A HAUNTING?
By: Constance Sèverin
This is an exclusive interview with Creative Director of Le Theatre de la Cathedrale, Ardmor Marziale, regarding the events that unfolded at his murder mystery party that led to the death of one nobleman, whose name shall not be mentioned out of respect for the family. Could this have been a show taken too far by the threatre? Or a mass hallucination induced by the true killer? Or could even this be the case of a true haunting? That is for you, the reader, to decide.
Constance: What event was the Theatre de la Cathedrale hosting?
Ardmor Marziale: We were hosting the murder mystery party, which took place in the recently purchased estate of Lord Antoine de Souris in the Quartier Savant. We were looking for an event that could get everyone who was part of the 'audience' so to speak involved.
Constance: You were told of rumors this estate was haunted, yes?
Ardmor Marziale: Oui, we were told rumors, but that is all we received.. one of the terms Lord Antoine de Souris set for us, in return for lending us his estate, was to spend the evening there and inform him of our findings.
Constance: No one at the party knew of this arrangement?
Ardmor Marziale: They were informed once.. things started to go awry. At the time, I thought nothing of it. We had received great critical acclaim from producing "The Changeling", and I did not wish to make it seem like we were resting on our laurels.
Constance: And what happened when things began to go awry?
Ardmor Marziale: Well.. one nobleman decided to take part in the festivities, and take on the persona of a gendarme for the evening's event. He was searching for 'the murderer', who was an actress who was a part of our troupe. We found him later in a room upstairs, surrounded by pools of blood.. looking as though he was bludgeoned by a chair leg.
Constance: What happened after the nobleman's murder?
Ardmor Marziale: We heard what sounded like the laughter of a child coming from the cellar. A newborn baby... Some of the partygoers ventured down into the cellar.. I stayed near the trap door leading down, and after several minutes, we heard screams coming from below.. Suddenly, people emerged, soaking wet.. the cellar was waterlogged. It was as though the house itself was trying to slay us.
Constance: And no one tried to escape?
Ardmor Marziale: The door was locked. When I tried to use the key that I had, I found that it did not work.. When we tried to break a window and escape that way, we found.. a pulsating.. bleeding wall of flesh behind the glass..
Constance: Yet you escaped somehow.. How was it you managed this?
Ardmor Marziale: Eventually, we came into contact with the spirit that was dwelling in the house.. it was a young girl, whose skeleton and.. what we assume was the skeletons of her parents.. was up in the attic. The spirit apparently was.. calmed by a lullaby.
Constance: Do you think that spirit is at rest now-- do you think the house is non longer haunted?
Ardmor Marziale: By singing the lullaby to the little girl, we were able to put it to rest, and have her rejoin her parents.. at least, that is what we believe. Something terrible took place in that house, though it is hard to say as to what it was. We thought we lost one of our own troupe members to that house, when the wall sucked him in.. but we later got correspondence from him, saying he was safe and sound. A bit shaken by the incident, but otherwise fine.
Constance: No doubt one could speculate on what happened to that family.. What about you, though..? One man died.. others were put in mortal danger.. Do you feel at all responsible? Remorse? Regret?
Ardmor Marziale: I feel somewhat responsible, still.. What was meant to be a simple game turned out to be much more than that, and I should have done research on the house before I allowed the party to commence.
Constance: Any parting words you'd like to make as we conclude this interview?
Ardmor Marziale: Only that if you see the estate of Lord Antoine de Souris.. one should be aware of what might dwell within. What might stir inside.. If you enter the house for whatever reason, who knows? You might be next.