01x30 - The Dimming

[bunniefuu]

♪ Once upon a time in Toontown ♪

♪ There was a cat that had it all ♪

♪ Fortune and fame, top of the game ♪

♪ Up until he hit the wall ♪

♪ Now he makes a livin' downtown ♪

♪ Walkin' on a brand new beat ♪

♪ Slippin' through the new day
Trippin' on a two-way ♪

♪ Ticket down a one-way street
Beep beep beep ♪

♪ Who's that cat ♪

[siren]

♪ Crackin' up crime? ♪

♪ Stoppin' the clock ♪

[clock ticking]

♪ Hope he gets here on time ♪

[old car horn]

-♪ Let's go-- ♪
-♪ Bonkers ♪

♪ Yeah! Totally nuts ♪

-♪ Bonkers ♪
-♪ No ifs, ands or but buts ♪

-♪ Bonkers ♪
-♪ Someone's stealin' the show ♪

♪ Can't stay, I gotta go, go! Oh, no! ♪

-♪ Bonkers ♪
-♪ Things gettin' outta control ♪

♪ Now you're caught in a trap
Ready to snap ♪

♪ Snappin' the cap
And you're takin' the rap ♪

♪ But ya can't hold back
That wacky attack ♪

♪ That's why you're still a star ♪

-♪ 'Cause you're-- ♪
-♪ Bonkers ♪

-♪ Bonkers ♪
-♪ Bonkers ♪

♪ Bonkers ♪

♪ Wherever you-- wherever you--
Wherever you-- ♪

♪ Wherever you are ♪

♪ Bonkers ♪

[chief] "The dark foreboding sky cast
menacing shadows upon his face

as he pulled the gleaming object
from his pocket.

Thinking no one was around
to stop the evil in his heart,

he let the gum wrapper slip to the ground

-with a sickening thud."
-[thuds]

What kind of hogwash is this, Pickle?

It's police report hogwash, sir.

I caught the guy littering.

This report is horrible.

Thank you, sir.

I adopted a few of the techniques
of my favorite horror author,

Stephen Quaid,
just to make it less boring, you know.

Less boring?
You work for a bloated city bureaucracy.

It's supposed to be boring.

Oh, well, yes, sir, but I just thought--

Listen, Pickle, no one knows
better than I do,

how mind-numbing this paperwork can be.

My mind's been numb for years.

Oh, well, we all know that, sir.
It's just that--

All you have to remember
is we're here to book criminals,

not write books.

[sighs]

Yes, sir.

[sniffles] Ah-choo!

I don't care what anybody says, Lucky.
You should be a novelist.

You got the talent,
the creativity, the typewriter.

So you, uh really think
I've got some talent?

Some talent?

That's like saying
the Atlantic ocean has some water.

You are Shakespeare
with a night stick, Lucky.

And I mean that sincerely.

Oh, who am I kidding?
I'll never get a book written.

It's too busy at home
And I can't afford to take any time off.

Just by happenstance,

as I was perusing this morning paper's
edition of The Toon Times,

this ad jumped out at me.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Hotel in the mountains looking
for a caretaker during its off season.

You see, Lucky?
It's fate, that's what it is.

Destiny, kismet, deja-view.

I'll take care of everything.
Let's not waste a minute.

Wait, wait. What about Marilyn and Dyl?

I'll call them.

What about my job?

You've got vacation coming,
I'll cover for you with the chief.

But...

Suppose I get writer's block?

Don't worry, Luckster.

I packed everything
a horror novelist needs.

[bag] Ouch!

What was that?

Inspiration, Lucky.

Pure inspiration.

[tire screeching]

[sigh]

Maybe this wasn't such bad idea.

Fresh air, no one around
to drive me bonkers.

[chuckles] Bonkers.

See, I'm already writin' comedy.

-[laughing]
-What was that?

Say, this loneliness stuff really works.

My imagination's kicking into in full gear
and running away with me.

[Lucky]
This book is gonna be a masterpiece.

[innkeeper] Excellent. Excellent.

Glad you made it, Mr. Piquel.

Oh, thanks.

This is Dorian.

You'll be taking over for him.
Well, ta-ta for now.

I'll be wintering in the Caribbean.

