43 The house in Hohenau (3)
Vera was amazed by Helena Kaplan's willfulness. Mark Kaplan was a lucky man.
«It's not about being passive, humbler... Not even traditional. It's okay, as long as you both work together for the house,» Vera said. «The spirit knows that if only one among you two works hard, you won't reach anywhere. I asked you to come first just as a test, by the way. I have no clue who is at fault.»
«That thing... How do we solve it once we know?» Helena Kaplan inquired.
«Offerings. Food, like cookies. Even money. Spirits never dislike metal coins. Water and good deeds are also a good way. For example, make the house always clean.»
«I see... We can do it. It might actually be a good break from life in the city,» Helena chuckles. It was more about being hard-working than respectful. Thankfully, both she and Mark knew what working meant.
«If you had cattle, taming the spirits would be necessary to have the animals survive. House spirits usually protect the living beings of the whole house. And they sometimes come in couples, you know? They're sensitive to marriage because they know what it means. It's a familiar concept to them.»
«I see,» Helena nodded, taking mental notes.
«But it's not you,» Vera said. «You're not what caused her anger. We've been in here for a while, but nothing moved. I can feel she is here, in the house. I know because she's reacting to your presence. But not in a threatening way. She doesn't want to hurt you just yet.»
«So, is it because of Mark? Might it be something he said... or done?»
«I don't know,» Vera sighed. «Was he violent? Did he say something he shouldn't have, something you haven't forgiven in your heart?»
«No!»
«I don't know, Frau Kaplan. But I'm here to find out.»
They walked out unscathed, and the rest of the family seemed relieved. Maybe, it was over. Maybe the spirit had left before they got there.
The teenagers weren't willing to test out that theory, though. They still remembered how much those scratches stung. Luckily, the doctors cured them, but it took a long while for every trace to disappear.
Especially Lora didn't want to risk a scar. For nothing in the world, not even her father's beloved house.
She understood why he loved that place. She could even agree it had to be taken care of with investments of all sorts. But stepping in there? Was it strictly necessary?
«Herr Kaplan, I think you should come in next,» Vera said.
However, after she chatted with Helena Kaplan, she didn't seem convinced she would meet the spirit this time around either.
«Why are we so slow?» Florian inquired, curious.
«I can deal with the spirit,» Vera said. «No one is in any kind of danger. However, their world isn't easy to interpret for us. When dealing with the supernatural, one has to be extra careful. And proceed as slow as possible. It's something we can't understand, Herr Fiser. No one of us.»
Florian seemed convinced, so he walked to a corner in the garden and stood there, under the shadow of a blooming tree.
Vera and Mark Kaplan went in and stayed there for a minute, more or less. However, he noticed how the children were getting nervous.
It was their turn next, but they seemed to be unresting.
«Let's go in and get it over with,» said Lora.
Aaron seemed to agree. When their mother disappeared, they had eaten their nails to the bone because of worry. The same was with their father. They simply weren't used to that kind of feeling.
«Be good, children,» said Frau Kaplan. «You two are next. Just a little patience.»
After talking with Vera, she knew that Mark wasn't the cause either. It had been a minute, and no shout came out. Everything was calm.
It meant that either the kinds were the cause or the spirit had calmed down during the four years they hadn't visited.
Not finding out the reasons for its first fit of anger worried her, but it would also mean they could use the house.
«I would have never believed I would do this if I was told before,» she chuckled, turning to Florian. «Taming a spirit's tantrums, making peace and spoiling it with cookies? I would have laughed in the face of anyone telling me this.»
«Life is surprising,» Florian replied.
«You'll soon return to your job. Isn't that better?» she added. «I feel a little guilty for this, to be honest.»
She stepped towards him so that Sara - who was standing a few feet from them - couldn't hear, and she whispered: «they're nice girls!»
«It's almost over,» Florian said, cutting the conversation short. He didn't want to alert the blonde witch, even though she wouldn't connect the dots as swiftly as the other one.
«He has a good eye, I have to admit it,» she added as her last, whispered remark.
Florian just shrugged. He caught some movements from the corner of his eye and realised too late that getting distracted was the wrong option. Especially with two moody, spoiled eight on a scale of one to ten teenagers.
Aaron and Lora had walked in. He ran to the door to drag them back, but he was caught off-guard by the chaos inside.
Helena and Sara heard the screams and the noise of glass being broken, but none of them could move. They were petrified.
Inside, Florian saw the dark shadow transforming into a woman.
«Out!» Vera shouted, pushing Mark Kaplan to the door. «Out of here, now!»
The children ran out directly to their mother, and Mark Kaplan followed soon after. However, the kikimora didn't calm down. She was still angry... Furious!
The wind was moving objects, and her eyes were shining red.
She looked more and more like an elder woman as her shape formed, her face wrinkled and her hair unkempt moved in the air, each lock resembling a snake... as if it had a life of its own.
She turned to Florian, and terror froze the blood in his veins.
