Chapter 4: Kiara's Reaction

“Don’t expect to see that woman in the mirror everywhere you go now,” Clifford cautioned with a wink.

Marielle shook herself to get rid of the odd feeling.

“No, I won’t,” she promised. She hoped that she would be strong enough to keep that promise.

“I will ask around amongst the members of the dance group,” Clifford promised. “I will have to do it discreetly though. I don’t want the managers to think that I’m trying to frighten their dancers away.”

“Oh, I would really appreciate it,” Marielle responded as Clifford pulled up in front of the high gates of her home. Her parents did not take chances with security. Marielle herself felt that high walls and gates were extreme, though.

“Try to forget about all that for now,” Clifford advised. “It’s late and you might have bad dreams if you don’t get the episode out of your mind.”

“Graham seemed fascinated by everything,” Marielle remarked. “He was quiet in the dressing room, down in the basement, but became quite talkative back on the ground floor. Was he afraid, then?”

“Perhaps just cautious,” Clifford suggested. “That might be the case because he, like you, has never been there before. He also got to meet you in the basement. That’s a little unusual.”

“So, he was either overwhelmed by the dressing room or by me?” Marielle asked with her eyes wide in disbelief.

“I would say so,” Clifford replied.

“Then what kind of a wealthy businessman is he then when he can’t even stand seeing a ghost?” Marielle asked. “Or does his father carry all the burdens of the company?”

“You’re also afraid of a ghost and please apply gender equality,” Clifford remarked. “He doesn’t have to be brave just because he’s a man.”

“I suppose that you have a point,” Marielle conceded. “But now, what about my grandmother? Will she know that something strange happened?”

“Don’t tell her now, so that you can forget the experience at least for tonight,” Clifford remarked.

“Keeping it to myself might lead to trouble,” Marielle responded. “Anyway, I think that it’s not so wise to have this kind of a topic at night.”

“You know, I haven’t seen anything, but I might have a nightmare, just from listening to you,” Clifford remarked.

“So, how do we get rid of the haunted feeling?” Marielle asked.

“Your grandmother might have an answer, after all,” Clifford replied.

“So, you want us to go in and tell her about the theatre basement episode?” Marielle asked, her eyes stretched wide. “Won’t that make the situation come to life? I mean won’t something begin to follow us around?”

Her phone rang then, so she opened her small bag and removed it.

“It’s Kiara,” Marielle announced. “Let me answer quickly. Thanks for the lovely outing,” she said before giving Clifford a quick kiss on the cheek and opening the door of the van.

“Remember not to talk about creepy stuff tonight; leave it until tomorrow,” Clifford shouted after her as she began to answer her friend’s call.

“Oh, I’ve had a great time tonight,” Marielle began immediately.

“What did you do then?” Kiara asked on her end of the line.

“I went to the Observatory with Clifford,” Marielle replied. “We visited a dance group.”

“I was calling you non-stop,” Kiara complained. “Anyway, what did you do there? Did you dance?” she asked with a note of concern in her voice.

“No, my dear. We went to watch them rehearse during class,” Marielle replied. “They are absolutely outstanding,” she explained as she rang the doorbell.

“What dances do they perform?” Kiara asked with a note of urgency in her voice.

“Russian standard Ballet,” Marielle answered. “They dance like machines,” she added as her grandmother opened the door and gave her a curious look.

Marielle frowned back.

Her grandmother then pointed at the large, wooden peacock clock on the wall.

Marielle glanced at the clock and noticed the time. It was almost eleven o’clock! She could not believe that time had flown so fast.

“Gosh, you should have taken me with you,” Kiara commented in an indignant tone.

“Don’t stress about that theatre though,” Marielle responded. “I don’t think you would have wanted to be there after all,” she commented as her grandmother stared at her with big eyes.

“Why, what could be wrong in going along?” Kiara asked with a curious note in her voice.

“Gosh, I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to tell her about tonight,” Marielle rebuked herself by stepping on her foot.

“Well, something weird happened in the basement dressing room,” Marielle replied.

“What happened, please don’t hold out on me?” Kiara asked with more urgency in her voice.

“Well, I sort of saw an apparition in the mirror when I was down there alone,” Marielle commented in a wavering voice. Her grandmother plopped herself down on an armchair when she heard this.

“Oh, are you sure?” Kiara asked in a high-pitched voice. She sounded very excited.

“Yes, but Clifford reckons that we should not discuss this at night,” Marielle whispered in response. Her grandmother was glaring at her at this point.

“Oh no!” Kiara responded in a tone of dismay. “This sounds so intriguing. If it’s true then we should definitely go back there, especially since it’s late already. Dramatic!”

“What do you mean?” Marielle responded in surprise and shock.

“You saw something in the mirror, right?” Kiara asked breathlessly.

“Yes, I did and it made me faint,” Marielle replied with a curious frown between her wing-shaped, dark eyebrows.

“Well, then since it’s almost midnight, we should go back there and see what happens,” Kiara said in a decisive tone. “Don’t worry, you won’t faint again.”

“Definitely not, because I’m not going back there tonight,” Marielle responded in a firm tone of voice.

“But, you were there for a purpose,” Kiara answered, still in a serious tone of voice. “Apparitions are not there simply for the sake of entertainment. Tell your grandmother that you forgot something there.”

“Grandma is right here with me now,” Marielle responded with her eyes fixed on her grandmother’s face. Her grandmother pointed at the clock again, then in the direction of the closed study door.

“I wonder what could be going on in there,” Marielle asked herself.

“We have to work on a plan and be totally prepared before doing anything as daring as what you’re suggesting,” Marielle added.

“Your grandmother is a woman of faith,” Kiara remarked.

“So, that’s even more reason not to mess with her and her values,” Marielle replied. She began to walk in the direction of the study as she made questioning gestures at her grandmother, who was still staring at her with a frown of disapproval on her brow.

“So, that means that your grandmother can pray for us while we go and see what’s wrong with the ghost in the mirror,” Kiara continued, to Marielle’s horror.

“You really want to help a ghost and you don’t even know who they are?” Marielle asked as she paused in front of the study.

“Then let’s go and introduce ourselves,” Kiara suggested with a lift of excitement in her voice. “I bet you it is a former dancer!” she exclaimed dramatically.