Disclaimer: I don't own Gregory horror show or its characters. I only own my original characters

Truth in the Heart of Madness

CHAPTER 1

The Arrival

Deep in the far corners of sanity lie places where the fabric that confines what we call reality wears thin. In times of crisis, When you find yourself nearing your breaking point You may just wander into one of these places.

A hospital, Where one can rest, Perhaps run by a little patchwork man…

A lonely train station with a sign that says Last train…

Or maybe, An old beige brick building, the sign above it's purple doors reading

'Gregory house'

It is to this establishment that our story concerns.

Gregory, the owner of the Guest house was sitting at the front desk. It was a dark and stormy night (most were around here). The elderly rat was contemplating the idea of locking up early, or at least calling his young sister to mind the desk while he retired for the evening.

"It's not like we often get guests at this hour, but sti.." Gregory trailed off and a loud knock echoed through the lobby. He climbed down from his stool and opened the door.

Standing on the stoop was a young man, with thick brown hair, and eyes of an indeterminate dark hue behind a pair of gold rimmed glasses. He wore a black trench coat, pants, and shoes. A thick plaid scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face.

Gregory stepped backward to let the young man in.

"My, my. You look like you've lost your way" Gregory stated in a soothing tone as the man wiped his feet and loosened his scarf. The man's nose and mouth had a red tinge, and he sniffled as though fighting a severe cold.

"I am terribly sorry to intrude. I don't know how I got lost" Replied the guest in a timid quiet voice. "But I was supposed to visit my mother, … I don't have any money with me" the poor man looked terribly upset as though afraid Gregory would turn him out into the storm again. "If you could please, please spare a room… or a couch or chair, just for the night." Gregory silenced the man with a wave of his paw.

"Say no more my friend. If you've found your way here, you have paid for your room well in advance." He chuckled his high pitched chuckle. "follow me, I'll get a room ready for you." They walked up a flight of stairs and down a long green- carpeted hallway.

Gregory opened the door to a room, they both entered and Gregory began some tidying while the guest looked around. The room was done in shades of brown and green, the carpet and walls were forest and emerald green, the bed spread, furniture, and molding all in brown. On one wall was a door and a large fire place, on the other was a glass door with a small balcony over looking the garden.

"I just cleaned this room today so a few touches here and there and you'll be all set." With a loud cracking noise Gregory began wrestling a large bundle of kindling over toward the fire place. Lighting it on fire he reached under the bed and got some fire wood to add before pointing to the last door. "there is your bathroom, and clothes go in the wardrobe, anything else I can do for you?...uh I'm sorry I didn't catch your name"

"Alexander Traverse" The guest took off his still dripping coat revealing a tall, thin figure in a damp gray shirt. Alex noticed the dripping and quickly hung it over the shower head in the bathroom before returning apologizing profusely. "I know its late and the kitchen is probably closed… Its just I was supposed to be at my mother's by now … and she likes to cook"

"So you didn't eat before hand, say no more my friend" Gregory got up and started toward the hallway door. Gregory got a good impression of this man's mother he shuddered slightly at how similar she was to his own. 'Maybe that's why he seems different from other guests?' Gregory opened the door and shook his head " Well I'm sorry to say I'm almost positive the hotel chef has already gone to bed, but our nurse Catherine is a pretty decent cook or I can at least manage tea and a sandwich." And with that he left as his guest moved in front of the fireplace to warm himself.

As Gregory made his way to the kitchen he saw Catherine loitering at the bottom of the stairs.

"I suppose you've seen the new guest, Catherine?"

"yes I did. When am I allowed to get a blood sample?" The pink lizard smirked in anticipation.

"Not just yet, I think this one will need some conditioning before we give his soul to Mama." Gregory took the nurse's arm and led her toward the kitchen. "We can start right now, help me prepare some food for him. When he reveals the true cause of his pain we can continue as planned." Once in the kitchen Gregory put some water in a kettle and leftover soup from the fridge in a sauce pan and began to heat them, Catherine began to make some sandwiches.

"how will you make him stay that long without becoming suspicious? If he stays to long he is bound to figure out what your doing"

"he will stay… I am sure of it."

Alexander Traverse moved away from the fire place to the window, rain flowed over the outside of the glass giving the garden an indistinct appearance. Alexander found his gaze frequently drawn to a rose bush the color a deep red and in the dark light of the stormy evening the flowers were only one visible shade above black.

In the corner of his eyes Alex saw movement near the bush, in a flash of lightning he could have swore he saw a young woman out in the rain. In his mind he flashed back to rainy days in a green house, the laugh of a young woman echoed softly.

"we should tell her Alex" the woman whispered as he stared at the soft pink and white roses of the greenhouse.

Suddenly the image blurred as he tried to shake himself from his memories, but not before he heard an echo of three people saying no

The young woman, her voice high pitched with distress

An older woman shouting in anger

His own a shocked whisper of disbelief .

Again the movement in the garden still staring down his eyes saw a young face, the face of the woman was as lovely as the countenance of any fairy princess, but bore an expression which to Alexander would be more fitting on the star of a Greek tragedy. Long straight brown hair, no as he squinted he realized she was more redhead than brunette. Looking up she met his eyes with her own solid black ones, no white, no iris, just black

At first Alexander wondered why this didn't surprise him… but his instinct told him she was like the kindly rat who greeted him

"they belong here..." as he thought about that he saw the girl pick a dark rose and raise her hand in greeting. She moved toward a door in the side of the garden and at once Alexander was on his feet running toward his door. He had just thrown the door open and Gregory stood in the doorway the tray of food in hand

"Oh and where are you going at this hour?" the rat asked.