—the perfect weapon that she could use to send the fursons she now hated so deeply, six feet underground!
"Then, still carrying the axe in her paws—& clad in the wedding dress & veil she had worn ever since the day of what would have been her marriage to Maxim Danvers—Rebecca prowled the streets of Mouse Boston, before finally making her way into the opulent townhouse where she had once resided with her family. Quietly, Rebecca tiptoed up the stairs to her parents' bedroom, where Andrew & Abby were sleeping soundly together. Then, sporting a wicked smile on her face, Rebecca lifted the axe up high into the air, & brought it down upon her mother & father, laughing wickedly as she hacked their bodies to bloody bits... [1]
"After Andrew & Abby had been murdered, Rebecca went back outside, & traveled the 13 blocks to the house where her older sister now lived...along with her new husband, Maxim. Upon arriving at the aforementioned house, & making her way up to the second-floor bedroom, Rebecca saw Emma & Maxim sleeping in their bed, just as Andrew & Abby had been doing before their grisly deaths. Once again, Rebecca's lips curled back to reveal a cruel, fang-filled grin, & she chopped her sister & would-be fiancé to little pieces, as her peals of evil laughter echoed into the night...
"The next morning, a few policemice were summoned to the Du Maurier family's house to investigate the murders of Andrew & Abby. After looking at the crime scene, the officers followed the trail of bloody footprints leading to Emma & Maxim's house. When they got there, the policemice were shocked to find a beautiful, 15-year-old mousette seated in a rocking chair, dressed in a bride's outfit, & throwing rice upon the dead, bloodied bodies of her sister & brother-in-law, as she softly sang the words of the Bridal Chorus...
Here comes the bride,
All dressed in white,
Sweetly, serenely in the soft, glowing light...
Lovely to see, marching to thee,
Sweet love united for eternity...
"Then, just before the policemice could do anything, Rebecca swiftly leaped up out of the rocking chair, & hurled herself out of the bedroom window, plummeting to her death 2 stories below. A few days later, all the members of the Du Maurier family—including Maxim Danvers—were buried together in a plot at Mouse Boston Cemetery, with Rebecca still wearing her wedding dress & veil. But even death would not bring an end to this tragic, twisted tale...Since the year of the Du Maurier massacre, there have been annual strings of gruesome murders that have claimed the lives of unfortunate rodents all around the world, & they always occur at the same time in the fall...
"Every year, in the last week of October, the ghost of Rebecca Du Maurier can be seen wandering the streets of some mouse city or other, seeking her unholy revenge on all couples & families who are unlucky enough to be in her way. Once she's found her prey, Rebecca takes her axe, & hacks the unfortunate rodents to death, never stopping until she's released the pent-up anger & pain that has burdened her heart for all these years. Then, as soon as her deadly task is complete, Rebecca does the honor of throwing rice upon the bodies of her victims, serenading them with the Bridal Chorus all the while..." [2]
For the next several moments, no one at Table #7 spoke a word, uttered a sound, or emitted a breath. Finally, however, the silence was broken with hearty rounds of applause from the Baker Street Family. "A cleverly-crafted story, Miss Rosedale!" Basil complimented Evelyn, as he clapped his paws together. "Once again, you have amazed us all with your fine talent!"
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Basil," Evelyn replied with a modest smile, as she casually toyed with a lock of her curly brown hair. "But, really, what can I say? I've always had a knack for telling fanciful tales..."
"No kiddin'!" Fidget replied enthusiastically, nodding his head in agreement.
With that, Evelyn finally decided to change the topic, now that storytime was over. "So, are you guys gonna help us with the Halloween party this week?" Evelyn asked the Baker Street Family.
"Oh, of course, we will, Evelyn!" 12-year-old Olivia Flaversham said in her adorable Scottish accent. "You know we always do every year!"
"And we can't wait to come over & celebrate Halloween with you!" 16-year-old Cousin Timmy Flaversham said eagerly.
"Yeah," added 16-year-old Cousin Tina Flaversham. "As soon as we're all done trick-or-treating, we'll be sure to stop by the Rat Trap!"
"Cousin Tina’s right." said 12-year-old Cousin Samantha Flaversham, "After all, we’ve only got 5 more days just before the big celebration!"
"Right!" agreed 15-year-old Arden Flaversham, "I mean, we just bought several costumes and candy."
"And just in time for the big bash!" 44-year-old Hiram Flaversham gushed gleefully.
