𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀

Sometimes, a door is closed for a very good reason…When Susie steps through a strange door in her new home, she finds herself face to face with an alternate reality—a parallel world where everyone has button eyes. The other mother and father, with their black-button eyes and eerie demeanor, are eagerly waiting for her to them. But once Susie steps through, she realizes that returning may not be easy. She will have to gather her bravery and wits, and try to find a way back to her own reality, or will she be with them forever?"

Based on the book Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, and 2009 stop-motion animated film directed by Henry Selick. A Reimagined retelling written by Miles Ash Fox, cover artwork by Brandon. This is also a prequel story, before the events of the Fazbear Frights story Coming Home. Original lyrics of the rats, were written by Neil Gaiman from the original book published by HarperCollins.

This story is dedicated to my friends, and those I care about deeply. Those friends are: Snowflake the Rabbit and Marth the Moth Credit, to the lyrics of the Other Father’s song, from They Might Be Giants.

CHAPTER FOUR

An Odd Theater Performance

As Susie Davies had left the house, she noticed that it was exactly the same as her house—the one she’d left earlier, after going through the door. Everything was exactly the same…except for one difference: the door to her neighbors apartment—both Misses Spink, and Miss Forcible apartment—there were brilliant flashing (and rather colorful) lights that were flashing on and off.

Susie couldn’t quite catch some of the words that the lights were spelling out; but one of them that had caught her eye was “AN ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCE, CONDUCTED BY SPINK AND FORCIBLE!”

The lights flashed onto her face, with brilliant, rich colors of blue, red, green, orange, and yellow.

The weather was still rather chilly, and it was exactly the same back from where she came from.

Suddenly, a gentle purring noise came from behind her, and she turned around to see who it was. Sitting in the grass near her was a haughty black cat, with black fur as the blackness of night, and brilliant green eyes and whiskers. Its tail was held up by the tip, and it was swishing from side to side.

Susie looked at the cat, and the cat looked back at her. Its gaze never left her face.

“Hello,” said the cat, in a silky voice like silk.

Susie’s eyes gaped open. Her mouth hung, as she heard the cat speak for the very first time! But she didn’t see the cat’s mouth move, nor did she think that cats couldn’t talk…not back at home.

The cat’s voice sounded like leaves on a windowpane. A voice she imagined with words in, but not her own voice but a man’s.

“How can you talk,” Susie Davies asked, “you must be the other version that my other mother created.” Susie Davies asked, looking at the cat bewildered.

The black cat shook his head. “No, I’m not anything that is from here. I’m simply me.”

Susie was still stunned to hear the cat’s voice; but it didn’t come out from its mouth, but in her mind.

“Well, if you are the same that I saw back at home,” Susie said, choosing her words carefully. “Then how can you talk? Are you able to talk back at home, or only ever where you are here—wherever here is?” Susie looked around the place slowly.

“It is the Other World,” the cat said. “And a very dangerous place that you shouldn’t be here.” The cat shrugged his shoulders: starting from his tail, then to his white whiskers. “I can talk,” the cat replied rather cattily to Susie’s question.

Susie shook her head, “But that’s impossible, cats can’t talk at home.”

Its eyes gleamed brightly in the afternoon light, like two green emeralds. “Well, you seem quite the expert already,” then turned around and started to walk away from the girl with his tail high and proud in the air, like a self-centered cat.

“Wait, please come back,” Susie cried, “I’m sorry that I called you that,” Susie continued. “How did you get here anyway?”

The cat stopped in the middle of his tracks, sat down, licked his paw, then turned to look over his shoulder at the girl; who was only a few yards away. “Well, if you must know…” the cat said softly, “I’ve been coming here for a while. To tell you the truth: I’ve been coming and going, as freely as I wish. Whenever I want.”

“How?” Susie Davies asked.

“Like this…” the cat explained, then headed over towards one of the trees…and strangely…when the cat walked behind one side of the big brown stump…the cat had simply vanished on the other!