[innkeeper] Dorian will fill you in.
Bye, all.

Huh, strange little fella.

[whistles]

Some place.

So, how come you're leavin', Dorian?

Oh, I was fired.

They say I've gotten a bit overwrought
from too many winters up here.

Do I look overwrought to you?

Huh? Oh, no. No, no...

You look... your wrought's real good,
like a perfectly well-adjusted citizen.

Hope there's no sharp objects around.

These are my keys.

But now... they're yours.

Goodbye, Veronica.

So long, Maureen.

Sayonara, Beatrice.

Adios, Dorian. I don't want to keep ya.

So long, be sure and drop us a postcard.

[door slam]

All right. I'll leave. But, uh...

I'm not going to warn you about the ghost.

Uh... goodbye.

[chuckles] What a kook.

What? Do I look like I believe in ghosts?

Well, I better bring my stuff inside
before it gets dark.

-But... who? Aah!
-[banging]

[wind howling]

Oh... it's just the wind.

I knew that.

[ghostly voices mumbling]
Shhh. Ha ha ha ha.

All right.

Luggage all unpacked, typewriter set up,

and now, to begin.

[typewriter whirring]

Here we go.

Chapter One.

He doesn't seem to be
getting much work done.

Doesn't take much to get
our juices flowing, let me tell ya.

Yeah, it's easy.

Just give us a good squirt of water,
and there's no stopping us.

Works every time. [laughing]

Water? Hmm.

Sure is a quiet night.

-It was a quiet night.
-[typewriter dings]

Um, when, uh, suddenly,

hmmm, suddenly, suddenly, suddenly...

suddenly what?

[crashes]

There was an expl*si*n.

expl*si*n?

Water pipe exploded!

I got to stop the water. That's it!
I mean...

[mumbling]

[coughing]

Whew.

Well, that should... do it for-- whaa!

Gotcha!

[telephone rings]

[ringing]

Just a little bit further.

Oh, for heaven's sakes.

A toon phone?
Way up here in the mountains?

Cool your jets, tiny.
The call's not for you anyway.

Not for me?

But I am the only one here! Aren't I?

[ring]

[mumbling]

It's about time you answered,
how's it going?

Not so good, Bonks.

He's not getting any writing done,

And I don't think
the water thing's working at all.

It's just not working. It's not good.

Water? Fall-apart, you have to scare him.

He's writing a horror novel.

Just keep him on his toes
and I'll be up to help as fast as I can.

Never send a stand-in to do a star's job.

This situation
calls for my personal touch.

[making airplane sound]

[panting]

Chief, I need to take
a temporaneous leave of absence.

I know what you're thinkin'
the place can't run without me.

But my pal needs me.

So, even if it means putting an end
to my illustrious career,

I'm going and that's that!

By the way, in case of emergency,
here's where I'll be.

Hmm?

[making airplane sound]

Well, Leonard,
I hope you're proud of yourself.

Well, it is coming along rather nicely.

I'm not talking about your silly model.

It's our anniversary!

[gasps]

Anniversary?

I knew you forgot!

F- uh, forgot?

Me?

I-- I can explain.

I'll give you something to explain, you...

You great big lug of a romantic guy, you.

Oh, what a wonderful surprise, Lenny-poo.

Surprise, dear?

You've booked us on a weekend
at this fabulous hotel, haven't you?

You found me out, all right.

You start packing, cupcake.

We're going to the mountains.

[chuckles] Yeah, mountains.

[typewriter clacking]

[clicking]

[dings]

Uh... and then, uh...

suddenly, uh...

-without warning...
-[dings]

a premonition, uh...

-crept over him...
-[dings]

like a, uh...

like a toast popping out of the...

no, that's no good.

-A sun-specked morning
-[dings]

across the valley...

No, that's not it.

-[door opening]
-[ghostly wail] What's that?

[wailing continues]

Is that a g-g-g-ghost?

[wailing continues]

No, no, no, no! Go away. Back off.

[wailing]

I'm so scary! I'm a big scary ghost!

-Whoa!
-[crashes]

-Ooh!
-[gasps]

Whoa! Whaa!

-[crashes]
-Whoa!

[crashes]

Whaa! Whaa!

Now it's talking. It's haunted.

