Chapter 9

The rain continued to fall heavily in the misty outdoors, and pools of water gathered in puddles in the pebbled driveway of the Wyatt Mansion. A black car made shiny by the rain was driving shakily up to the front entrance, it narrowly missed the cement fountain, and stopped just short of flattening a patch of bushes lining the wall of the house. By then Raymond had ran full speed to the doors to meet this new arrival, shouting, 'The storm is coming! The storm cometh! Oh! The Horror!' He was putting up a very convincing act, and Dennis speculated that Raymond might foam in his mouth in the next moment.
Addy asked Dennis to wheel her to the main entrance too, following Raymond. She looked excited, as if a long-anticipated guest had finally arrived.
'Oh, the horror! Run, hide, take shelter by any means! The terrible storm cometh!' Raymond was outside, frolicking madly in the rain, kicking up stones from the ground, running aimlessly in circles. He was at the top of his dramatic form, and excitement was coursing through his veins with vigor.
Dennis did not understand Raymond's act, he stayed inside the double doors and peered out from the glass panels as Addy too went out by herself to join Raymond and gestured for him to stop his mad raving. Addy unsheathed an umbrella for the new arrival, one that Dennis did not notice her picking up earlier.
The single occupant of the black vehicle - the driver - exited after some time spent turning off the ignition and closing the headlights. She was dressed in black down to her boots, matching her straight black hair and beret. She had with her a satchel on which were decorated with homemade buttons. She looked to be about Dennis' age. Dennis pushed through the doors to get a better look at her.
Seeing that Dennis had come out of the mansion, Raymond threw his arms wide and said, 'Aye, the storm has come! You've not taken my warnings to heart and sought shelter? It is now too late, Simone the Storm cometh in all her glorious terrors!' Raymond bowed.
'Oh shut up, Raymond!' The girl shouted. She signed to Addy, who signed back, and then noticed Dennis for the first time. She signed to Addy, pointing at Dennis occasionally, who replied without verbal translation, and then she concentrated her stare on Dennis alone. She assessed him suspiciously.
'So just who are you?' She demanded in a questioning tone.
'This, my little cousin, is Dennis, the right honorable Dennis Raveley.' Raymond said, putting an arm around Dennis' shoulders. Dennis looked at him, put before he could correct Raymond that he did not hold the title of right honorable, the girl had spoken.
'Raveley? What kind of a name is that?' The girl said, she crossed her arms.
'Good question!' Raymond held his hand up to stroke his chin, 'What indeed is the origin of this unusual name? I've never thought of it.'
'Of course you've never thought of that, I'm surprised an inept, stupid moron such as yourself even addressed this concern.' The girl said.
'Objection, inept and stupid are incorrect adjectives to describe yours truly.' Raymond said.
'As if, I can come up with ten better ones right now, let's try senseless, imprudent, ridiculous, half-witted-' She advanced upon Raymond and punched his arm. Raymond's face contorted into an actor's agonized face, and he fell back onto the ground, swooning.
He's a good actor, Dennis thought of Raymond. The girl captured his attention again.
'So, I've learned of your name through that neanderthal, and I've wasted enough time here in the rain, I'm Karla, Karla Simone, by the way of French descent. We shall see once inside whether I am pleased to have met you.' She did not shake Dennis' hand and Dennis did not offer his hand for shake. Karla went over to Addy and wheeled her in through the front doors. Raymond got up from the ground then and escorted a rather stupefied Dennis back under the shelter of the mansion.
Once in the front hall, Karla turned once again to Dennis and said, 'You've yet to answered my question, now, about the origin of your name, if you please.' Raymond had gone off to fetch his bazooka to show Karla, and Addy stayed to observe.
'I'm not sure,' Dennis said, 'I think it's a portmanteau.'
'A portmanteau, of what?'
'I don't know, maybe of Raven and Hedley, they form Rave-ley.' Dennis replied with a shrug.
'Hum, disappointing. I'd thought someone with such sophistication in appearance would be equally intelligent.' Karla exhaled, 'You're not meeting my gaze, what's troubling you?'
'Nothing,' Dennis looked up and into Karla's eyes, they were brown.
'You have very strange eyes.' Karla said.
'They're different.' Dennis said.
'They're...just-why are your eyes like that?'
'I don't know, I never read any books that could explain it.'
'You're a queer boy.' Karla said.
Dennis didn't say anything, he shifted his gaze a bit and then nodded slightly.
Karla signed to Addy, who pointed towards the hall leading to the kitchen, where Raymond was just returning with the bazooka in his arms.
'What in the world?' Karla exclaimed.
'Ha! Impressed, eh? I found this in the basement, why don't you examine it closely?' Raymond walked up to Karla and in a heave thrusts the weapon at her, who caught it in both arms and almost collapsed from the weight. 'It will do you good to strengthen up.' Raymond grinned at his little high-risk stunt.
While Raymond gloated to himself and others, Karla stepped forward and dropped the bazooka on Raymond's outstretched foot.
'YEAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!' Raymond howled in pain and fell sideways like a toppled stack of stones. He writhed on the carpet and rolled on his side. Karla flashed a satisfied smile and Addy rolled her chair to her and they high-fived each other. Addy smiled too.
Dennis winced.
'One more thing,' Karla turned to Dennis and stared into his eyes, 'You seem lacking somewhat, are you aware of that?'
'Nope, lacking in what?' He asked.
'In crucial human qualities.' Karla replied and strolled away with Addy.
'In crucial human qualities,' Dennis repeated to himself, 'what's that mean?' He asked himself.
'Come on, my friend Dennis, help me up, I still need to show you my musicality.' Raymond reached and pulled at the collar of Dennis' pants, he bent down to support Raymond.