"There now. You needn't worry about anything. I could tell you were different when I saw you. The others, they are so dull with their insipid beauty and empty heads. You are different, I see curiosity and wonder in your eyes. Why you are as small as a child. My dear... You remind me of my favorite daughter.
Tell me, what do you think of death?"

     "Uh-uh! Well, I-I presume we're not talking about my imminent one, right?"

Aubrey just gazed off blankly into the distance. They walked through the cavernous room, and into the dark.

     "Well, er," Christelle continued, "It doesn't really matter, right? I mean everyone dies. That's part of your world view, isn't it? The sk--your son at the table, he's-he's just the same as he was before isn't he? Life or death it doesn't r-really matter...?"

Aubrey's eyes lit up and Christelle couldn't tell if that was good or bad, so she cringed nonetheless.

     "EXACTLY! Oh little sparrow, do you really see into my soul as it seems?"

He took her hands and pulled her closer. He seemed to be leading her in an unknown dance to unheard music.

      "Tell me more, child. I am lost. I don't know what I should do with you."

     "W-well I mean when I came here I wanted to meet you 'cause um, I heard these parties were so elegant and you just seemed so fascinating and--"

     "Pish. I hear empty compliments every moment. What do you want of me? Am I here only to amuse you?"

     "No! Um, I guess-- I guess I just want to know more about you."

     "About me?"

     "Yeah I mean, I feel like I could learn so much from you."

Aubrey leaned forward, and gently removed the scarf around Christelle's neck. She didn't know what he was planning to do. She felt a bit weak, his bird-like hands seemed to be the only thing holding her aloft.

     "You would learn from me? The ways of man? The ways of magic? The ways of death? The ways of the crumbling of empires? You would learn this?"

     "Y-yeah! I mean, if you would... teach it, I guess."

His face was unreadable, perhaps he looked a bit dazzled. She found it hard to believe she could dazzle anyone, particularly anyone that eccentric.

     "I feel as though I want to keep you among my treasures so I can hear you sing. Would you live with me? With Nicholas? I could make you beautiful and you could charm me with your simple words."

     "D-do you mean?"

He leaned closer.

Auberon curled his lip up in disgust and widened his eyes to comical exaggeration.

     "No time for dedication to your craft?! Raiment is the reflection of the soul and this is a reflection of filth!"

     "I--I tried my best!"

     "You have betrayed me! I see now in your face only innocence poisoned! You aren't like Helen at all, you're--you're like that other one!"

     "No! I-I understand you! Auberon, I just--"

He roughly grasped her around the shoulders, cold talons digging into her soft flesh.

     "You understand nothing! You will understand the mud and the worms!"

     "NO!"

 Christelle plopped into a large puddle at the bottom of the stairs. She was stunned for a moment. She was alive. She could barely process it all. Those people, did they really die? What happened? It had all seemed so real! Her gloves were stained dark on the palms, was it just mud or...?

Mortal terror gripped her after a moment and she scrambled away from the building. Where was she parked?! She saw no one, and the whole abbey seemed utterly silent. Somewhere, an owl hooted eerily. She considered pulling her heels off, but remembered that they were rather firmly attached to her leg via thigh-high boots. She just wobbled and slid around in the muck until she caught sight of the main drive. Her car was one of few remaining.

 "It was the most amazing party I've ever been to."

FIN