The Spirits of Brady Hall

by M. L. Bullock

  "Take this fair maiden, you who stands before this crowd of witnesses. You are no innocent! Listen to me, all! I accuse her of being no genteel flower, no docile turtledove! She is the most wanton of creatures. A trickster with pinkest lips!" Bruce was really getting into his role as an actor and now there were two figures on the SLS, one on either side of him.

  “Look at that!” I whispered like a freight train. “There are two anomalies, Bruce. One to your left and one on the right. Hey, are you okay?” I thought for a second that he’d paused because he’d run out of script, but he looked a little wobbly on his feet. Helen noticed too.

  "Bruce?" Helen asked with some concern in her voice. I stared at the screen in horror as the two figures appeared to be pummeling Bruce.

  "Yikes. I feel a little worse for wear. What’s happening? I can feel cold on my right side. Pain too. Like I’m being stabbed. Maybe that’s a bit over the top, but that’s how I feel.”

  Helen picked up her audio device and held it close to Bruce.

  “I hate to tell you this, but that’s exactly what I’m seeing on the SLS. The one on the right appears much more aggressive and he or she is wailing on you. The shorter figure, oh...it’s gone. No, wait. It is back, the figure is hovering nearby. Do you need to step away from there? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Bruce shook his head defiantly. “I am Mr. Adeo Monterro and this is my big performance. I need a minute to prepare for my final act!” Bruce declared bravely with a big grin. Now both the figures went crazy and then they disappeared.

  The four of us immediately clustered together to talk about what just happened. We were getting activity, but nothing specific, nothing that proved that these figures were relevant to Brady Hall’s tragic past or its former occupants. We began exchanging ideas and reviewing evidence, but all that was cut short when an atrocious crashing sound shook the whole building. Immediately we hurried toward the front parlor, but I didn’t take off in a full run, not like Joshua and Helen. I’d experienced this phenomenon before. That horrible sound was just like the crashing mirror I heard, but there would be nothing broken. As I brought up the rear of the line that poured into the front room a blast of wind rushed past me. Only for a brief moment. Oh, how cold! So cold that I caught my breath for a few seconds. I remembered to breathe as I panned the camera around, but I caught nothing.

  “This is what I heard last night. Sounded just like this huge mirror crashed to the floor, but look--it hasn’t moved. It’s not even crooked,” I commented as the rest of the team attempted to figure out the source of the crashing sound.

  “We should check around and make sure everything is intact. Could it have been a window breaking?” Helen suggested as she studied the mirror intently.

  “Let’s do some EVP work, Helen. Do you have that recorder?”

  She shook her white head and snapped her fingers. “Nope. Left it in the other room. I’ll go get it.” I followed her into the hallway to keep an eye out for her, but my attention was drawn to the stairs. To the top of the stairs more specifically. A young woman fluttered like an old piece of film, her face as pale as a sheet of paper. Her dark blonde hair was piled on top of her head, her mouth set in a stern frown.

  Go away!

  I didn’t hear her words in my ears but in my mind. Wow, she’s powerful, I thought.

  “Why? Why should I go away?”

  The woman turned away with a look of disgust--at least her body turned away, but her head did not move with her body. She certainly wasn’t alive. No living human could twist their neck like that. Maybe only once. I was standing there open-mouthed when Helen joined me.

  “Hey, I think there’s something on here. The light is flashing. What is it, Sierra?”

  “I saw a woman standing there at the top of the stairs. You didn’t see anything?”

  Helen paused and stared at the now-empty space. “Should we go up there?”

  I couldn’t believe I was saying this, but I answered her cautiously, “I’m not sure, Helen. I’m really not sure.” After a few seconds, I said, “What the heck? There’s no time like the present. Hey, Joshua. Bruce. We’re going upstairs.”

  As the men joined us in the hallway Helen said in an excited tone, “Sierra saw a woman standing there on the landing. We’re going up.”

  “What about the mirror?” Joshua asked as he craned his neck to see what was happening on the second floor.