This whole hotel is haunted.

So what do you want me to do about it?
It's my fault?

-[pipes clanking]
-I'm a telephone, not an exterminator.

[whistling]

[screaming]

[crashes]

Now that I'm here, it's time to really
pour on the inspiration.

[groaning]

[Bonkers] Great disguise, Fall-Apart.

That ought to scare
a library out of Lucky.

[Fall-Apart] That's not me.

You mean it's a real mummy?

[groaning and grunting]

Make that a daddy.

Bonkers? Fall-Apart?

[whimpering]

He knows our names.

He can't catch a rabbit, Fall-Apart!

Help! [wailing]

The other way! Skate the other way!

This is the only way I know how to--

-[all grunting]
-[crashing]

-Lucky, you're the mummy?
-[crashing]

Boy, you think you know a guy.

Look who's talking.

What were you clowns doing
dressed up as a ghost?

Trying to scare me?

You betcha. To help my favorite writer
get over his writer's block.

I sent ol' Fall-Apart
but he wasn't up to the job.

Who's gonna show up next?

The Grapevine?

Hey come on, man. You didn't expect us
to stay at home, did ya?

[chuckle] Not when we heard you
was in trouble.

That's not the kind of laugh.
We can pass up!

You get me.

Boy, wait'll this gets on
the old grapevine. Am I right?

-[grape 1] The grapevine! [laugh]
-[grape 2] You gotta love that!

You had to bring those guys along.

Well, I wasn't coming alone.
I'm afraid of ghosts.

Even when they're me.

That's cute.
Well, I don't have a writer's block,

so you good Samaritans can be on your way.

[ghostly wail]

And you can stop making
those ghost noises now.

I wasn't making ghost noises.

I thought you were making ghost noises.

[ghostly laugh]

-Is the T.V. on?
-No.

-Radio?
-Nah.

-CD player?
-Negative.

-Tummy trouble?
-No!

Then it's a real ghost.

Yep. Not that I believe in ghosts,
you understand.

There's only one way
to handle this situation.

Go to bed and pull the cover over heads?

We're cops, and it's up to us

to put this ridiculous nonsense
about ghosts to bed.

[ghostly laughter]

Yeah, so where do we begin?

We go to bed and pull the covers
over our heads.

Gosh, Lucky, your room is way down there?

What are you so nervous about, Bonkers?
It's just a hallway.

A long, dark, creepy hallway
with corners to leap out from

and nooks to hide in

and crannies to disappear into
and never be seen again!

Will you please knock it off?

This is a perfectly well-lit corridor.

It must be frightening to be always right.

It's probably a power surge or something.

Or a mechanically-inclined ghost!

I am telling you, there is nothing
supernatural going on here!

[both] Yikes!

That's certainly a relief to know, Lucky.

We are going down this hallway,
and there nothing that's going to stop us!

[both panting]

[Lucky sighing]

Nothing like a nice quiet evening
before a good night's sleep.

[groans]

[ticking]

-[chiming]
-[mouse squealing]

Are you asleep, Lucky?

-No.
-[banging]

Um, did you hear anything?

-A scraping, banging sound?
-Yeah.

-No, not a thing.
-Me neither.

Maybe if we put pillows over our heads,
whatever we're not hearing will go away.

-Good thinking.
-[creaking]

Wait a minute.

We're cops. Boys in blue.
Hollywood's finest.

We eat steel and spit out nails!

We're not scared of anything,
living or dead. Am I right?

You're right, Lucky.

-Let's go get 'em, huh!
-[rat squeaking]

You get 'em, Lucky.

I want to stay here with my binky.

Oh, no, you don't.

[soft creaking]

[banging]

Hey, it's coming from one of those rooms.

Leonard, why do I get the feeling
we're the only guests in this hotel.

Oh, everyone else is probably
asleep, darling.

The important thing is that you
and I have a nice anniversary.

-Lenny-poo.
-Cupcake.

-[Leonard] Honeybunch.
-I hear voices.

Me, too. There must be
more than one ghost.

I got an idea. We'll trap 'em in this.

On the count of three. One... two...

-[door crashing]
-three!

-Charge!
-Charge!

[commotion]

[Lucky] What do you have to say
for yourself now, you two-bit ghosts?

