Scene 3: The Ceremony

"Well, there's a relatively simply way to settle this," He looks over to Alexander, but sees that he's in a towel "Did anyone else see you outside?"

Alexander ties his robe shut and retrieves the guild letter, stuffing it into a pocket. "It seems we have bigger skeletons to divulge, Nathaniel," he says. "What is all this, Claire? I was in the graveyard. Nathaniel was there. Roderick was there. Aside from some strange cat, that was it." He notices the woman's hurt expression. "No matter what you think we think about you, Claire, we certainly wouldn't simply ignore you. You're my cousin, and I am fond of you, even if..." He trails off. "Nathaniel, your arm is still injured. And the old man's been petrified? What exactly is afoot?"

"So you think I made it up?" Claire asks, tears rising in her eyes and blurring her vision even more than it already is without her glasses. "Why would I lie about something like this? I was there."

Her attention is caught by the dangling even if that Alexander didn't finish. "You know what," she says. "You're right. I deserve to be shunned. Especially by you." She wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her overcoat and turns to Nathaniel. "Now what happened to grandfather?"

Nathaniel is happy to have at least one question that he does know the answer to; "Oh, well, the 'what' is easy. He appears to have turned to stone. The 'why' is beyond my normally superb level of understanding. Perhaps tragic irony? Maybe the statue Alex found? Could be somethin the old man did in the cemetery."
He looks down at his arm, it feels firm, but the skin is skin is sill loose in places. "Thanks, but my arm is fine, or at least it will be . . probably"

"Well, whatever the why is," Claire says. She steps in front of the bathroom mirror and uses her sleeve to wipe the condensation from it and to clear its view. Then she points at the empty spot where her reflection should be. "I'm certain it's related to this."

Alexander barely stifles a gasp at not seeing his cousin's reflection. "That's just it, Claire—I don't doubt your memory. But what are you? Some sort of ghost?" He approaches and tries to place a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I think we're cursed! Are we all paying for our misdeeds? Is this damned house playing with us?"[/b]

Nathaniel also reaches out to see if Claire is corporal, but Alexander beats him to it. So instead he confirms that the mirror is working for everyone else. The way a mirror normally does that is. By reflecting images.

Claire flinches away from Alexander when he tries to touch her. "Maybe we should just leave this place," she suggests. "Grandfather is... Something happened to him. And we seem to be in danger here as well. I wish I knew what this mystery about Grandfather's sister means, but is it really worth..." She points again at the mirror. "...this?"

"I don't think I can leave." Nathaniel says. "The odd things occurring here are fascinating, and definitely worth someone looking into. At first, I figured I would just leave the the Rookwoods to their fate. Head back to my office, leave this all behind, and let it be another persons problem. Mere hours age, I would have agree with you Claire," he looks down at his arm "But now, .. 'In for a penny . .' I don't think its wise for any of us to leave until this is sorted out or . . . " he doesn't finish, recalling the image of the petrified old man 'Maybe the old man tried to leave' he thinks

Alexander snorts as Claire shrinks away from his touch. "Well, if you don't intend to verify that you're still... among the living, cousin, perhaps you'll accompany Nathaniel and me to grandfathers chambers?" He quickly pulls on some trousers under his robe then begins buttoning a shirt. "I'm bringing that bloody statue with us. Maybe it has something to say to the old man." Grabbing it, he adds, "And Nathaniel, you and I may need to discuss your license to practice medicine... and how it may intersect with my fondness for various elixirs?"

As the three of you discuss people turning to stone and doctor's "supplies", you hear the loud noise of a door slammed somewhere on the ground floor

"Blast it, what could that be?!" Nathaniel ask

"You think it's that thing from last night?" Claire suggests, her voice shaking. "Here to finish the job and abduct me after all?"

"Damn it all," Alexander spits. "Where is the blasted help?" The man slips into some house shoes and hefts the ghoulish statue from its perch. He then moves for the stairs. "You two coming? Perhaps the old man's awakened after all?"

"I'm not staying alone behind," Claire replies. She doesn't want to investigate the noise but she wants to be alone even less. Alone and probably forgotten again.

Nathaniel looks to make sure both of his cousins are ready. Well, as ready as one can be in this situation. "Well, what would you like to investigate first? The old man, or the noise?"