Susie rushed over towards the tree she had watched the cat approach in front of. She looked behind the stump. The cat wasn’t there.

Slowly but surely she made her way back in the direction of the house, when she heard another purring noise from behind. She turned around.

The black cat was striding along behind her.

“How did you do that?” Susie asked stunned.

The cat didn’t answer, instead, he seemed to sense the presence of the adder stone that was in Susie’s pocket and his eyes glimmered. “It is a good thing that you have protection.”

Her eyebrows raised at the cat’s statement. “Protection?”

“That’s exactly what I said,” the cat answered. “Protection. And, it would be wiseable for you to keep it in your pocket, when you are here, because the things that live here…are not good creatures.”

“Have you come to protect me,” Sidue asked, looking into the cat’s green eyes. It was silent for a while, before she saw the cat nod his head silently. Then it replied, “That is why I’m here.”

“Well…,” Susie began carefully, “what is your name? My name’s Susie Davies. What’s yours?”

The black cat yawned, luxuriously, at her question.

“Cats…,” the black cat said, like soft silk, “don’t need names. They are pointless to us. Because we keep together, and we also know who we are.”

Susie Davies felt that it was a rather self-centered cat, and the fact that it felt—that names were apparently overrated and useless—to the feline species. She wanted to be rude to it, but she couldn’t, because her good side abided by the rule that she should always be kind to anybody—especially animals for that matter.

“Well, when I first found you on the road, I called you Dave,” Susie stated. “But then how should I call you if I ever need you again?”

The black cat wasn’t amused by this. “I don’t like the idea,” the cat said, unamused. “Well, that’s easy. I’m always on the lookout for you.” Without anything further, the cat vanished behind a row of trees in the drainage and didn’t come out the other end. Leaving Susie Davies completely alone here…wherever this place was.

She could hear a faint noise, echoing in the air, which drew Susie towards the sound. It was coming from the lower floor apartment (the basement of the house), which resided with Miss Spink and Miss Forcible; the two elderly actresses. Taking the steps two at a time, she reached the door and knocked with her hand three times.

At a few knocks, the door swung open, and—on the floor of the door there was a Scottish dog with a black muzzle—gray with age on his fur.

The dog looked up at her, with a flashlight in its mouth, then, he put it down gently.

“Ticket, please,” the black Scottish dog said.

Susie blinked her eyes, in disbelief at the voice, then recomposed herself. “I don’t have a ticket, I’m sorry,” Susie apologized, but began rummaging around her pockets, hoping with hope that she would surely find a ticket that would magically appear within one of her pockets.

The Scottish dog shook his head, sadly, picked up the flashlight in its mouth, and said rather muffled: “No worries, Susie Davies,” the little dog said, with glittering eyes, “according to the guest list, you’re a guest of honor here. Come in, Susie Davies.”

Susie followed the little dog into the room, and the door swung shut behind them.

The dog clicked on the light, with the help of his lower jaw, and swung the beam of light around the room they were standing in…

The room smelled of lavender, vanilla créme, and a scent of chocolate fudge wafted through the air and softly met Susie’s nose.

They were standing in a small, dark anteroom. The little dog walked forward and Susie followed, as they reached a huge, thick cloth, and beneath the fabric curtain; there was a faint yellowish glow seeping out from the bottom.

Susie reached out her hand to touch it, when suddenly the curtain opened magically, and beyond them was a magnificently large theater.

Far above in the rafters, there were dim spotlights that were fixed on a wooden stage, at the far end of the room. With red velvet seats on either side of the path, and occupying every single one of those seats were dogs!

Everywhere she looked, in every seat there was a dog occupying it; with their tails wagging.

She had to blink a couple of times, before she finally got used to the dark. The dim spotlights seemed to help a little—but not too much—as the dimness only helped to see the stage, but not the many seats that surrounded it in the distance.

