TMNT: Raph and The Secret Door

Not a Dream; A Nightmare

Raph-Oh sewer apples! I'm still here?!

(Raph races downstairs to the Other Living Room where the little door home must be! But the living room door is locked. He pulls at the handles, plants a foot and tries to pull harder but it's no use. He stops, panting, then hears a piano note being hit over and over, coming from Other Donnie's room)

(Raph opens the door and finds the Other April and Other Donnie sitting at the piano, her back to him, hitting the note. He speaks in his bravest voice)

Raph-Hey you! Where's the Other Brother? I want to go home!

(The Other April and Donnie turn around. They look ill; April's hair is messed up, slightly brunette, and her skin is pale. She speaks, her voice is slowed down)

Other April-All will be swell, soon as Other Brother's refreshed. His strength is our strength.

(The white gloved hands pop up from the piano. One covered her mouth, the other wags a finger in her face)

Other April-Mustn't talk when Brother's not here.

Raph-If you won't even talk to me, I'm gonna find the Other Angel. She'll help me. (he turns to leave)

Other Donnie-No point; she pulled a long face...and Brother didn't like it. (The piano hands pop out again, aggressively shut his mouth and spin him and April away from Raph)

(Frightened, Raph runs to the door that leads outside, and pulls it open. He runs out the back porch, towards the Other Garden. He crosses the trail, the Other House in the distance. He runs down the path and through the other orchard but the further he goes, the less 'tree-like' the fruit trees become. He hears the cats coming up behind him)

Ice Cream kitty-And what do you think you're doing?

Raph-Well, I'm gettin' outta here. That's what I'M doing.

(The sky starts to brigten and the apple trees become wire-thin)

Raph-Huh? Something's wrong. Shouldn't the old well be here? (The trees, sky and the ground give way to a pale, empty nothingness. No ground or shadows)..:

Other Mikey-Nothing out here dude.

(Raph looks behind him, shocked, mainly worried that Other Mikey would tell Other Leo)

Raph-Mikey! I was just-

Other Mikey-Don't worry. I'm not gonna tell. (Raph looks relieved) But I will tell you this. You're wasting your time here. This is the empty part of this world. He only made what he knew would impress you... (Walks over to the horizon)

Raph-... Why does he want me?

(They walk together)

Other Mikey-He wants something to care for. Something that isn't him... Or something to eat.

Raph-Eat?

Other Mikey-It's how we manage. His strength is ours...

Raph-That's ridiculous, siblings don't eat each other!

Shadow-I don't know. How do you  taste?

(Something appears in front of them in the whiteness and becomes the beautiful other house. Raph, Other Mikey, and the cats slow down, then the rest begins to fill in)

Raph-What?! But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?!

Shadow-Walk around the world?

Raph-Small world.

(The cats suddenly tense, and focus on a shrub)

Ice Cream kitty-Hang on-- (She bounds towards the shrub and chases out a cute kangaroo mouse in uniform with a tiny trumpet. Before Raph can blink, they pinned it down)

Raph-Stop, he's one of the circus mice!

(With a swift blow of its paw, Shadow knocks the mouse into the air, and catches it in his mouth. He gives a quick killing bite)

Raph-(gasp)

Other Mikey-Don't worry. It's only a puppet.

(The mouse transforms into a big dead rat. Raph is stunned. Shadow drops the rat on the ground)

Shadow-We don't like rats at the best of times, but this one was sounding an alarm. (picks the rat up and heads off with Ice Cream kitty)

Raph-... Good cat. (looks to the house with a determined look. On the porch, he takes out a heavy cane from the umbrella stand and hits it into his hand)

Other Mikey-Are you sure you wanna do this?

Raph-You don't even know what I'm doing.

Other Mikey-I know everything about you. About him. About this place. (Opens the door for Raph and they both head inside) I've been here longer than you think.

(Mikey heads upstairs, but Raph remains in the hallway, standing in front of the living room doors. He peers down the hall for danger. It's dead quiet-- no piano, no sounds of anything. He jams the cane through the doors' handles, and pulls until one handle comes off and the door swings open into the pitch black living room. The hall light casts a narrow path directly to the Other Little Door on the far wall, cracked open. He steps into the room. A huge armoire bug suddenly crab-steps in his path, blocking the little door, and all around him things start to glow. The room has been transformed into a big museum, with all sorts of glowing, living specimens in the place of the old furniture. Other Leo speaks out, startling Raph)

Other Leo-They say even the proudest- (The sofa, now a large bug, turns in place to reveal him with a huge smile on his face sitting on it) spirit can be broken ... with love. (He's all smiles, button eyes shining, one hand held out in a 'behold my handiwork' gesture. A bug chair scoops up Raph and brings him to the Other Leo. He takes a candy dish from the servant bug) Of course, chocolate never hurts. Like one? (extends a candy dish filled with living chocolate beetles) They're Cocoa Beetles from Zanzibar.

Raph-... I want to be with my real family. I want you to let me go.

(The Other Brother frowns)

Other Leo-Is that any way to talk to your brother, slash leader?

Raph-You aren't my leader, or my brothers!

Other Leo-... Apologize right now!

(Raph stares right back, not blinking)

Raph-... No!

Leo-... (chuckles) I tried to be reasonable... (His button eyes turn black)

(He grabs Raph by the tails of his mask and drags him to the hallway)

Raph-What are you doing?!

(He pulls Raph down the hallway to the mirror at the end. He flails at the Other Brother with his fists)

(The Other Brother shoves Raph right through the mirror as if it was water! Raph hits the ground hard. The Other Brother's, head thrusts through the mirror, and he stares down at him angrily)

Other Brother-You may come out when you've learned to be a respectful brother! (He pulls his head out and leaves Rapt in the darkness)

Dun Dun Dun!... We'll be right back!