Scene 3: The Ceremony

Alexander's front relaxes when he sees that Elias means Claire no harm. "Cousin, I'm afraid we have other... odd news. In addition to Claire's, uh, disappearance last night, Nathaniel is about and reports that Grandfather has also fallen prey to some sort of dark sorcery. We might want to check on him before we head to this library of yours..." He pauses to see if Elias reacts to the news.

Claire blinks in surprise, then, looking between Elias and Alexander, asks, "What just happened?"

"Well, .. uhm, wait. I'm beggining to think these questions are rhetorical. Which is good, because I don't have answers" Nathaniel replies

Alexander nods to Nathaniel as the pseudo-doctor makes his presence known. He makes a face to indicate, Did you just see what I saw? "Yes, Elias, why don't you go fetch Gunther while the three of us check on Grandfather?"

After making sure Elias was well on his way to hunt for Gunther, Nathaniel says to the others "Well then, on to the Old Man's room?"

As Elias goes down the stairs looking for Gunther, the three of you turn to each other and decide to check what happened to Roderick. When you enter his room you are faced with the same scene as Nathaniel before. Roderick lies petrified by the fireplace's mantelpiece. The light of the full moon gently shining on his rough surface through the window. On his desk, there a confusion papers and drafted notes. His bed lies untouched.

"Well, here he is, uh it is?" Nathaniel says from the doorway, still intimidated enough by the old man to not enter his room right away

Claire does enter the room, though cautiously. She reaches out a hand to touch the statue that looks like Roderick. "Grandfather?" she asks hesitantly.

Roderick does not respond to Claire. In fact, he does not move at all, as if she was not there... You hear a crow rattling from just outside the window. Claire has the unsettling feeling that the dark bird is staring at her.

"Well, this is unnerving," Alexander says with a shudder. He eyes the crow. "Friend of one of yours?"

Nathaniel remembers the cat "I am . . . not good with animals. But perhaps the animal around here are something more?"

Claire feels a wave of unease. Of course a statue couldn't respond to her touch, but somehow, it still feels deliberate. Like her grandfather is choosing to ignore her. Or just forgot about her existence. It wouldn't be the first time.

Her attention is drawn to the bird outside and she looks back into its eyes for a moment. "Why is everything around here so obsessed with me?" she whines. "Well, unless they forget I even exist."