Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Catman

Tick, Tock...Midnight Strikes The Clock...

"Is he okay?" Tommy asked, hovering over his unconscious best friend.

"I think he's starting to come around..." Paul nodded. "...Eric, can you hear me?"

"Ohhhh..." Eric moaned and whimpered, his soft grey eyes slowly opening; falling upon the three concerned gazes of his friends looking down at him. "...wh-what happened?"

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us, buddy..." Paul replied.

"Yeah...you keep playing this crazy game of being all nice and normal one minute then it's like..." Tommy tried to explain. "...I don't know, man...you just go all whacky!!"

"Whacky...?" Eric asked, arching a brow as he gave them all a puzzled look.

"I'm afraid it's true, pal..." Paul said.

"Yeah, it's like you're a monster or something!!!" Tommy then added.

"Watch it..." Gene warned, reminding that he was the only one generally dubbed a "monster."

Eric's eyes wandered from one to the other, giving each a quizzical look.

"I think you're all just being silly because of where we are..." He said. "...I told you guys, it's just the weather and a touch of a cold...I'm fine." He insisted, extending one arm as Tommy helped him up.

"Are you sure?" Paul asked. "Is anything hurt or broken?"

"I'm fine, I promise." Eric assured.

The storm outside continued to carry on as the rain poured, running in sheets down the long and tall windows of the old house; thunder booming while the lightning kept up its rhythmic dance.

"Man, that is one wicked storm out there!!" Gene remarked as a flash of lightning then lit up the living room where they were all standing. "At this rate, we'll be here til morning!!"

"It could always be worse..." Paul said lightly. "...at least we have a roof over our heads...temporarily..."

At the cue of his words, it seemed, water then began dripping from above where Tommy was standing.

"HEY!!!" He squealed, grabbing and shielding his head as he felt the water hitting him.

"Fantastic, now we've sprung a leak!!" Gene fussed.

"Quick!! Find a bucket or something!!" Paul ordered as they all began looking around for something to catch the water.

"HURRY!!!" Tommy pleaded as the drip began to slowly turn into a stream; then opening up into a full bursting leak, soaking The Spaceman from head to toe.

"Here, Tom Tom..." Paul said; returning from the kitchen with an old, rusty metal bucket and handing it to Tommy. "...use this..."

Tommy's dark hair was now matted down to his forehead and over his eyes while his makeup ran in black and silver streaks down his face from the shower he had just taken.

Spitting out a mouthful of rainwater that he had involuntarily taken in during the event, he then glared at Paul as he was too late.

"Thank you...so much..." He growled, snatching the bucket away and setting it down on the floor to catch the leak that had now reduced to a slight dribble.

"Well that was fun, so now what do we do for an encore?" Eric asked.

"I suppose we could check this place out a little further..." Paul suggested.

"Anything to pass the time!!" Gene agreed, crossing the floor as Paul began lighting a few more candles.

Within a few minutes, each of them had set off in curious exploration of the rest of the old house.