  “That sound is a trick to draw us away from the real action. And here is a question for you? Why are mirrors always such hot items for theaters? Remember at the Crescent? Remember what happened to the Winters lady? I think the entity or entities here could be using the mirrors. It is traveling through the mirrors. We need to see if there are any other mirrors up here.”

  This was a half-cocked plan, but it was better than no plan. I think.

  “What do you mean, Sierra? Traveling through the mirrors? What gives you that impression?" Joshua asked as we hustled up the staircase waving our cameras and equipment in all directions. It was pitch black up here.

  "I hate to say it--you know I hate to say it--but that's just the feeling I get. I feel like she's using the mirrors to get around."

  Helen had broken out the EMF detector and was sweeping it slowly back and forth in the hallway in front of us. There were the occasional blips, but nothing spectacular manifested. Nothing happened on the SLS or the infrared camera either.

  "Are you talking about Elizabeth? You think she's using the mirrors?" Even as Helen asked the question I felt a sense of wrongness. Like I wasn’t getting it quite right.

  "I think it would be wrong for us to assume that the apparition seen in the mirror was Elizabeth. There is also a child here and the young woman with the dark circles under her eyes. I don't think Elizabeth was as young as the woman I saw, but who knows? Let's just see if we can make contact and look for any other mirrors. I want to cover every mirror we find except the one downstairs. Maybe we can trap her."

  A knocking on the ceiling caught everyone’s attention. We tried some EVP work, but couldn’t get any other knocks or sounds. Bruce agreed with me on the mirror idea. "Obviously an intelligent spirit doesn’t want us to cover the mirrors. This could work. By covering the mirrors we are limiting her travel. Is that what you mean? Isn’t that how it works?"

  "Theoretically. Yes. We’re about to find out."

  We ransacked the linen closet in the bathroom and grabbed some sheets to use as mirror covers. We covered the mirror in the bathroom, the mirror in the downstairs bathroom and two mirrors upstairs in the bedrooms. After our work, we descended into the front parlor and waited. I gave Helen the SLS and took the digital recorder. Everyone backed away as I stood in front of the mirror alone. We lit a candle as a kind of trigger object. I set it on the table behind me. It cast strange shadows on the walls around me.

  I did not pause to wonder why this felt like such a personal attack. I didn't question it. It happened occasionally. No, this woman didn't want me at Brady Hall and she had cleverly hidden from everyone else. But we’d seen her a few times. She had been one of the figures on the screen and one of the momentary blips on the infrared footage we’d captured in the upstairs hallway; we were all so frustrated by her elusiveness. I wasn’t willing to give up yet though.

  This was my Hail Mary pass. This was all I had to give.

  I clicked the ON button on the audio recorder and placed it on the table beneath the mirror. "This is Sierra in front of the mirror in the parlor. The second night of the investigation.” Glancing at my watch I added, “It is 11:45 PM.” I waited for the team to get settled in their spots and I stared into the blackness of the mirror. I focused all my attention on the emptiness. I was going to make contact; there was no question of that, but with what? I was not yet sure. An angry ghost? A darker entity masquerading as a young woman? The possibilities were endless.

  "I know you are here. I can feel you. There's no sense in hiding from me because there's nowhere to go. I've cover
ed all the mirrors. You can't go anywhere. You can't leave and hide. We have to talk."

  I heard Joshua catch his breath right before I saw her. I hadn’t realized that I’d closed my eyes for a second. The mirror was not only reflecting my face and the faces of my team members, but there was also another face cast in black and white and mostly in shadow, like a living, breathing photograph. No, that’s wrong. Not living. Not breathing. The woman in the mirror stood off to the side, her face turned away from me slightly.

  "Look at me. I can see you. I know you're there." But she did not move, nor did she acknowledge my presence. She was still, like a mannequin, as I took in the details of her profile.

  No, this was not Elizabeth.

  This woman resembled the first sketch that Cassidy sent me yesterday. The Gibson Girl woman. The one she called a murderess. “Tell me your name. Tell me your name so I can help you.” The only response to my request was a low and rumbly whisper before she backed away. I reached for the audio recorder and played back the sound.

