There was something very ....empty ....about the Shanachie Theater when there wasn't a performance in progress, or a rehearsal happening. It was filled with the ghosts of roles played, the echoes of songs sung and soliloquies enacted. It could have been spooky, if it weren't for the fact that Fliss had been all over every inch of the place with the STARS. She'd had a moment of genius when she and Lucas had been discussing their latest assignment. They'd already decided to visit the Divining Shoreline, just for kicks, but the real clincher was in this visit. After all, where else could you find a real ghost who didn't mind talking when it was quiet'
Sitting in the circle, Fliss flashed Lucas a grin. "Ready?" she asked impishly.
"I'm not so sure this is a good idea, Fliss," Lucas confessed, not exactly scared, but definitely a little nervous. Maybe if they'd asked permission to be there, he might have felt a little better about it, but it wasn't so much that as it was the idea that they were looking to interview a ghost, of all things - and it wasn't even Halloween! It was like two kids sneaking into a haunted house on a dare, except that they hadn't been dared, and it wasn't that kind of haunting - or so Fliss had said. "What if she doesn't want to be disturbed?" he asked, not exactly skeptical. He'd seen too many weird things in Rhy'Din to be skeptical, including some of his classmates and teachers. Then again, this was nothing compared to their last assignment, which involved exploring the Imp's Little Shop of Horrors.
"If she doesn't want to be disturbed, then she won't come out," Fliss shrugged, supremely unconcerned about how close to the line of legal they were skirting by not actually having permission to be here. No wonder Johnny had taken to calling her his Mini-Me on occasion. "Just ....so long as we don't ask her anything too personal, I don't see why she'd have any problem telling us about this area and what it was like when she was alive. It was built for her, after all."
"Yeah, about that ..." Lucas started, obviously feeling a little reluctant about this whole idea, but then, between their two families, he was definitely the one that was the goody-two-shoes of the bunch. "I don't know much about her or the theater at all," he admitted. Fliss was the one who was in STARS; Lucas' extra-curricular activities revolved around the beach, not the theater.
"Maybe we could ask her about it," Fliss suggested. "The only thing Mataya says no one should ask her about is how she died. Apparently it's this big dark secret, and it'll upset her to talk about it."
Lucas wasn't sure what the point was of talking to a ghost if you couldn't ask them how they'd died, but he could understand why it might upset her, too. "That makes sense, I guess. I mean, don't people become ghosts because they have unfinished business or something?" He wondered if he could ask her that much.
"I guess so," Fliss mused thoughtfully. "I never really thought about it. I wonder what hers is?" If she'd been paying attention, she might have noticed that it was a little colder near them than it should be, but as it was, the sudden formation of Hortense's accustomed form in front of them made her yelp and jump in her seat.
The Grey Lady of the Shanachie Theater turned to look at the two teenagers with a faint smile. "Why don't you ask me and find out?"
Lucas had noticed the chill, but hadn't thought much of it, thinking it was just a draft of something. The building was pretty old, after all, but then most of this part of town seemed even older. He echoed Fliss' yelp and mirrored her yelp, grabbing tighter hold of her hand. Despite the fact that they'd come here to meet the ghost, he'd had his doubts whether she'd actually appear, or if she even existed.
"Uh ..." Suddenly at a loss for anything to say, Fliss held tightly to Lucas' hand. It had seemed like a good idea at the time - let's talk to the theater ghost. Now that Hortense was right there in front of them, she had no idea what to say.
The ghost smiled at the frightened pair, solidifying a little more for their peace of mind. "Shall we make this a little more usual?" she suggested in a gentle voice. "My name is Hortense Docquey. A pleasure to meet you. And you are?"
Oddly, though this had been Fliss' idea, it was Lucas who found his voice first. "I-I'm Lucas Foster, and this is Fliss ....Felicity Storm. We're students at Bristle Crios Academy," he explained further.
"How lovely," Hortense replied to the polite, if nervous, response to her initial greeting. "And what are you studying there that might bring you here, young man?"
Beside Lucas, Fliss bit her lips, glancing at her boyfriend. She was a little bit in shock, if she had to admit it. She'd never really thought Hortense would show up.
