#batmanvillian

Pat James walked with his little brother, Max, home after soccer practice.  Upon entering his home Pat switched the kitchen light for, so that his brother may finish his homework.  Afterwards, he traveled into the den and settled down to catch his favorite show “District Noir.”  

10 minutes into the show, Pat noticed that his mom left the den window cracked open.  Paranoid, he got up and investigated the widow, pushing it up and down to see if it felt looser than normal. When Pat concluded that nothing seemed out of the norm with the widow, a strange aroma hit his nose. The aroma smelled flowery with an itchy twang like lavender.  Pat coughed and sneezed, shutting the widow soon afterwards. He assumed that his next door neighbor, Ms. Pam, planted a new type of flower in her garden.

Still paranoid, Pat proceeded to check and double checked all the rooms in his home.  When he found nothing suspicious or out of place he returned to the den, reclining back on the couch and zoning his attention into the show.

An odd tapping sound drew Pat’s attention to the kitchen’s entrance. When he saw nothing he stood for a better view, only to immediately retreat in horror to the opposite side of the den. Pat climbed on top of the den’s recliner wide eyed. 

It was a neighbor’s dog, Berlin, Mr. June’s one eyed German Sheppard.  The beast was senile past due to be put down. Pat’s memory of the old fanged creature tearing into him as a kid resurfaced.  While he was playing Frisbee with a friend he had fallen through a loose wooden plank in Mr. Junes’ gate. That’s when the retired police dog got him. Pat made it a mission to avoid passing Mr. June house ever since.

  Pat figured that the dog had gotten loose again and Max probably failed to shut the kitchen door all the way after he entered.  Speaking of Max, Pat was determined to keep the beast away from him. Pat jumps down from the recliner dashing toward the back door. He could hear the barking and snarling as he fiddled with the door lock. Finally he unlocked it and dashed out with the dog’s mouth barely missing his shirt.

Pat dashed around his home to his open front door. He could feel Berlin snapping at his heels. Pat slams the door in the dog’s face hearing it whimper.   Pat then dashed toward the back door, seeing the angry dog round the corner before slamming it shut.

Relieved Pat checks the kitchen for his brother.  When he didn’t see him Pat proceeded to search his house for his brother. He called his name several times but he received no answer. He saw no sign of his little brother at all.  It was odd that Max’s homework was left halfway finished.  Before Pat would allow himself to panic he called his neighbors. Maybe Max escaped to a neighbor’s house when Berlin entered their home.  

Ms. Pam picks up the phone.

“Hello, Ms. Pam” Pat tried not sound alarmed.

“Hey Pat, is there a reason why you locked your brother outside of your house?”

 Pat blanked- twice. “What?”

“Yeah, he said he thinks he scared you and you ran out of the house through the back door. He tried to keep up with you but slammed the front door in his face. He tried to go for the back door too but you shut it before he could get to it.”

Pat didn’t believe what he was hearing “What?”

“Pat, are you ok? Would you like to come over and chat?”  

Pat blanked again still confused at what he just heard but he decided to dwell on it later.  “Y-yeah it would be better for me to explain and  say sorry Max in person. I’m on my way Ms. Pam Thank you.”  

With that he hung up, grabbing his keys off the kitchen table. Pat paused for a second at the front door, analyzing the world around him. He turned on his phone flash light looking down at the floor for dog tracks. He saw none. He checks the den’s carpet for any paw prints and he saw none. 

Of course that is not the nail in the coffin dogs don’t always track dirt or mud into houses but…

Pat exits the front door, walking around his home looking for any fresh paw prints, particularly in his mom’s floral decorations. He found none.

Giving up, he traveled to Ms. Pam’s house with his head down, unsure of how to explain his actions to his brother.

…..…..

Later in an unknown location:

Jonathan Crane reclined in his office seat, as he concluded the last on his observations in his notepad. He smiled to himself. He left no signature of his presence being at the James’s house and the potency of his new toxin was ‘gentle’. It might not have any residual effects.

Crane wondered if Pat would try to search for answers. Would Pat allow his doubts to haunt him and frail him? The results would yield long term but Crane might check in on boy once in a while.