The little Scottie dog trotted down the path of the theater, leading Susie all the way up to the front, where there was a seat that wasn’t taken. Just as she had sat down, Susie noticed that the pattern on the velvet chair was decked out: with vibrant red-and-white colors stripes on the seat!

And, the seat next to it, was occupied with a black silky-terrier dog: with brown eyes, brown muzzle, brown paws, and a long black tail.

Susie could tell that it was really a small, little dog, and around its neck was a blue collar with a name tag dangling below it.

Susie sat down in the empty chair, beside the dog, and she squinted her eyes at it. The dog’s name was Murphy. A nice name for a dog, Susie thought to herself. Then, suddenly, as the dog trotted away back into the darkness, there came a loud screeching sound of some sort of needle being pulled off from a record player, behind the stage.

In that instant, the screeching sound of the needle was replaced with the “Infernal Galop” song, written by Jacques Offenbach, often referred to as the Can-Can song!

The big red-colored velvet stage curtains opened, and Miss Spink and Miss Forcible came onto the stage. Miss Spink was in a sort of Mermaid outfit, while singing a song about lonely, heart-broken men, with a lulling, siren’s captivating song. And how she was the breaker of hearts at the bay.

Then, before she even got to finish her next bit—while backstage several dogs ran on a series of contraptions, which changed the backdrop, and setting up front changed…As soon as the backdrop changed, Miss Spink vanished from the stage, and in her place, there was Miss Forcible!

She was dressed in an elegant, stunning, beautiful white dress and long, flowing blonde hair! And, for Miss Spink? She was dressed in green tights and long red high boots that went all the way up to the thighs of her calves.

Suddenly, as the two old women faced the front, they bowed low, then, they began to unbutton their fluffy big coats…but their coats weren’t the only things that opened—oh, dear me no!

Their faces opened up, too! Like masks that they were wearing and from within, stepped out two lovely pale women in elegant clothes!

Susie Davies' eyes widened as she saw the two pretty women, and grabbed the arm rests of the seat tightly, and pressed her head back. Watching the theater performance continue.

Then, the two women began to climb up a series of ladders; which were wooden, yet rather sturdy, led up into the rafters of the high ceiling.

“I can’t bear to look!” Susie whispered with fright, covering her face with her hands. Murphy lightly touched a paw onto Susie’s shoulder; reassuring her that it was alright to look.

Susie made a small, opened split from her fingers—allowing one of her eyes to peer out.

Far above them in the theater, the two new versions of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, were now on top of the extremely tall ladders, and were now precariously balancing on the top of diving boards. At the very bottom of them, one of the black Scottie dogs came out from the curtains, pushing a wooden barrel: with red-and-white stripes, with water filled to the brim.

It was pushed to the center by the dog’s nose and muzzle.

A series of drums began drumming, as the new versions of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, balanced on the top, shouted, “Ready to break the leg, Miriam?” Miss Spink’s voice rang out.

“Our lives are for the theater, April,” Miss Forcible replied, and began to jump up and down the board.

“There’s nothing to fear, Susie,” the little black silky-terrier dog, Murphy, said calmly. “They’ve done this act before.”

That comforted her a little, but it did not entirely make the feeling of dread, and suspense go away.

Other Miss Spink and Other Forcible dove off from the platforms, and dove straight down towards the small barrel that was awaiting them at the bottom! Suddenly, when Miss Forcible plunged deep into the barrel; so did Miss Spink, but they had vanished once they plunged into it.

Susie was confused at how two people managed to fit into a barrel at the same time. The idea of clowns fitting into a clown car came to her mind, but that was only a clever trick and illusion…This wasn’t an illusion. It was happening right in front of her eyes!

Suddenly, the barrel began to vibrate and shake!

The top of it began bubbling and frothing—like those kinds of hot tubs you’d see, as if someone had cranked the jets on high.

Suddenly, the barrel began to convulse! It shook, jerked, and pulsed: as if something inside it was causing it to make it act this way.

