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Day Four 4:15pm
Ariel sat on the couch, feeling the weight of solitude- well, not complete solitude- as Mandy's presence wasn't quite reassuring. Just a few feet away, a small crowd had gathered around Max and his array of camera screens. Ariel's gaze lifted to the many monitors, focusing on the one barely visible over Leroy's shoulder as he leaned in with intense anticipation.
Ariel frowned as she watched the scenes flashing by, noting they were inching ever closer...then Jasper’s order to halt came through. Startled, Ariel glanced at her rival who, despite being covered in dust, managed to retain her poise, only a slight flicker of annoyance revealing itself when Mr. Warner exclaimed,
"Look there, he's appearing!"
Ariel’s eyes fell to her lap where her ice pack lay melting. She felt even more irritated than the medium and more anxious too.
The old man—Mr. Marlowe—they’re going to see him. How does he expect me to keep his existence a secret when he’s drifting down hallways? Given the situation...
Ariel cast a quick look at her boss whose serious face was illuminated by harsh fluorescent light—
Jasper is suspecting something.
Ariel shifted the water around in her ice pack as whispers emanated from the group huddled around Max's desk.
"Here he comes..." Mr. Warner announced.
"Is that Mr. Marlowe?" Jasper questioned, and Ariel could tell from his tone that he was deep in thought.
Analyze all you want, but you're not getting answers from me, Ariel mused, tilting the ice pack up and down.
"The picture-" Leroy pointed out.
"Max," Jasper interrupted swiftly, "can you sharpen it any further?"
Silence followed; presumably, Max shook his head, but Ariel refused to look up to confirm.
"Ghostly interference?" Mr. Warner suggested tentatively.
"Electrical interference," Jasper snapped back, dismissing the playwright quickly.
"You think so?" Taylor pressed on, undeterred by Jasper’s decisive tone. "What makes you so sure it isn't a paranormal disturbance?"
There was a loaded pause; Ariel sensed that Jasper was even less inclined than usual to entertain Taylor’s notions. At last, he conceded,
"Max, what is your assessment?"
Another silence stretched out before Max responded,
"It could be either, but I would say electrical," Ariel mused thoughtfully.
A huffy noise punctuated the air as Taylor plopped down on the couch beside her, causing it to dip. Ariel glanced up, catching the priestess making an exaggerated face.
"Max, what's your opinion?" Taylor muttered mockingly under her breath.
Ariel directed her focus back to the ice pack resting on her lap, only for it to be swiftly snatched away.
"Hey—" she began to protest, but Taylor held it out of reach, eyes narrowed in disapproval.
"How old are you again? Do you think this is a toy?" Taylor scolded.
Ariel frowned deeply as she watched Taylor place the ice pack on her own lap and start pushing the melting ice around. Ariel opened her mouth to object, but John interrupted before she could speak.
"Then what happened?" he inquired.
Ariel shot a look at Mr. Warner while further down the couch, Mandy tensed visibly. A contemplative silence settled over the room as Mr. Warner pondered the question, oblivious to the scrutinizing gazes locked on him. He eventually broke into a sympathetic smile and responded,
"Well, as I said earlier, they were struck with overwhelming terror. They seemed almost mesmerized by his ghostly presence, drawn towards him as if in a trance. If it hadn’t been for me..."
Outraged, Ariel sprang to her feet.
"I was not struck with terror! If that stupid footage worked, you would see—"
"There now, Ariel," Mr. Warner interjected with an infuriatingly sympathetic look, "the state of your mind—"
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"We were perfectly sound of mind," Mandy interrupted sharply, her cheeks flushing red.
"Of course you were," John replied amicably.
Ariel glared at Mr. Warner with narrowed eyes; though she appreciated John's attempt at peacekeeping, she refused to be placated while Mr. Warner continued to speak. Then something unexpected happened—the playwright's shoulders slumped suddenly; he sank slowly into the nearest chair.
"I... can't believe..." he murmured faintly, his face pale.
Everyone turned their attention to Mr. Warner now; even Mandy looked uncertain. But before anyone could voice their thoughts, the playwright continued,
"This is all her fault—haunting his own theater."
Jasper leaned against the desk with arms crossed and watched Mr. Warner intently.
"You mean Miss Marlowe?" he asked.
Mr. Warner looked up abruptly from where his face had been buried in his hands.
"Yes! Yes, this is all because of her," he exclaimed passionately, his eyes shimmering with the same sense of injustice Ariel had previously noticed in him.
"Because she disturbed him?" Leroy queried for clarification.
The playwright pivoted towards the monk, his eyes wide with intensity.
"Yes, but saying 'disturbed' is an understatement. Can you truly say a man is simply disturbed when he rises from his grave to haunt his theater in protest?"
Leroy contemplated this,
"I suppose not...but I have encountered more severe incidents-"
"This is as extreme as it gets; the very fate of this theater is on the line!" Mr. Warner insisted, looking at them all imploringly.
