Burgundy, black, mother of pearl and teak. Old wood, deep night, fancy clothes, wine and shit.
Being Bruce Wayne returning home from abroad,
there's a somber funeral for my parents: elegant evening wear and
claustrophobic sentiments. I feel awkward (?) and slip out.
A few floors up and in the back of the manor,
there's a party. Large windows open onto night and contrast racuous
laughter and young folk drinking. Two (or three) together: man with a
partially shaved head lies draped, a woman dribbles wine or blood on
him and reads his fortune in the patterns. They offer to medium for me
with my parents.
(I do not recall what happens at this point)
The fake/phony/blasphemous fortune tellers call
after me as I depart to climb the stairs through the back corridors of
the manor. There's a rickety staircase leading to a short landing with
a door at the end. The wood's going on the floor, worse at it
approaches the door. The door's a flat sheaf of dry-warped planks,
barely held together by screws.
Inside is a spiral staircase. There's something important at the top, so I climb the helix.
I hear a chittering swoop and fall back, there's a
terracotta spray-streak and bat shit splatters over my pants. Then
again and again. Then it hits me on the head and I close my eyes while
it works its way (behind the lab goggles that I'm apparently wearing
now). Close your eyes, you don't want to get guano in them, it'll burn.
Blind and on my back, bats still shitting on me, I
reverse-crawl my way down the stairs, one hand going over and clutching
under the rim so as not to fall while I kick with my legs, bumping my
shoulders on each step down the spiral.
Eventually there's a door. I go through, stand. I've
wiped my face and there are two gents from the funeral standing there
in evening coats or bathrobes. They have their own suite, it's
furnished in rich teak and burgundy drapes and I think they're gay.
They see me, jest at my situation at four in the morning, and invite me
to use the shower.