Then, suddenly…WHOOSH! Out from the barrel came Miss Spink and Miss Forcible! They soared high into the air, like two projectiles that had been shot out of a barrel of a gun. As they rushed high into the sky, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible grabbed onto a pair of trappiese rungs, which were suspended from the ceiling, held by a large, black metallic contraption fixed in the rafters!

The Can-Can song started up again.

Watching them high up in the air, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible swung to-and-fro from one to the other’s wrung handle, then, Miss Forcible swung upwards; let go from hers, and flew through the air; and to be caught by her legs by Miss Spink!

“A noble man once said,” Miss Spink said, her voice filling the theater from the trappies, “that you should always believe: ‘Life is filled with surprises, and will come at times, when we least expect them too. Don’t go looking for them, because they never will. Let them find you!’”

“How wise of a man,” Miss Forcible said, while holding onto Miss Spink’s legs, “is that no matter how a person appears: we mustn’t judge them from what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside is what matters. Because that is what is important, to respect and love the people who treat you right, and to forgive the ones who don’t!”

Suddenly, as Miss Spink swung down low, she reached out her hands, grabbed Susie, and hoisted her up into the air! She swung Susie up into the air, caught her by the legs, and, now, Susie was a part of the theater act performing Other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible! It was a spectacular sight!

“The beauty of the world,” Miss Spink said ecstatically. “The simple act of kindness and generosity has been shown to make a person feel happier, during times at their lowest!”

Suddenly, as Susie was being tossed from Other Miss Spink, then to the Other Miss Forcible; Miss Forcible happened to have thrown Sussie a little too hard—sending her up too high, and grabbing onto the scaffolding of the fixture: which held and suspended Other Miss Spink and Other Miss Forcible. The two continued in their performance.

Susie Davies held onto tightly, as she looked down, watching the other versions of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible perform their singing act.

As the contraption slowly moved around the whole entire theater, it began to slow down, returning to its original position.

Miss Spink and Miss Forcible let go, and dove right back down into the barrel. One at a time, each with a satisfying splash! upon the audience of dogs! Then, suddenly, as the contraptions stopped—it jerked to a standstill, causing Susie to lose her grip, and began to fall! Screaming in fear as she did.

Miraculously, and yet rather magnificent, Other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible rose up from the empty barrel.

They were balancing on one another. Miss Forcible balanced on the rim of the barrel, while Miss Spink balanced on top of Forcible’s head!

Miss Spink caught Susie by her feet, balancing her on the palm of her hand. The dogs cheered and barked, filling the theater with excited barks, woods, and yelps of several million wagging tails.

Slowly, both Miss Forcible and Miss Spink climbed down from the barrel, and lowered Susie back onto her feet. Miss Spink congratulated Susie for doing so well, and sent her back to her seat safely.

The drums stopped drumming, the needle from a record player was dragged off once more, and then replaced with a song that seemed to play inside her head—which was the song that her Other Father played—but the actual song was more quiet.

Susie listened intently to the music that was playing, and it was rather whimsical and otherworldly!

There came a hissing sound, as a record was being placed on a record player, and a series of trumpets started playing. Filling the air with trumpets, which echoed—filling the whole theater! The new versions of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible returned, but Miss Spink was on a unicycle.

Miss Forcible was following right behind her, scattering lively roses and other sorts of flowers onto the stage.

Susie watched closely at them, while lightly resting her head back against the red velvet seat cushion. All the dogs in the entire theater barked, in unison, wagging their tails, excitedly.

“This is another one of my favorite parts,” whispered the little dog. His tail wagged furiously.

“What happens next?” Susie asked quietly.

“Watch and you’ll see,” the dog replied, simply.

Susie looked back up at the stage, and couldn’t believe what she saw. She could hardly credit what she saw ... .On the stage the Other Miss Forcible was pulling a carrier cart, with a large red wooden box; with a golden hock, which was fastened shut.

The stage lights were fixed onto her, and she then turned to the audience of dogs, and said in a loud, clear—yet ratchet crisp voice: “Is this some sort of knife that I hold in my hand?”

