Wanda burst into the opera house the next morning like a hurricane. "Simon!"
She nearly collided into the manager in her haste.
"Wanda, darling…I'm so glad you're here. You see, I was just speaking to Raven about who I should take out for Valentine's Day—you do know that's this week, don't you?"
"Simon!" Wanda snapped. She didn't care what was going on this week, who he was talking to, or anything of the sort. She grabbed onto his coat sleeve and tugged him away from Raven and toward the corner of the room. "Listen to me. You know what you were telling me about when I first came? The ghost?"
Simon automatically looked fluttered. "Wanda, I told you—"
"Just *listen*!" Wanda was getting frustrated. Especially since her father already had dismissed her this morning. "I found him. The ghost. He's living somewhere in this opera house. And you can't find him because he can somehow…camouflage himself in the dark. And teleport himself just like that." She snapped her fingers.
"Wanda." Simon placed both hands on her shoulders. "I'm glad you're so concerned for your father's business. We're glad to have you, we really are. You've been doing a fantastic job. But…you know what I told you. Don't jinx the place further by making up these sorts of stories."
"But—"
Simon placed one finger to her lips. "Shh. Remember what I told you and let this all go."
Wanda slapped his hand away. "You believe there's a ghost, don't you?"
Simon pursed his lips. "You know what I believe."
"Then…why…" Wanda spluttered.
"Because there's nothing we can do except keep quiet and try not to aggravate it." Simon gave a forced, and very tight smile. "Now, I believe you are late for practice, am I right?"
Wanda had plenty more things she wanted to tell him. But she bit her tongue and spun on her heel, throwing him a sharp look before leaving.
If they were so called 'keeping quiet'. What were those men doing here the other night? They were searching for someone. Which meant….they weren't doing nothing like she'd originally thought the other day.
According to the ghost. They were hunting him.
Although, Wanda wasn't sure if she should believe the horrendous blue monster she'd seen last night.
Part of her was still hoping it was a bad dream.
….
She wasn't very good at focusing that day…eventually the director told her to go take five minutes. She went to her dressing room, staring at her reflection for a long time and trying to make sense of all this. She had pieces to a puzzle…a puzzle that seemed rather big. Yet she couldn't figure out how to put them together.
Simon was part of the picture, but not being helpful at all.
Her father also was being uncooperative…
That left one person.
Wanda shivered some at the thought of visiting the blue demon creature again. But he was the only one willing to talk—whether or not he was talking truth, Wanda didn't know yet. But she had to find out. She couldn't live like everyone else—in the dark, so to speak.
So she was going to face her fears.