-[Leonard] Piquel, is that you?
-That sounds like the chief!

Don't let it fool you, Lucky.
Ghosts can sound like anybody.

[Leonard]
You better let us out and pronto!

All right, then, chief.

How do I know you're really you?

Do the words "no promotion, no raise ever"
ring a bell?

[both] That's the chief, all right.

So, how are you and the Mrs.

enjoying your stay
at our little hotel, chief?

I've got a good mind to bust you down
to the basement for this, Pickle.

Uh, sir, we're already
in the basement, remember?

Oh. Forgot about that.

I'm... look, I'm really sorry about this,
Mrs. Kanifky.

You see, we thought you two were ghosts.

Ghosts? What nonsense.
There's no such thing.

Of course not.

Bunch of hogwash and silly superstition.

[ghoulish voice] You dare enter my house?

On the other hand,
there might be something to it.

[ghoulish voice] Get out.

Get out!

You're not welcome here.

Get out.

Get out!

I, for one,
think that is excellent advice.

Ta-ta!

[all clamoring]

Ladies first! Oh!

[Bonkers] Go ahead. I'll catch up.

-What do we do now, Leonard?
-Well, I...

[ghoulish voice] Go away.

Far away.

Like he said. I make it a point,
never argue with the supernatural.

The car's that way!

Say, what's this?

Don't touch that. Put that down.
Put that cord back.

[weakly] I command... oh...

Come on. Let's see where it leads.

Just like I figured.

A movie projector
and a loudspeaker system.

Boy, these ghosts
are really getting high-tech.

If that was a real ghost,
then so's my Aunt Sadie.

Hold it!
There's something in those bushes.

-[screams]
-He's getting away!

-Hey!
-Where'd he go?

He must've run into there.

[Bonkers] Wow. It's like a giant video
game made out of trees.

[chief]
First thing we need to do is split up.

We'll each take a path.
Now you yell out if you find him.

-[crunching]
-What?

Oww!

Is this going to affect
my chance for a promotion, sir?

Only temporarily. 10, 20 years,
I'm sure I'll forget all about it.

Yes, sir.

-Oh!
-Oh?

[gasp] It's the ghost!

Oh! I found the ghost. I got him.
I got him right here! I got him.

Ow! Ow! Stop it! Let me go!

Go! Oh!

And he looks just like Mrs. Kanifky!

Mrs. Kanifky?

We needn't mention this to your husband,
do we, love, hey?

Where is he? I don't see any ghost.

Well, you know how these ghosts are.

Disappearing's kind of their thing.

Hear that? Some kind of a rumbling sound.

[Mrs. Kanifky]
It's coming from over there!

[Leonard] It's a snow plow!

Let me outta here!

[overlapping dialogs]

[Mrs. Kanifky] Get outta my way.

Oh! We'll be safe in here.
He can't get us now.

-[rattling]
-[all screaming]

-Who was that?
-That was him.

[laughing]

Well, they say the pen
is mightier than the sword.

Let's see if the typewriter
is mightier than the snow plow!

[screaming]

-[crashing]
-[grunts]

Hey. This guy's wearing a mask.

It's Dorian, the old caretaker.

That's right. It's me! It's me.

I've been behind all the haunting.

But why, Dorian?

You can tell me. I'm your friend.

Psychology.

I thought if I scared you off,
then the hotel would hire me back.

[inhale] I miss my keys.

They're my friends, you know.

[chief] Time to make some new friends.

Where you're going,
they throw away the keys.

Ooh, Leonard.

You sounded just like Humphrey Bogart
when you said that.

[both moaning]

Happy anniversary, Pooksie.

Happy anniversary, Lenny-poo.

Your poor typewriter, Lucky.

Barely a shell of its former self.

Well, at least it was good for something.
Totally not for writing.

There's not one word in this whole
manuscript worth keeping.

Oh, can I have it, please?

It'll give me something
to peruse in prison.

Knock yourself out.

And here's an advance
of $10,000, Mr. Dorian.

This is the most promising horror novel
by a new author I've read in years.

What is your secret?

-[camera clicks]
-What can I tell you?

[mad laughter] It's a gift.

It's as if someone else
did the writing for me.

Know what I mean?

[theme song playing]