  Adeo...

  She vanished right before my eyes, but I still felt her very near. Yes, she was in the mirror, but I could not force her to step out or talk to me. She was stubborn, this one.

  We tried for hours, but no other activity occurred at Brady Hall. The team appeared defeated, but I reminded them again that most investigations were built on the things we didn't know we captured until the review.

  “Let’s wrap it, guys. I think this is it for the night. We've got a busy day ahead of us with lots of evidence to review. I'm going to need all hands on deck tomorrow. Anyone that’s free, please give a girl a hand. Let’s take a look at the camera footage first. We need to get answers for Bonita and quickly."

  I left the house exhausted, but I would never forget the woman's face. And, I finally knew her name. She gave me that much at least. But that was all. And she was still looking for Adeo. I wondered who she had been to him. What had been her role in all that happened here?

  Goodbye, Lynette.

  You haven't seen the last of me though. I’ll be back with a friend.

  I locked the door and left Brady Hall.

  Chapter Thirteen--Lynette

  It was standing room only at Broussards. I recognized many of the faces, many of our regular patrons but this wasn’t necessarily unusual. The theater folk did love their plays and performances. But who had ever heard of a sold-out Thursday show? Apparently, people loved this particular play though because dozens of souls packed into the tiny space to see it. Yes, people were often fascinated with shiny new things.

  I was not familiar with the playwright, or even many of the actors, but I had every intention of getting a peek at the actress listed on the playbill. The one who’d apparently stolen Adeo’s heart.

  Her name was Ruby Alexandria. Obviously, this was a stage name, but then again it wasn't strange to take such a flamboyant moniker. People like to hide their boring upbringings behind clever names, didn't they? Perhaps that was my problem. I hadn't figured out a suitable stage name. Nobody was going to be impressed by the name Lynette Farris. That was not the name of a notable actress.

  Before I met Adeo, I never imagined that I could be anything other than a seamstress, but he had seen something in me. A glimmer of brilliance, he called it. In the beginning, I read for him, filling in the gaps when Elizabeth was unwell, or otherwise unavailable to run lines. Actual stage performances were rare for me, but I had a few opportunities to wear the yellow dress and sing the trills as Lucrezia. The newspapers declared me to be, "An exciting new find." I expected to have more time on stage after that glowing review, but to my disappointment, quite the opposite happened. I assumed Elizabeth considered me to be too much of a threat to her own role. Yes, she was the playwright. Ode to Rebecca had been her brainchild but I had made it come alive! Adeo wholeheartedly agreed with me, but he never promised to do anything about it. His advice to me had been to be patient and wait for my big break.

  I had no patience and I could see no break coming. Not for Lynette Farris.

  Not unless I made it happen!

  Ronald adored me, but we were not the same caliber person. Ronald wanted to find a wife and settle down on a farm. None of his domestic vision appealed to me. The only person I ever wanted to belong to was Adeo and he routinely crushed my dreams beneath his elegant black boot heels.

  But it couldn't be him! It couldn't be my lover. It must be Elizabeth who demanded such a thing! Adeo loved me. He loved me well enough for all these months. He loved me when I was sick and even brought me soup and some medicines. Even the rest of the crew knew of our affections for one another.

  Until recently, he had been kind and considerate, but all that had changed; how quickly he changed! No! It must be Elizabeth! Adeo had no choice in the matter; which seemed strange to me because Adeo was such a strong man with a strong will and spirit. That was one of the things I loved about him most.

  Oh yes. I loved him. With all my heart and as well as I could.

  But here I was at Broussards lining up against the wall with the other peons because it was standing room only tonight. On a Thursday! Like all these others, I hoped to watch the performance of the celebrated Miss Ruby Alexandria.

  As soon as she stepped out onto the stage my heart sank. Ruby was tall and shapely like a Greek statue in a fitted costume. Her hair was light brown, the kind of brown that was genuinely beautiful. It shimmered in the stage light. She wore no feathers in her hair because she didn’t need them. My heart sank at her loveliness.