Maybe that was why Lucas was the one who'd spoken up first. Though he was newer to Rhy'Din, he'd half expected Hortense to show up, where Fliss had not. Maybe he was finally getting used to some of the weirdness that was Rhy'Din. After all, there were worse things in Rhy'Din than a theater ghost. "History, ma'am. The History of Rhy'Din," he replied dutifully.
Hortense's smile gentled. "Ah, I see. And you would like to speak to me about that history?"
Finally finding her voice, Fliss swallowed. "Um, yes, ma'am," she nodded, following Lucas' lead on how to address the dead woman in front of them. "We ....we're supposed to be doing an assignment about Dockside, and, well, this area is apparently part of Dockside, and ....I guess I got cocky. Sorry."
Hortense shook her head, laughing softly. "Never apologize for natural curiosity," she told them. "But I can remember when this was not part of Dockside."
Lucas gave Fliss' hand a reassuring squeeze, reminding her he was right there. Frightened as they were, this was exciting, too, and he would never have dared without Fliss. "When it wasn't part of Dockside?" he asked curiously. That wasn't something that had been part of Ms. Tolmay's lessons, as far as he could remember.
"Rhy'Din was not always as it is now," Hortense told them. "When I came here, this area was just a small village, on the outskirts of a small town. A city does not simply come into being. It begins as a hamlet, a village, a town. It grows, and absorbs other villages, other towns, until they are so connected that the place can only be called a city."
"How long ago was that?" Lucas asked, even more curious. Somehow remembering that they were supposed to be taking notes, he let go of Fliss' hand so he could rummage in his pack for pen and paper.
Hortense watched as the boy rummaged for his notebook, as the girl blinked in surprise and hurried to do the same. She waited patiently for both of them to be ready, and began to talk. "I came here in 1885," she told them. "I was newly married, and my husband took rooms in a hotel across the street from the land on which he was building our home. The hotel is long gone - it was destroyed in a fire, oh, eighty years ago now. But the building was restored, at least in its facade. I believe it is an apartment block now."
"Were you born here on Rhy'Din?" Lucas asked, as he scribbled some notes on his notepad, taking note of what she was telling them so he wouldn't forget. "This was your home?" he asked, lifting his head to regard her as she told them her story.
Sitting in the circle, Fliss flashed Lucas a grin. "Ready?" she asked impishly.
"I'm not so sure this is a good idea, Fliss," Lucas confessed, not exactly scared, but definitely a little nervous. Maybe if they'd asked permission to be there, he might have felt a little better about it, but it wasn't so much that as it was the idea that they were looking to interview a ghost, of all things - and it wasn't even Halloween! It was like two kids sneaking into a haunted house on a dare, except that they hadn't been dared, and it wasn't that kind of haunting - or so Fliss had said. "What if she doesn't want to be disturbed?" he asked, not exactly skeptical. He'd seen too many weird things in Rhy'Din to be skeptical, including some of his classmates and teachers. Then again, this was nothing compared to their last assignment, which involved exploring the Imp's Little Shop of Horrors.
"If she doesn't want to be disturbed, then she won't come out," Fliss shrugged, supremely unconcerned about how close to the line of legal they were skirting by not actually having permission to be here. No wonder Johnny had taken to calling her his Mini-Me on occasion. "Just ....so long as we don't ask her anything too personal, I don't see why she'd have any problem telling us about this area and what it was like when she was alive. It was built for her, after all."
"Yeah, about that ..." Lucas started, obviously feeling a little reluctant about this whole idea, but then, between their two families, he was definitely the one that was the goody-two-shoes of the bunch. "I don't know much about her or the theater at all," he admitted. Fliss was the one who was in STARS; Lucas' extra-curricular activities revolved around the beach, not the theater.
"Maybe we could ask her about it," Fliss suggested. "The only thing Mataya says no one should ask her about is how she died. Apparently it's this big dark secret, and it'll upset her to talk about it."
