Declan, surprised at Miranda's outburst, turned around.
There on the wall was a giant painting. Now this itself wouldn't be irregular. Paintings in the nineteenth century were usually huge and used to decorate rooms. But it was what the painting was of that made it so spooky. The painting showed a girl in a dress that had presumably drowned; her dead body was laid up against the shore. The ocean and the shore were painted in such dark colors but her dress was a light blue that stuck out.
"Miranda, tell me something. Why would a painting like this be in a Catholic school?" "I have absolutely no idea," Miranda replied.
They looked all around the parlor looking for clues as to why the painting was there. After all, if it was just for show, why would the school buy a painting of a drowned girl? They found no clues at all.
They decided to look around the school for other clues they might find about this painting. Declan had felt something in that room. If that painting was of a real girl, perhaps her spirit still lingered there. Of course, this clue-searching would take a while as the school had a total of six floors including the basement.
As Miranda and Declan were walking around the second floor dodging classrooms and looking at statues, they met up with Sister Hildie again. She walking up another staircase (there were three total staircases in the school) when Declan stopped her.
"Sister, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me," Sister Hildie looked back at him and said "Sure, hon." "What's up with the painting on the wall in the parlor? The one of that girl?" "I really don't know, hon," she said, although it was evident to Declan by her face that she did indeed know something. With that, Sister Hildie kept on walking.
"I think that nun knows something," "Declan! It's Sister Hildie. I've known her since high school. Why would she lie!?" Miranda said surprised that Declan would accuse a little old nun of lying. "I don't know,"
Just then, Miranda had an idea that might save them both a lot of time. "You know what, Declan, I think it might be better that we just split up. I should have thought of that in the first place. This school is huge. There are so many things to look at,"
Declan agreed and he stayed on the second floor as Miranda went up to the third.
So, Declan went on exploring the second floor. He realized that all the classrooms were divided by departments: math in one section, foreign language in another. Most of the classrooms looked the same; twenty- something desks, a teacher's desk and podium, and a crucifix on the wall. Two of the foreign language teachers apparently had decided to be creative. In the Spanish classroom, there was a mural on the wall, a decorated podium and Our Lady of Guadalupe hanging above the crucifix. In the French classroom, things collected from France were displayed throughout the room: a French toy, a French bag of popcorn, etc. While he felt those other classrooms were dull and boring, these truly had life in them.
He continued walking and passed the parlor once again. Down this rather empty hallway, Declan saw various large statues of three saints put into holes in the wall. Things aren't always as they look, Declan realized. While to a regular student, this hallway was probably boring, there was actually a lot to see. There was a rather old plaque drilled into the wall. It was dedicated to Sister Mary Clarissa, who was directress of the school for many years until her death in 1921. Above it was an antique cuckoo- clock. It was amazing how everything was preserved and the building was still being used. And while it was interesting, unless Sister Mary Clarissa was the drowned girl in the painting, Declan didn't see that it was relevant.
There on the wall was a giant painting. Now this itself wouldn't be irregular. Paintings in the nineteenth century were usually huge and used to decorate rooms. But it was what the painting was of that made it so spooky. The painting showed a girl in a dress that had presumably drowned; her dead body was laid up against the shore. The ocean and the shore were painted in such dark colors but her dress was a light blue that stuck out.
"Miranda, tell me something. Why would a painting like this be in a Catholic school?" "I have absolutely no idea," Miranda replied.
They looked all around the parlor looking for clues as to why the painting was there. After all, if it was just for show, why would the school buy a painting of a drowned girl? They found no clues at all.
They decided to look around the school for other clues they might find about this painting. Declan had felt something in that room. If that painting was of a real girl, perhaps her spirit still lingered there. Of course, this clue-searching would take a while as the school had a total of six floors including the basement.
As Miranda and Declan were walking around the second floor dodging classrooms and looking at statues, they met up with Sister Hildie again. She walking up another staircase (there were three total staircases in the school) when Declan stopped her.
"Sister, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me," Sister Hildie looked back at him and said "Sure, hon." "What's up with the painting on the wall in the parlor? The one of that girl?" "I really don't know, hon," she said, although it was evident to Declan by her face that she did indeed know something. With that, Sister Hildie kept on walking.
"I think that nun knows something," "Declan! It's Sister Hildie. I've known her since high school. Why would she lie!?" Miranda said surprised that Declan would accuse a little old nun of lying. "I don't know,"
Just then, Miranda had an idea that might save them both a lot of time. "You know what, Declan, I think it might be better that we just split up. I should have thought of that in the first place. This school is huge. There are so many things to look at,"
Declan agreed and he stayed on the second floor as Miranda went up to the third.
So, Declan went on exploring the second floor. He realized that all the classrooms were divided by departments: math in one section, foreign language in another. Most of the classrooms looked the same; twenty- something desks, a teacher's desk and podium, and a crucifix on the wall. Two of the foreign language teachers apparently had decided to be creative. In the Spanish classroom, there was a mural on the wall, a decorated podium and Our Lady of Guadalupe hanging above the crucifix. In the French classroom, things collected from France were displayed throughout the room: a French toy, a French bag of popcorn, etc. While he felt those other classrooms were dull and boring, these truly had life in them.
He continued walking and passed the parlor once again. Down this rather empty hallway, Declan saw various large statues of three saints put into holes in the wall. Things aren't always as they look, Declan realized. While to a regular student, this hallway was probably boring, there was actually a lot to see. There was a rather old plaque drilled into the wall. It was dedicated to Sister Mary Clarissa, who was directress of the school for many years until her death in 1921. Above it was an antique cuckoo- clock. It was amazing how everything was preserved and the building was still being used. And while it was interesting, unless Sister Mary Clarissa was the drowned girl in the painting, Declan didn't see that it was relevant.