  It can't be true. It can't be true that Adeo loves this woman.

  I wanted to throw up. I even put my hand to my mouth.

  What about me? Why was he so eager to leave me behind? I had been enough for him before.

  The play began and at first, I was unimpressed. Clearly, the woman had a voice too high; the orchestra was out of tune and the piece nothing but silliness. She began some monologue about peacocks and golden birds. What tripe! No, I must have this all wrong. This can't be true. Ronald was having me on. I clutched my bonnet and decided I would leave and return to Brady Hall. I didn't belong here. I had so much work to do this was a waste of my time. Later tonight I would go in search of Adeo and we would talk of our future. I would find him and I would tell him the truth about my feelings.

  I would not allow him to say goodbye to me. He could never let me go. I would not allow such a thing.

  But then the world stopped. I saw nothing and no one. I heard nothing for my eyes were locked on my own love who was sitting in the audience. His sleek black hair carefully combed; his mustache beautifully oiled. I could only see him from the side, but there was no mistaking him.

  “Adeo," I whispered to myself. I should run to him, shake him, and demand that he leave with me now, but it would do me no good. My eyes were now focused on the beautiful Ruby Alexandria whose voice suddenly became the sweetest sound I had ever heard. As she lifted her voice higher and then lower; she sang every note perfectly and climbed the trills perfectly. From high to low and back again; from one note to another, she captivated her audience like a brilliant sorceress. Adeo and the rest of the audience were on their feet clapping; their faces swept up in the rapture as the first act came to an end. How long had I been watching him?

  Time had sped by as my heart broke into a thousand pieces. As the curtain fell and the thunderous applause continued, I experienced earth-shattering defeat. Yes, for the first time, I knew I had been defeated.

  Adeo would never be mine and he would never be Elizabeth's. Adeo was a man with love enough only for himself.

  I pushed out of the small auditorium and stumbled onto the street. I clutched the wooden post as I tried to catch my breath. Ronald had been right all along. Adeo never intended to marry me, or to treat me right. I was nothing to him. Nothing at all. He’d told me as much, but I hadn’t believed him. He’d made it clear, but I had been so wrong.

  As I stood there listening to the music tinkling out of Broussard
s I gritted my teeth.

  Fine. If he’s not going to be with me, he won’t be with anyone. He would never be unfaithful ever again. I would see to that. I knew just what to do.

  By the time I made it back to Brady Hall I had the plan perfected in my mind. There would be no chance that I would mess this up. No chance that I would stumble. As I opened the door I came face to face with myself in the grand, golden framed mirror.

  I wept as I took in my own haggard appearance. It was quiet in the parlor. There was no one here but me. All the players and production folks had taken the night off to do whatever it was that happy people did. Elizabeth would be upstairs scribbling and crying over her latest creation, but other than her, I was alone at Brady Hall. Even Mortie, the cook had taken a day off.

  Always alone. Alone again.

  Adeo, why? I cried as my hand rested on the mirror. My face was pressed against the coolness of the glass, as if I could hug myself, to give myself some solace.

  Then it happened. I hadn’t expected it. I couldn’t have guessed it. But it happened.

  A small, rather pale, hand reached out of the mirror and held mine. It was cold, colder than the icehouse. I did not pull away. I did not flinch as the hand clutched mine. This was what I wanted. I did everything Mortie suggested to catch the spirit who fluttered about in the glass. Although Mortie did not approve she happily took my money in exchange for her information.

  The little girl spoke to me, to my mind. She knew what I wanted to do. She knew it all. And she promised to help me. She would be mine, and I would be hers.

  Finally, I knew I was not alone. I would never be alone again.

  And neither would Rebecca.

  Chapter Fourteen--Cassidy

  "Look, Emily. Mommy is a popular girl this week. First Aunt Helen and now Aunt Cassidy stopped by for a visit, all in a space of two days," Sierra opened the door with a defeated smile and gave me a hug. Her eyes were sporting circles that were even darker than usual. Emily cried on her hip and every fantasy I may have had about motherhood disappeared like shadows on a cloudy day.