“Yes, it most certainly is!” cried the dogs, and thumped their tails on the seats. Susie, now taken aback, didn’t clap this time. Instead, she sat completely rigid with fear: watching Miss Forcible holding a knife. And the blade, as it shimmered brightly in the spotlight, was very sharp.

What is she going to do with that knife, Susie thought with deep, deep dread in her stomach.

Miss Forcible stared at the long, long, sharp blade of the knife as Miss Spink came back onto the stage and curtsied with affection. All the darks woofed and barked.

“This is a new trick that me and Miss Spink,” Miss Forcible said, addressing the dog-audience, “completely new. So I would like to have a volunteer who is willing to be our brave, little volunteer for Miss Forcible to practice it on.”

Murphy nudged his little paw on Susie’s shoulder, and whispered quietly into her ear, “That’s you, Susie! You’re the volunteer!”

“Me…why me…,” Susie asked, perplexed.

“Because, you’re the only brave one here, and I can’t do it because we’re all dogs in the audience.”

Without much hope Susie stood up, and walked up towards the stage, reluctantly climbed back up the steps, and faced the Other Miss Forcible.

“Can we have a round of applause,” Miss Forcible said, “for our brave little volunteer?”

The dogs all wooded and thumped their tails, as if they were clapping their little paws as hands.

“Now, Susie, this is a new trick that we’ve been practicing for quite a long time. We have only yet to try it out with a volunteer. And so, seeing that you volunteered, would you please kindly stand over there,” Miss Forcible said, pointing a finger at the corner of the stage, where a board stood.

On it, there was a huge red painted target in the center. Susie walked over towards the board.

Miss Forcible turned her around, facing the Other Miss Spink, as she tied a black cloth around her own button eyes.

Miss Forcible walked over to Miss Spink, grabbed a knife out from the box, and put it into her hand. Then, she began to spin her around a few times, finally, she pointed her directly at Susie! Susie held in her breath and closed her eyes tightly, fearing for the worst was soon to come…And quickly!

Miss Spink arched her arm back, then threw the knife at Susie! The knife shot through the air, and stuck into the target—the top red arch, just a few inches above her head.

And it stayed there: swaying back and forth like seen in those movies.

She opened her eyes and looked up.

The knife stood out a few inches from her head, and she could see the back end of the handle, as it swayed to-and-fro in the board.

Susie let out a great sigh of relief. In that instant, all the dogs in their seats burst out in loud barks. They went completely crazy when the stunt happened! Miss Spink walked over towards Susie, who was shaking and trembling with fear. She pulled out the knife, put it back into the small, red wooden box, then she handed Susie a small box of chocolates. “Thank you for being such a good sport,” Miss Spink said, smiling, and handed her the box.

Then, Susie took the box, and headed back down the steps, shaking nervously as she walked back over to her seat and sat down.

Murphy, and a few other dogs: two German Shepherds, and two more little dogs (a rat terrier, and a black little dog) looked up at Susie.

“You did good, Susie,” Murphy said, smiling.

“Thanks,” Susie whispered back, and lifted up the lid of the box of chocolates in the dark, and picked one up. Examining it as closely as she could. So, without much effort, she popped the chocolate into her mouth and chewed.

It was a rich, creamy, chocolatey fudge, with a white crème and caramel drizzle in the center.

Susie loved that flavor so much, she began to reach into the box for another, when she noticed one of the dogs, Murphy, staring longingly at the box of chocolates that sat on her lap.

She could see a line of saliva hanging, half way down, from its muzzle. “I’m sorry, but I thought chocolate wasn’t good for dogs,” Susie asked with a hint of doubt on her face.

The dog shook his head, slowly. “Where you’re from it is, but here, in the Other World; it’s all we ever eat. We can eat hundreds—maybe even thousands of chocolates, without ever getting sick.”