"My goodness," Evelyn exclaimed with a chuckle, "I can't believe you kids have grown up so much in the last 7 years, since we first met..." [3]
"Well, we've grown up in some ways, Evelyn," 18-year-old Julie McBride said with a coy smirk & a wink, "but not necessarily all ways..."
"Yeah, that's definitely true," Evelyn agreed, & she & the members of the Baker Street Family all burst into laughter. When everyone had finally settled down after lingering in their state of merriment for several moments, Evelyn decided to pop one other question to her friends: "So, who are you gonna dress up as for Halloween this year?" Before the Baker Street Family could give their answers, they all froze when their ears perked up to the sound of faint, eerie noises echoing throughout the main room of the Rat Trap. When said noises became louder & more menacing in tone, Basil & his beloved ones began to quake & quiver in absolute fear. "Oh, my goodness," 14-year-old Jane McBride squeaked in a frightened voice, "There’s ghosts haunting the Rat Trap!"
"Holy crap!" 24-year-old Eliza McBride ejaculated in alarm. "What do we do?"
"For once in my life," 20-year-old Gadget McBride admitted, "I actually don't know. Maybe, run?"
"Stand our guard, & fight with all we've got?" 43-year-old Sally McBride suggested.
"Pray?" 45-year-old Andrew McBride recommended nervously.
As if to spite our heroes, the eerie noises only continued to increase in volume & intensity...&, then, imagine the Baker Street Family's complete horror when they saw several white forms suddenly surrounding their table, & slowly closing in on them! For the next several moments, it almost seemed like the Baker Street Family was doomed...until Evelyn came to their rescue just in time! The restaurateuress got up from her seat, & went over to pull off each of the white sheets covering the bodies of the "ghosts", as she said with a coy smirk on her moled face, "The party's over, guys. Now's the time to change back into your mortal forms, before Rebecca Du Maurier starts frolicking with you..."
One by one, each of the "specters" was unmasked, & their true identities were finally revealed to the Baker Street Family. They were none other than the members of the Rat Trap Crew, led by Evelyn's 52-year-old partner, Auburn Patterson, & the various performers & 'mousicians' who entertained the customers. One of the previously-mentioned performers, 41-year-old Rosie The Ribbiter, couldn't help but laugh at how the Crew's little prank had turned out. "Ah, I can't believe it, Evelyn," the former circus frog blurted out between merry cackles, "you got us again!"
"Boy, you're good!" Rosie's 32-year-old partner, Ned The Newt, complimented Evelyn with an impressed expression on his face.
"And your joke about Rebecca Du Maurier?" Rosie added amidst persisting peals of chuckles & chortles. "Boy, was that ever priceless!" After giving a hearty belly laugh, Rosie playfully repeated Evelyn's earlier jest to the Rat Trap Crew members (complete with an exaggerated Yorkshire accent): "'Now's the time to change back into your mortal forms, before Rebecca Du Maurier starts frolicking with you...'"
Before too long, everyone else in the Rat Trap (including the Baker Street Family) found themselves joining Rosie in her state of merriment, & their jolly laughter soon started echoing throughout the main room of the restaurant...except in the case of one of the other performers, 29-year-old Jiggy The Juggling Octopus. Unlike his friends, Jiggy was actually feeling rather terrified, now that Rosie had mentioned the name of the dreaded Ghost Bride (& after he had overheard Evelyn's story, no less!). "Ooh, please, don't let Rebecca get me!" Jiggy pleaded fearfully. "Anything but that!" Then, the poor, frightened cnidarian proceeded to start running around in circles, screaming like his tentacles were on fire...
...that is, until 32-year-old Miss Kitty Lorne (another one of the Rat Trap entertainers) laid a comforting paw on Jiggy's shoulder, & assured the octopus in her kind, gentle voice, "Jiggy, it's OK, it's just a story." Then, with a playful, mischievous smirk on her face, the starlet added, "A very appropriate one, though, for a night like this..."
"Yeah, Jiggy, you got nothing to worry about," 33-year-old Morey The Trumpet-Player consoled his eight-legged friend, a reassuring smile fixed between his plump cheeks. "Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," 28-year-old Arnie The Drummer cautioned in his Cuban accent. "During the month, I have seen many a strange specter wandering around the Rat Trap, mostly of drowned sailors & some of our old patrons who died in the Big Brawl seven years ago. The customers do not notice them, but I hear their cries. They tell me they want to seek revenge...but nonetheless, you can't be so doubtful of everything, Morey. I should know, for I speak from experience, yes? Heck, I've seen the ghost of my homeland's former dictator El Bruto [4] hanging around my room!"