His plea was quite compelling; even Ariel felt a pang of sympathy despite being painted as a helpless damsel.
"There is something here...he is here- just please. Please, search a bit longer," the playwright urged, locking eyes with Jasper.
"We're staying, Mr. Warner, but I will determine what’s here," Jasper responded, offering little comfort with his frigid tone.
Nevertheless, this seemed to reinvigorate the playwright almost instantly.
"Then there is still hope. If Mr. Marlowe has come back from the great beyond just to prevent this atrocity, then let us not waste his efforts," Mr. Warner persisted with renewed vigor.
Mandy abruptly stood up,
"If we’re done here," she said, glancing at Jasper, "it's late and we need to prepare for tonight."
Jasper frowned but gave a reluctant nod,
"We'll continue tomorrow."
"Splendid!" Mr. Warner exclaimed, standing up as well. "Shall we, my dear?"
With visible reluctance, Mandy took his offered arm. Gradually, the others got up and started heading to the door while Max shut down the computers for the evening.
"Feeling excited?" Leroy whispered to Ariel as they walked through the hallway, giving her a playful nudge.
Ariel grimaced but couldn’t respond; her insides churned with anxiety upon glancing at the back of Jasper's head.
Excited isn’t quite the word for it.
Upon reaching the foyer, Ariel was reminded of the harmful Magnolias sent to Shiloh earlier that day, their recent unsettling encounter with what appeared to be Mr. Marlowe's specter, and those ominous doors.
Instinctively, she moved closer to Leroy as they neared the small group ahead. The monk greeted her with a warm smile, took her arm gently, and together they followed the playwright and the medium out of the building. Mandy, meanwhile, clung to Mr. Warner's arm for support.
After experiencing a fleeting moment of dizziness, Ariel stepped over the threshold with caution. Once outside the theater, a brisk wind swept through, playing with her hair and refreshing her senses as it spun small bits of dust away into the distance. Ariel surveyed her surroundings—dusk quickly enveloped the sky, and the few clouds scattered above were now tinged with a delicate shade of purple.
"At least the rain has passed," Leroy noted as he deftly avoided a large puddle while descending the stairs.
Ariel, somewhat distracted and lost in thought, almost slipped on the slick steps behind him. She grabbed onto the railing just in time to steady herself.
"Yeah..." she murmured absentmindedly as Taylor walked past her with an amused expression on his face.
"Be careful, Ariel. You wouldn't want to miss out on the festival," John advised from behind, offering her a steadying hand.
Actually, that's not a bad idea at all, Ariel thought glumly but merely smiled at John and gratefully accepted his assistance.
As they passed by the vibrant festival grounds moments later, Ariel suddenly became acutely aware of her disheveled appearance. Desperately, she glanced down at her dusty clothes in dismay.
Some Yvonne I'll make! she thought with embarrassment.
"Leroy," Ariel called out tentatively while futilely trying to dust herself off, "I need a favor. Can I borrow your coat?"
The Monk looked down at her with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"Please? I'll give it right back," Ariel continued pleadingly, feeling slightly irked by his hesitation.
"What's this about?" Leroy asked before his gaze shifted ahead of them to spot the inn nearby. A knowing smile spread slowly across his face. "Ah—I see. Don't want your boyfriend seeing you all messy—"
"As if! Just give me the coat!" Ariel interrupted indignantly, tugging insistently on his sleeve.
"Oy—Ariel, that's my bad arm," Leroy protested softly while rubbing it tenderly where she had pulled it too hard.
"Sorry! I didn't realize," Ariel muttered apologetically yet innocently as she managed to snatch the coat from him successfully.
"Well then this is where we leave you," Mr. Warner declared cheerfully as he directed Mandy toward the left side of their path. "See you all tonight."
"Actually," Mandy spoke up suddenly while looking back towards their group with some hesitance. "I have something I need waiting for me at the inn."
Mr. Warner blinked in surprise but quickly adjusted his plans without complaint.
"Oh? Something for tonight? Well then let’s go fetch it,” he agreed amiably while guiding Mandy towards their new destination once more.
Behind them, Ariel observed Mandy with curiosity. What on earth could she need to pick up? She exchanged a puzzled glance with Leroy, who merely shrugged, and they continued onward.
Ariel glanced back over her shoulder as they were nearly past the festival grounds. The area was already bustling with life; paper lanterns began to glow softly, and the mouth-watering aroma of food being cooked wafted through the air.
Despite being wrapped in Leroy's oversized coat, Ariel felt a wave of self-consciousness as she hurried through the inn's winding halls towards the safety of her room.
"I'll meet you in the dining room," the monk called after her just as he reached his door.
"See you then, Leroy," Ariel replied over her shoulder without breaking stride until she spotted the number fourteen on her own door. With a sigh of relief, she unlocked it and quickly slipped inside, closing it firmly behind her.
Finally, she thought as she heaved off Leroy's heavy coat. She grimaced upon noticing it was now coated in dust as well.
Oops...