Susie thought about what the little, black Scottie dog had said. His muzzle was also beginning to turn gray with age, and his glimmering brown eyes were just as brilliant, almost just as youthful as a young puppy’s are when they are full of life.

“Could you please give me one?” The little dog asked. Well, he did say please, Susie thought to herself. She reached her hand into the box, pulled out a chocolate, and gave it to the dog.

He happily took it from her hand; and munched on it, happily!

“Well,” Susie said, a bit perplexed at the chocolate-eating dog, “I guess this is the first time that I’ve ever seen a dog so eager to eat chocolate.”

Just as Susie had given the dog the chocolate, and just as quickly as the dog had devoured the square of fudge, he whispered: “Thank you very much, Susie. You are very kind!”

“You’re welcome.”

A new act was about to begin. Susie watched as Miss Spink and Miss Forcible were now juggling objects in their hands, while balancing on two red-and-white striped balls.

“Do you have any more,” one of the other dogs, sitting next to Susie asked, politely.

Susie reached into the box, and handed the dog one of the chocolates that were in her palm. She could feel the wet, slobbery licks from his tongue, as it munched on the sweet treat. Susie giggled as quietly as she could, as the dog then began licking her hand as a sign of gratitude and affection.

“Thank you,” the little dog said to Susie.

“There aren’t any toffee ones, are there, Susie,” Murphy asked, sniffing at the box.

Susie wasn’t sure if there were any in there, but was wondering exactly why. “Why?”

“Because,” Murphy answered, “toffee ones give me an upset stomach—and they make me salivate.”

“Oh,” Susie said, taken aback, and turned her head back to the stage: where the other, younger versions of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible were performing. This time, they were doing some acting, which was rather strange to Susie; because the whole thing seemed to come straight out of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland book that she'd had once read in school.

She tried to focus on what the two were dating, but her attention and eyes drifted off, and focused (not on Miss Spink nor Miss Forcible), but on the setup that they were standing on and acting on….Miss Spink was on what appeared to be a stone castle, and Miss Forcible was standing below—like a galliant, and watchful knight below.

“This bit of acting will end quickly,” Murphy whispered closely in Susie’s ear. “Then, there will be a whole dancing portion of the acting.”

Something began to urge at Susie, deep down. She wondered just how long this theater performance carried on for. “Exactly, just how long does this theater performance go for?”

One of the black, little Scottie dogs turned to look at her, sitting in their seats, and said rather slowly with a hint of ominous tone: “Forever and always…time here, in this place, goes on for always and ever.”

This deeply unsettled Susie, very much. Slowly, she stood up, setting the box next to the dogs, gently. “Here,” Susie said, nervously, “you can keep the chocolates. You can keep them.”

“We are very grateful to you, Susie,” all the dogs in the row of seats said to her, in unison.

She turned around and began to head out. Behind her shoulder, she heard one of the dogs say, “Hope we’ll see you again, real soon.”

Susie froze in the midst of her tracks, turned around, “Goodbye,” and waved at them, nervously. She headed out of the theater, and the blinding bright light of the sun took awhile for Susie to get used to, and she shielded her eyes with the back of her hand. Blocking the light from her hand.

She climbed up the stone steps carefully.

CHAPTER FIVE

The Wonderful, Magical Garden!

Taking them two at a time, and when she reached the top, she could see her parents: her Other Mother was standing by herself, waiting for Susie in the garden. She was waiting patiently for them.

The other mother walked up to Susie, with her hands folded around her waist. “Do you like it here, Susie?” Her voice was soft like the coo of a dove.

“I suppose, it’s far more interesting here than back at home. There’s nothing to do there at all.”

“I’m glad that you like it here, because, I—we, your father and I, like to think that this is your home.”

Susie stayed completely still. Had she heard what her Other Mother had said. She must’ve misheard. “What do you mean?” Susie asked, a bit confused.

“When you’re here, you can have all the fun you ever wish, and have whatever your heart desires.”

