A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Season 2: Bridge

The Devil's Swing - Staccato

Blobs of dark ink surrounded the pair on all sides. The furniture morphed and disappeared under puffs of smoke, while others appeared out of thin air. Regal couches made way for stocky brown chairs, occupied by soulless husks cupping drinks aplenty. The zebrawood table melted into the receptionist desk that Henry so-much ignored every time he entered the Geber headquarters. Even the ceilings pushed back to reveal floor after floor of offices as far as his eyes could see.

His house was gone, replaced by Geber Laboratory's lobby.

The whole room was decorated with Christmas ornaments. Candy canes, pictures of Santa and his reindeer, all things that made Henry cringe in his seat, you name it.

From the ground, people sprung like cut-outs in a pop-up book. Their shape was rough and fuzzy with barely discernible features to indicate gender. Their faces, however, were completely blank. Their moves were looped, tittering in the place they sprung--some talking, some drinking, and some even dancing to a syncopated tune. The only exception to this pattern were two figures sitting near a portable bar in the far corner of the room.

"Why don't we go say hi, hon?" said Zizi, tapping Henry twice on the shoulder. Her voice sounded distant and muffled, but very much there.

The whole room moved beneath his chair, making them zip through the haunting figures as if they were ghosts. Oddly as it was, Henry wasn't scared, but rather, puzzled. He had been there before--not in the room itself, but on this particular iteration of the room. The party, the people, the decoration, and most importantly, the walls. They were not the pristine, headache-inducing white as before, but filled with vivid colors. Colorful vines swirled and twirled on the walls, sprouting all kinds of exotic flowers that seemed lifelike. All over the walls, meadows of trees, flowers, and birds frolicked on a shining sun.

The sight of that masterpiece tied knots in Henry's stomach. This wasn't his Geber Laboratory. It was that man's.

"Something wrong, honey?Having a trip down memory lane?" said Zizi, chuckling hauntingly. "Just ignore it for now. We don't wanna miss a thing."

Grabbing the top of Henry's head, she twisted it to face the two figures on the bar. Two figures he knew too well.

Murray looked exceptionally handsome in his black-tie suit. With one hand swirling a glass of scotch, he looked poised and aloof. His eyes had a mischievous glint that combined perfectly with his cocky lopsided grin. His black mane was pulled back with jelly, making it shine under the dim lights.

"He was quite fetching when he was young, wasn't he, hon? Shame he grew up to be a fat bastard. Can't say the same for you, though."

Right next to Murray was Henry. A younger version of him, anyway. He was leaning on the bar, tapping the straw of his coke with his index finger. His brown suit hung loosely from his body, with a horrendous purple t-shirt that didn't match his outfit at all. He was not even wearing a tie.

"This sucks! This whole party sucks. I look like frikin' Barney the dinosaur. I wanna go home, Mur," said young Henry, slamming his palm against the bar.

Murray shook his head while chuckling, raising his glass to meet his lips.

Zizi followed his laugh with one of her own, much to Henry's annoyance. "I almost forgot how temperamental and kid-like you were back then, hon. Your sense of style was dreadful."

Henry wanted to say that the suit was borrowed, to somehow save his pride, but Zizi placed two fingers on his throat, hushing him. "No time to talk. Shut up and listen."

"Where's this kitten you said you were hunting?" asked young Henry.

"Should be here any minute. And don't call her a kitten. She's a lady," corrected Murray. "Speaking of the devil..."