Upon hearing Arnie's words, the Baker Street Kids immediately became filled with terror, & huddled up closely together, clutching one another tightly as they quaked & quivered even more than they did a while ago. Taking notice of her younger friends' fearful demeanors, Evelyn went over to give the Baker Street Kids comforting hugs, as she gently scolded the Rat Trap Band's drummer: "Now, now, Arnie, there's no need to go on any further. Look, you've scared the children to death, bless their lil' hearts!"
"Most terribly sorry, Evelyn," Arnie apologized, now looking quite sheepish when he finally took notice of the Baker Street Kids' reactions to his earlier rant. "I shall be more careful next time."
"See that you are," 32-year-old Don The Pianist told Arnie in a smart-alecky tone-of-voice, before turning to look at his beloved wife, an actress named Molly Hannigan (who was just 1 year his junior). "Off the subject," Don told Molly with a fond smile, "I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing you in the Halloween pageant!"
"Thank you, Donnie," a flattered Molly replied with a pleasant smile on her pretty face. "I hope to do a spook-tacular job as Wendy, the good little witch!" She then proceeded to let out a high-pitched cackle, as she put on the tall, pointy red hat she would be wearing with her costume, & made a dramatic "heroine" pose.
"I'm sure you will, Molly!" Arden told her older gal pal encouragingly. "After all, you're a very good actress!"
"Why, thank you for your kind praise, Arden!" Molly said to the younger mouse, as she took a small bow. "And I trust that you & your family will be in the audience during the pageant?"
"Oh, of course, we will, Molly!" Basil replied amiably. "When have we ever failed to show up?"
"You make a good point, my dear detective," Molly remarked playfully, before letting out a giggle, & going over to sit beside Don at one of the nearby tables.
At this point, the other members of the Rat Trap Band—Tom The Trombonist (aged 29), Jerry The Guitar-Player (aged 25), Wally The Tuba-Player (aged 35), Jack The Clarinet-Player (aged 33), Lennie The Sax-Player (aged 28), & Brad The Flute-Player (aged 32)—began engaging in conversations with one another. "Wasn't the witch originally named Winnie?" Tom asked Jack.
"Yeah, but they changed her name to Wendy at the last minute," Jack answered.
"I wonder why," Brad mused thoughtfully.
"I think it's because it reminds fursons too much of Winnie Ratterson," Jack replied. "You know, one of those three witches who keep causing mousechief in Mouse London?" [5]
"Oh, right, of course!" Brad exclaimed in realization, nodding his head to indicate his recognition of the Ratterson sisters.
"So, what's the pageant about, again?" Lennie asked Wally, certain that his oh-so-knowledgeable friend could provide him with the answer.
"Basically," Wally replied, "it's about Halloween, & how the holiday transformed & evolved throughout the years."
"Oh, really? What was Halloween like when it was just starting out?" Lennie questioned quizzically.
"Well, believe it or not, Halloween began as an ancient pagan ritual, called All Hallows' Eve," Wally explained. "It was the one night of the year when the spirits of the dead could return to Earth."
"Come on, Wally!" Fidget (who had overheard the conversation among the band members) blurted out in disbelief. "My folks & I have seen ghosts lots of times throughout the year—not just on Halloween!"
"Then, I guess they weren't satisfied with just appearing on one day," Wally retorted with a shrug of his shoulders.
"No, duh!" Tom remarked. "After all, if you'll recall the details of Evelyn's story, the Ghost Bride always appears in the last week of October. That's 7 days, including Halloween!" Then, counting on his fingers, the trombonist proceeded to list each of the days in question: "October 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, & 31!"
"And going by the logic of the story," Jack added, "tonight's the second night of Rebecca Du Maurier's murder spree. Wherever she's hanging out this year, she's getting ready to unleash another attack!"
When Jack said this, everyone in the Rat Trap became filled with fear & fright. Poor little Ned was so scared, he ran & hid underneath the Baker Street Family's table! But it seemed that Miss Kitty's 32-year-old twin sisters, Bridget & Sheena, were even more terrified than the cowering newt. "Oh, my gosh, what if the Ghost Bride is in Mouse London?" Bridget suddenly realized.
"Yeah!" Sheena said fearfully, starting to hyperventilate in her state of terror. "What if Rebecca Du Maurier comes to our houses in the middle of the night, & finds us all asleep in our beds? What if she takes her axe, & chops us all to pieces, &..."
"Sheena, settle down!" Auburn commanded the panicking performer, as he firmly placed his paws on her shoulders, & gazed sternly into her eyes. "I won't have you fillin' the kids' heads with ideas. After all, who wants to have nightmares on Halloween?"