Susie put her hands into her pockets, and her fingers touched the tip of the stone that the real Miss Spink and Miss Forcible had given her. “Uhm, I’m not…” her Other Mother cut her off. “And, all your dreams, wishes, and desires will be fulfilled.”

Susie wanted to step back firmly, hold tightly onto the stone, and say with a firm NO!

But, strangely, for some reason: her body couldn’t move, but the only words that she could muster were: “Where is the Other Father?”

The Other Mother simply smiled. “Why, he’s out working in the garden,” she pointed one of her long white fingers in the direction of the garden.

Susie followed her finger and saw the garden.

Oh, and what a marvelous place it was! It was a huge old garden (like the one she had back at home), but there were huge differences to it. There were colorful plants; brilliantly-colored frogs with black-button eyes; and a whole lot of otherworldly, and otherwise fantastical creatures that buzzed, flew, hopped, and crawled around in the garden. The garden, itself, seemed to come alive!

All of the plants in the garden lit up—beautiful colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, orange, and purple lit up the night sky.

“Woah….!” Susie gasped. Her eyes widened to white rings. She could hardly believe what she saw! In the garden itself, was a white metallic vehicle in the shape of a praying mantis: with glowing yellow eyes as headlights, and huge wheel spoofs on the back of its metallic body, and a series of white metal limbs crawled and moved.

Sitting on top of the creature-vehicle, was the Other Father! He was steering the big-like vehicle of this whimsical praying mantis, as it poured out a strange liquid from the back. Vibrant blue flowers quickly sprouted out from behind it as it crawled.

“Hey there, Susie!” the Other Father cheered, waving a hand to her in the air.

Susie cupped her hands to her mouth, and yelled, “I love your garden. It looks absolutely beautiful!”

“It’s our garden, Susie,” the Other Father corrected. Several more lucious flowers and plants began to grow rapidly, as the praying mantis continued to pour out a magical growth liquid onto the ground. Suddenly, a few flowers with dragon-shaped heads sprouted out from beneath, around Susie’s feet, and began tickling her, madly.

“No, stop it, please! Get away from me…,” Susie broke out into peals of laughter, mixed with mad giggles from the ticking plants.

“Uh-oh,” the Other Father said, jokingly. “I think I hear my daughter in distress! Time to alert the alarms!” He pulled one of the levers on the contraption, and, while doing so; he grabbed one of the luminous, glowing-yellow flowers out from the stem, and began to play it like a war trumpet.

Slowly, but surely, the great big contracting crawled itself towards Susie—where she laid flat on her back—giggling in a fit of laughter, with the several little flowers ticking her with their faces.

The Other Father leaned down from the contraption, his button eyes staring down at Susie, with a smile on his face. He held up his pointer finger, wiggling it side-to-side.

“Enough of the tickle attacks, you raggy snappers!”

The praying mantis lifted up one of its legs, and slashed at the roots of the flowers.

The flowers were cut in two perfect halves, and the tops of them were still alive as he had caught them in mid air.

“Thank you for the rescue,” Susie said, smiling, while gasping for air from laughing so much.

She grabbed the flowers that her Other Father held in his hand for her. The Other Father simply said, “No problem, Susie. It’s my job as a father to…,” he paused, then he turned to look for the Other Mother, who had gone back inside the house. “Hope on, Susie,” the Other Father said, smiling. He lifted Susie up, and sat her on a seat, beside him, and he pulled a lever on the praying mantis. Suddenly, out from the top of its white metallic body, a long metal beam rose out; and from the top, there sprouted, helicopter blades. Then, he pushed a button, causing the blades to spin.

The praying mantis flew up, up, up into the air!

From far down below, Susie could see the whole garden. And oh, what a beautiful sight it was. Seeing the garden down below—it was a beautiful, otherworldly, whimsical and yet rather magical place…But up here, far above in the sky, flying in a praying mantis contraption; the garden appeared to resemble Susie Davis’s face!

“I can’t believe you were able to make this!” Susie cried joyfully, at the surprise he had shown her.