Lucas wasn't sure what the point was of talking to a ghost if you couldn't ask them how they'd died, but he could understand why it might upset her, too. "That makes sense, I guess. I mean, don't people become ghosts because they have unfinished business or something?" He wondered if he could ask her that much.
"I guess so," Fliss mused thoughtfully. "I never really thought about it. I wonder what hers is?" If she'd been paying attention, she might have noticed that it was a little colder near them than it should be, but as it was, the sudden formation of Hortense's accustomed form in front of them made her yelp and jump in her seat.
The Grey Lady of the Shanachie Theater turned to look at the two teenagers with a faint smile. "Why don't you ask me and find out?"
Lucas had noticed the chill, but hadn't thought much of it, thinking it was just a draft of something. The building was pretty old, after all, but then most of this part of town seemed even older. He echoed Fliss' yelp and mirrored her yelp, grabbing tighter hold of her hand. Despite the fact that they'd come here to meet the ghost, he'd had his doubts whether she'd actually appear, or if she even existed.
"Uh ..." Suddenly at a loss for anything to say, Fliss held tightly to Lucas' hand. It had seemed like a good idea at the time - let's talk to the theater ghost. Now that Hortense was right there in front of them, she had no idea what to say.
The ghost smiled at the frightened pair, solidifying a little more for their peace of mind. "Shall we make this a little more usual?" she suggested in a gentle voice. "My name is Hortense Docquey. A pleasure to meet you. And you are?"
Oddly, though this had been Fliss' idea, it was Lucas who found his voice first. "I-I'm Lucas Foster, and this is Fliss ....Felicity Storm. We're students at Bristle Crios Academy," he explained further.
"How lovely," Hortense replied to the polite, if nervous, response to her initial greeting. "And what are you studying there that might bring you here, young man?"
Beside Lucas, Fliss bit her lips, glancing at her boyfriend. She was a little bit in shock, if she had to admit it. She'd never really thought Hortense would show up.
Maybe that was why Lucas was the one who'd spoken up first. Though he was newer to Rhy'Din, he'd half expected Hortense to show up, where Fliss had not. Maybe he was finally getting used to some of the weirdness that was Rhy'Din. After all, there were worse things in Rhy'Din than a theater ghost. "History, ma'am. The History of Rhy'Din," he replied dutifully.
Hortense's smile gentled. "Ah, I see. And you would like to speak to me about that history?"
Finally finding her voice, Fliss swallowed. "Um, yes, ma'am," she nodded, following Lucas' lead on how to address the dead woman in front of them. "We ....we're supposed to be doing an assignment about Dockside, and, well, this area is apparently part of Dockside, and ....I guess I got cocky. Sorry."
Hortense shook her head, laughing softly. "Never apologize for natural curiosity," she told them. "But I can remember when this was not part of Dockside."
Lucas gave Fliss' hand a reassuring squeeze, reminding her he was right there. Frightened as they were, this was exciting, too, and he would never have dared without Fliss. "When it wasn't part of Dockside?" he asked curiously. That wasn't something that had been part of Ms. Tolmay's lessons, as far as he could remember.
"Rhy'Din was not always as it is now," Hortense told them. "When I came here, this area was just a small village, on the outskirts of a small town. A city does not simply come into being. It begins as a hamlet, a village, a town. It grows, and absorbs other villages, other towns, until they are so connected that the place can only be called a city."
"How long ago was that?" Lucas asked, even more curious. Somehow remembering that they were supposed to be taking notes, he let go of Fliss' hand so he could rummage in his pack for pen and paper.
Hortense watched as the boy rummaged for his notebook, as the girl blinked in surprise and hurried to do the same. She waited patiently for both of them to be ready, and began to talk. "I came here in 1885," she told them. "I was newly married, and my husband took rooms in a hotel across the street from the land on which he was building our home. The hotel is long gone - it was destroyed in a fire, oh, eighty years ago now. But the building was restored, at least in its facade. I believe it is an apartment block now."
"Were you born here on Rhy'Din?" Lucas asked, as he scribbled some notes on his notepad, taking note of what she was telling them so he wouldn't forget. "This was your home?" he asked, lifting his head to regard her as she told them her story.