Page 100 of Haunting the Deep

“Jeez, you scared the crap out of me,” I say as the girls climb in.

“You and me both,” Alice says. “These bozos forced me to climb the latticework on the side of your house. An experience I hope to never repeat.”

“It took ten minutes to convince you and two minutes to actually do it,” Mary says.

“I will check the school,” Elijah says, and disappears.

“We have no time for you two to bicker,” Susannah says to Mary and Alice. “Sam is leaving in the morning.”

For a second the room gets unnaturally quiet.

I clear my throat. “I was just talking to Elijah, and we were thinking this dance card might have something to do with the Spring Fling. Or with Niki and Blair’s dance committee? Elijah went to check out the committee room.”

“Not a bad call,” Alice says.

“Let’s think this through—the connection with the Spring Fling, I mean—and see if there are any other meanings or associations we can come up with,” Susannah says.

We all look at her.

“Weeell, the first thing you need for a dance is a date,” Mary says.

“Says you,” Alice says, and Susannah gives her a warning look.

I pace. “Jaxon asked me to go with him. And now he’s under a love spell because of that bracelet sold to him by thedance committee.So there’s one connection. What else?”

“You would need a costume,” Susannah says, and we all look at the white box that the emerald gown came in like it might come alive.

“We thought that specifically had to do with Myra,” Alice says. “But maybe not entirely?”

I rub my forehead. “Music? There needs to be music to dance to,” I say. “But there hasn’t been any music that…” I freeze.

“What?” Mary asks. “You just figured something out, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before,” I say. “The very first time you guys came over…Mary, you turned on the record player in my ballroom with that old-timey music. We were talking about taking pictures here before thedance.” My voice is fast and nervous. “And then I left the room because…Holy hell, that was also the day I got the dress.”

“Okay. This is good. This makes sense. We need to go look at that record player,” Alice says.

“We can’t yet. My dad and Mrs. Meriwether are in the ballroom right now.”

Susannah’s eyebrows push together. “What are they doing in there? Will they be long?”

“You know, I don’t know. They’re almost never in there. I just assumed they…” My voice trails off and I look at Alice. “Wardwell called my house. Jaxon came over ranting about you guys. And for unknown reasons my dad is now in the room with that record player? No such thing as coincidences.”

I dart out of my room, the girls at my heels, and toward the ballroom. The second we enter the downstairs hallway, there is a scratching noise, followed by the low hum of orchestral music. My heart jumps into my throat, and I break into a sprint.

We barrel into the room full speed only to stop dead in our tracks. The record player is on, and my dad and Mrs. Meriwether are slow-dancing. The whole scene has a displaced eerie quality to it, like a dead animal in the middle of a vibrant garden.

“Dad?” I say, running up to them, but he doesn’t answer.

“Mrs. Meriwether?” Susannah says at the same time.

Silence.

I pull on my dad’s arm, but they just keep turning, slowly and methodically, like they can’t hear me or see me.

“Dad!” I yell, my voice cracking.

Alice claps her hands by their faces, but it’s as though we don’t exist. I can’t help but think of that time I went to theTitanicand managed to take the spoon—I was there and not there at the same time.