“Mother said that you’d like it!” Other Father answered. “Boy, she knows you well: like the back of her hand!” A few minutes later, they were still observing the garden from up above, when the Other Father said, “There’s been something I’ve been needing to tell you, Susie…” his voice was calm, but deep down Susie felt that his voice hinted a bit troubled. Something or rather was troubling him, but she couldn’t quite place her finger at it.

“What is it?” Susie asked carefully.

But before the Other Father could speak, he turned to look over his shoulder, at the house far in the distance, as it stood towering like some ancient, sentient creature that stood…ever more watching their every move. From a distance, the windows resembled more like eyes to Susie, and she wondered: maybe the Other Father knew what she was thinking, and he looked away from it.

“Can’t talk when Mother isn't around,” was all that the Other Father said, and then he went silent. Then, as if by some grace had changed his mind, he said, “Mr. Bobinsky has invited you to see the Jumping-White Mouse Circus after dinner.”

“There are mice here,” Susie said, stunned. “I thought that Jeremy—erm, Whybi, said that that was all in Mr. Bobinsky’s head?”

The Other Father shook his head, agreeing. “Well, everything’s right here, in this world, kiddo!”

A few minutes later Susie and the Other Father walked back inside the house, and the Other Father closed the door behind them.

For dinner, the Other Mother had made them a whole dinner-breakfast food for lunch. Which was: waffles topped with raspberries; chocolate chip muffins; bacon; scrambled eggs; sausages; toast; and—by most astonishing of all—freshly squeezed orange juice in a glass pitcher.

As Susie sat down to eat, the Other Father sat down as well, and began making a tower: built entirely out of the food on his plate, and said (rather overly joyful): “Mmmmh…! I love dinner-breakfast food!” And began slicing into it with his fork and knife, preparing to devour the enormous tower! While the Other Mother, who was wearing a black house dress with white-polkadots, black pants, black socks, and black heel shoes.

Her hands were pale white, and her fingers—those longish white fingers: with curved, sharp, crimson-red nails kept moving.

“Susie, I’m sure that you’re aware, that Mr. Bobinsky,” the Other Mother said, with a voice smooth as silk, “the man upstairs—has invited you to come see the world-famous Jumping-White Mouse Circus perform, after dinner. Now, doesn't that just sound exciting!” Her smile grew a bit wider, and Susie, as she stared at her Other Mother—could recognize (only faintly) that her teeth were strangely a bit too long…and a little bit sharp compared to normal teeth.

“That sounds amazing! I never even got to see mice before, except on the television!” Susie nearly broke into excitement; when the Other Mother had told Susie about getting to see the Jumping Mice perform for the very first time! Oh, how things here in this Other-World kept getting better and better, interesting and more interesting!

She quickly began to finish eating her food, eager to see the mice perform, when she said, “Your father and I will clean up, while you and your friend can go head upstairs!”

Susie got up from her chair, walked around the table, and the Other Mother got up as well.

She walked over to the backyard door—which led out to the garden of the house—and opened the door. Standing on the porch, was another version of Jeremy. Where his eyes should’ve been, were big, shiny, and glistening, black-colored buttons!

“Another copy of Jeremy,” Susie asked, perplexed. “But, why, I….,” Susie wasn’t sure as to why her Other Mother would’ve gone through the trouble in making a copy of a kid she had only met only yesterday. She almost had an answer, when, shockingly, the Other Jeremy didn’t say anything. He was completely silent, like a clown—no, not like a clown but almost more like a mime.

“Hello, Jeremy,” Susie asked, and started to feel a little bit frightened, when the other copy of Jeremy hadn’t said a single word to her.

“Well, I thought that you would’ve liked to have him around, with you here,” the Other Mother stated, and then gave Jeremy a pat on the head.

Without another word both Jeremy and Susie, headed out through the front door, and went down the stone steps of the house.

CHAPTER SIX

The Jumping Mouse Circus