than the other day now that many of the bulbs had been replaced, but still fewer than it would be when everything was up and running.
“Oh, it’s so much easier to feel the energy now that the place is quiet and empty—nearly empty,” Iva said from the stage. She turned in a slow circle in front of the scaffolding that remained in place, her arms still wide and open.
“I feel your presence, all of you,” she announced to the room at large. “Speak to me if you will… I’m open, prepared to be your vessel of communication…”
Vivien’s heart was in her throat as she hurried to the stage, knowing that at any moment, all hell could break loose.
Liv, if you’re here, make sure it—they—whoever—doesn’t do anything, please.
“I feel you,” said Iva, still spinning in a slow circle. She ignored the sudden high-pitched yapping of Bruce Banner, who’d been turned loose among the audience seats and had found either a rodent or a scrap of paper that clearly needed to be put in its place.
Juanita and Maxine were arguing as they clomped down the aisle on the far left of the house, and Vivien was grateful she was far enough away she couldn’t hear what this particular topic was, although she caught a phrase that sounded like “…from a trapeze…” that made her blood run cold.
Thank goodness Arsenic and Old Lace didn’t have any elements that needed special effects.
Vivien stepped onto the stage just as Iva finished her slow circle and opened her eyes.
“Nothing yet,” she said soothingly to Vivien. “Don’t worry; just give them time. They must be a little shy.”
Right.
“I’ll just—”
A sudden chilly breeze ruffled Vivien’s hair, and Iva’s cornflower-blue eyes went wide.
“I feel something,” she said in a stage whisper.
Vivien looked around, waiting for craziness, ready to leap into action to protect her unanticipated charges…but it was only a breeze. A definitely cold, definitely sharp, definitely not normal movement of the air, but that was it. No rattling, shaking, horrible-smelling, light-flashing events.
“I feel it,” whispered Iva, holding her hands in front of her. “Her. It’s a female… All right…I’m coming…”
She began to walk off stage right, her arms held out in front of her, almost as if she were in a trance. Vivien would have been terrified if Iva hadn’t tossed a look over her shoulder at her and mouthed, “Come on!”
Vivien took two steps when she realized that it was dead quiet—Bruce Banner had stopped barking and Maxine and Juanita had stopped arguing. She looked over and saw the little dog on one of the steps of the stage. He was vibrating with tension, highly alert with his ears perked up, eyes wide, and a bit of a silent, snaggle-toothed snarl showing.
Juanita and Maxine—shockingly silent—stood there, looking around as if they, too, felt the change in the air.
Vivien waffled for a moment, then went after Iva.
She followed the older woman, who was still walking as if in a trance, backstage. But when Iva reached the stairs leading to the pit, Vivien rushed forward to take her by the arm.
“No, let’s not go by the stairs,” she said, her heart pounding. Iva could have tumbled down them without even realizing it.
“She wants me to go down there,” Iva said, a little too dreamily for Vivien’s comfort.
“No,” Vivien said. “I think it’s better if you stay up here.” And leave. Get out of here before something horrible happens. “Uh, it’s very dark and there are a lot of things down there you could trip on or cut yourself on…”
Iva blinked and jolted as the breeze became a virtual gust, cold and rough and sharp, bringing stinging air and the not-so-subtle putridness of death.
“It’s time to leave,” Vivien said firmly, her skin prickling and her hair standing on end. She needed to get them out of here.
“But—” Iva began.
“I’ve got a meeting I’ve got to be back for. I forgot,” Vivien said. Keeping hold of Iva’s arm, she pulled the elderly lady none-too-gently away from the danger of stairs down into darkness, even as the wind tossed and buffeted at them from behind.
“Maxine, Juanita,” she called as she rushed Iva out onto the stage. “We’ve got to go— I forgot I…”
Bruce Banner was standing there onstage, legs far apart, ears back, tail tucked. His ruff was straight up and his eyes were wide, practically bugging out of his little skull as he looked behind Vivien and Iva.
Vivien turned just in time to see the scaffolding move, barreling toward them as