"Not me, that's for sure!" Ned replied, still cowering in his hiding place under the table.
At this point, Basil dug around in the front pocket of his brown detective's tunic, & pulled out a glimmering golden watch, before popping the lid open to glance at the time. [6] It was already 8:00! "Well, I must say, Evelyn, that we really enjoyed visiting you & the Crew this evening," Basil said pleasantly, as he put the watch back into his pocket, & got up out of his seat, slowly rising to stand on his feet. "Make no mistake, my family & I definitely plan to make further visits to you, as is our custom...but, for now, we must depart."
"Of course, Mr. Basil, I understand that you & your loved ones are all feelin' anxious to get home," Evelyn told the detective in that warm, motherly voice of hers. Then, waving "goodbye" to the Baker Street Family with the rest of the Rat Trap Crew, the restaurateuress added amiably, "Have a splendid night, & be careful on your way back!"
"Thank you, Evelyn," Olivia chirped in response, as she & her loved ones headed for the Rat Trap's front door. "We will!" Then, with that, the Baker Street Family finally exited the restaurant, & made the long journey back to their West End residence.
The Baker Street Family's van provided a cozy, comforting shelter from the violent storm that was still raging over Mouse London; neither wind nor rain could touch our heroes, & as long as they were all in their vehicle, they were completely safe & dry. As the van continued to cautiously travel down the length of the London sidewalks, the members of the Baker Street Family engaged in conversations with one another, knowing that would help them pass the time until they got to their house. The Great Mouse Detective & his dear ones talked about everything from weather to whirligigs, ice cream to Irish jigs, countries to cavities, TV to tragedies, mouseums to mystery, hobbies to history, & just about anything else you could think of...but things took a really interesting turn when the Baker Street Family's discussions switched to the topic of ghosts. [7]
"Boy, Evelyn sure told us a great ghost story earlier!" Arden commented.
"Yeah!" Cousin Samantha agreed. "It was soooo scary..."
"A little too scary, in fact!" Jane remarked, more to herself than to anyone else.
"And you know what would make the story of the Ghost Bride even scarier?" Julie added. "If it really did actually happen!"
"Ooh, I definitely don't doubt that, Julie!" Olivia assented, before muttering sotto voce, "Goodness, I certainly hope it's just a story..."
"Oh, come now, Olivia," Arden retorted in response to her younger sister's remark, "when haven't we been paid a visit or two by some supernatural being who was supposedly 'nonexistent'?"
"I can't think of any times," Olivia answered, shaking her head in negation. "But, still, I can't help but wonder...Is the legend of the Ghost Bride real?"
As the members of the Baker Street Family silently pondered over that question, Basil kept on driving the van down the puddle-adorned pavements, refusing to stop until he & his loved ones finally reached their destination. Unbeknownst to our heroes, however, a lone figure was wandering down the sidewalk on the other side of the street, her white outfit seemingly impervious to the raindrops that fell upon the ground. As she slowly made her way past several rodent buildings, the figure's yellow eyes surreptitiously glanced at each structure, looking for the right one to visit.
Finally, not too far away from the curb, the figure stopped in front of a mouse house, & turned to face the entrance. Sure enough, this was the place she was looking for! With that, the figure quietly treaded up the stairs leading to the front door, & passed through the threshold to enter the house. No doubt, the newly-wedded couple who lived there would be surprised to see her...but, oh, how eagerly the figure looked forward to seeing them!
[1] In case you couldn't already tell, the story of Rebecca Du Maurier was partially inspired by that of Lizzie Borden...
[2] ...& that of Cynthia Snell in the "Hey, Arnold!" episode "Ghost Bride".
[3] Evelyn's first meeting with the Baker Street Family will be depicted in Chapter 9 of "The Great Mouse Detective 2: A New Beginning".
[4] The "El Bruto" that Arnie is referring to, is largely the same as the eponymous figure in Eve Titus' book, "Basil In Mexico", but he's the dictatorial ruler of Mouse Cuba (as opposed to Mouse Mexico)—kind of like a rodential version of Fidel Castro.
[5] A bit of a joke for all you "Hocus Pocus" fans out there... ;-)
[6] Basil carries a gold pocket-watch, given to him by a mouse duke (whose kidnapped son he rescued). (Another throwback to Eve Titus' original "Basil Of Baker Street" stories.)
[7] The use of alliteration & rhyming in listing the conversation topics, was inspired by similar instances of such writing in the original "Basil Of Baker Street" books.