The weeks passed, and Rose quickly became Abby's unofficial assistant. She stayed after rehearsals, ensuring every prop and costume piece was accounted for. Rose found herself sorting through Abby's strange collection of knick-knacks—antique masks, faded tarot cards, little sculptures of odd animals. Abby used them as inspiration for her productions and insisted they carried "residual energy."
"Residual energy?" Rose had scoffed one evening as she painted a set piece.
Abby grinned and leaned over dramatically. "Everything tells a story, dear. You just have to listen to the echoes."
Rose shook her head, hiding her smile behind a brushstroke.
Abby made theater fun, but she also brought out the best in her students. Under Abby's direction, their performances became more ambitious, their sets more creative, and their costumes more intricate. Word spread quickly in River Heights—Abby Sideris is putting on a play, and you don't want to miss it.
It was during one of those late nights in the theater that Rose first heard Abby's ghost stories. Abby claimed that certain props were haunted or that strange figures had been spotted lingering near the catwalk. Most students brushed it off, but Rose saw how her classmates leaned in closer when Abby told her tales.