Master Bruce

A dark, brooding Victorian manor stood atop a very slight hill, with a huge yard spreading around it. It was raining.

In the main hall there was a silhouette-like character, walking towards the kitchen on the right side of the hall. The character was dressed in a fine black suit.

There was a plate on the kitchen table. It had barely been touched with most of the food intact. The man in the suit, butler Alfred, stopped by the plate. Alfred sighed. Alfred walked to the right and opened a door to a corridor. He walked fast through the corridor and towards the open door at its end. It was still raining outside and the door was swinging back and forth in the wind.

Alfred was running. He ran through the yard and stopped after he reached the remains of the metal gates of the Bruce's family's graveyard. "Oh god.. I welded them shut!" It looked like something big had crashed to the gates, now mangled with most of the junctions popped open. The vehicle had pushed the gates up so that they formed an arch hanging over the ground.

Alfred passed underneath the gates and walked forward on the sand road. He knew where Bruce was. Bruce had tried to come here every year on this same day for over a decade, and every year Alfred had tried to stop Bruce. Last year Alfred had to tase Bruce and drag him back to the manor. He could never contact anyone, never consult any doctor. Every year on this same day, Bruce's state got very, very bad. Alfred was the only one who could ever help.

Most of the time Bruce was quite silent, even catatonic at times. This date always hit him hard. It shook Bruce out of his usual state, as if ice cold water was thrown into his face, it exposed him to the horrible reality he never learned to deal with.

"Mom! Dad!" A strong yell carried to Alfred from a hundred meters away. "I will help you.. It's ok, Bruce is here.." Bruce had already dug a sizeable hole to the ground with his bare hands. "I know you can hear me!" Bruce yelled, staring at the very ground he was shoveling away in a furious frenzy.

Alfred walked calmly towards Bruce. Alfred said very quietly: "Bruce?" Bruce was silent. Alfred touched Bruce's shoulder. "Come on, let's go back inside, shall we?" Alfred asked. "But they are here! Mom and dad.. They are here.. In the coffins, they are sleeping in the coffins.." Bruce muttered. Bruce was looking away without really looking at anything, his eyes staring into nothingness. "Mom.. I love mom, and dad.. Dad said he'll take me to the movies again."

Bruce turned and looked at Alfred, with tears in his eyes which were red from crying. "Alfie? Can we wake Mom and Dad tomorrow? Will you help me?" Alfred squatted in front of Bruce who was sitting in the ground. "Of course we can, Master Bruce. Let's go inside now."

Bruce and Alfed walked through the mangled gates, back towards the manor. "Alfie?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, Bruce?" Alfred replied. "Why did mom and dad want to go to sleep?" Bruce continued. "Bruce, your mother and father were very tired. They just have to sleep some more, I promise you that very soon they will come inside with us and we can drink tea together, and you can tell them how good you have been."

Bruce smiled at Alfred. "I love you Alfie." Alfred looked back at Bruce and smiled. "I love you too, Bruce. Your parents do too. I know, they told me."

Bruce ran inside to the manor, he felt much better and he wanted to play with all his toys.

Alfred walked to the side of the manor and down the stairs to the cellar. Alfred opened the cellar door with a key. He walked to the dark cellar and turned on the lights. There was a large double bed along the wall on the left side of the cellar. There was a bulge on the sheets, with two people lying on the bed.

Alfred started speaking in a calm voice: "Hello, Thomas and Martha.. I'm so very sorry to tell you that Bruce had one of his episodes again. I truly am. I told him you will wake up soon. I told him you just need to sleep, you are very tired. I should know."

Bruce was upstairs in his room. He giggled, dancing alone, with music playing in his cassette player. Bruce wore a dress with flowers in it. The dress was far too small for a full-grown man. He started singing in a silent, girly voice.

Alfred was sitting in an armchair, looking at the double bed. "Oh come on" Alfred said in an annoyed voice. "Now you two are just being lazy! I have looked after little Bruce, giving her everything a little girl could need! She looks just like my little child, just like my wife!"

Alfred pulled the sheets off the bed. He looked at the bed. "I am very disappointed with you two! I know you asked for help in your insomnia, but now you won't even get out of bed!" Alfred threw the sheets to the bed. Alfred walked fast up the stairs. It was still raining outside. Alfred walked back towards the graveyard. "I need to fetch the car.. We are going to need it."

Bruce was still dancing happily in his room. He turned to the door. He had a black mask with two pointy ears, covering half of his face. He was still wearing the dress.

A new song started playing in the cassette player. Bruce started singing along with the song.

"Nanananananana, nanananananana, nananananana" Bruce sang, again in a disturbing, girly voice.

"Nananananananana!"