Herr and Frau Kaplan (2)
Frau Kaplan was younger than her husband and used to maintain her image with everything in her power. She would eat healthily, play sport, and relax at least twice a week to prevent wrinkles.
The results of all her efforts turned into the face of a younger woman than she was. She did look in her late thirties, at most early forties. However, it was naturally.
Sara couldn't help but be envious of her beauty and grace. Could she also keep that kind of skin with time? She would have done anything to be so young-like even when being old!
Since Vera had talked with Herr Kaplan, Sara could ask the wife a few questions. It was her time to shine!
While crossing the door of the residence, always guided by Florian, the secretary, she thought hard about how to move the conversation. She could try heartening the woman before starting.
Vera had already made Mark Kaplan unhappy by telling him they might fail. She could reverse the situation and ensure Mrs Kaplan knew they wouldn't leave them to deal with the supernatural creature - whatever it was.
She had no clue what it could be, and Vera seemed already so sure. How could she choose a spirit among the numerous possibilities with the few pieces of information they had? She was just bluffing to attract attention, wasn't she? Also, what was that talk about cohabitation? No one in their right mind would live in the same house as a creature of the night. Vera was out of her mind, thinking that humans would accept what she found normal.
A dark witch was so hard to understand, really!
«Please, have a seat,» Helena Kaplan said.
They followed her wish, getting comfortable on the sofa.
«So, you're here for the haunted house,» she sighed. «I wish I didn't have to remember everything from that time, but Mark asked me to help you. What is it that you need to know?»
«Oh, yes... Ehm, what do you remember of four years ago?» Sara inquired, happy to have finally an advantage. She had talked before Vera, so that interview was hers!
«Mhm... It was scary. As scary as to run away. We never went back. Not even for a day.»
«Was it silent during the day?» she continued.
«Mostly.»
Helena Kaplan's words replied to the questions, but her tone was wavering. What did those two women want from her? Wasn't it enough that they had talked with her husband? What could she even add more than he knew?
«Frau Kaplan, may I ask you a personal question?» Vera said, intruding in the conversation.
She agreed with Helena Kaplan: they had already heard the story. What she needed to know was the points of view of the other people present. If they saw something, sure, but also how they felt.
«As I already said to Herr Kaplan, it doesn't sound like a problem with ghosts. As such, your feelings and emotions might have contributed.»
«Are you trying to say we were as confused as to imagine everything?»
«Uh? No, not at all! The creatures of the darkness often use or are influenced by our human emotions. Passion, fear, hatred... Everything can mean something.»
«I'm not very comfortable talking about the past.»
«I understand, but it might be important.»
«Might?»
«It could explain why the occurrences happened. I have a theory, but I promised to investigate before telling you. Can I know why you went to the summer house four years ago? Was it the first time? I didn't find it right to ask Herr Kaplan, honestly. I believe your answers will be more complete and reveal more of the causes.»
«Why, you say? Well, it wasn't the first time we've been there. The second or third, I'm not sure. We went a couple of times when we were just married. It was so long ago that I can't recall the details, but nothing had happened. That, I would remember. Even though we were so enamoured that we were lost in our own world. A thousand ghosts raging in our room wouldn't have spoiled our happiness. We had just married back then.»
«I see,» Vera said. «Thank you for your words. You're helping me exclude some options. And what about four years ago? Why then?»
«You... How can you know?» Helena Kaplan murmured. She opened her eyes wide, losing herself in Vera's amber eyes.
She and Mark had been careful not to let anyone notice. The newspapers didn't write about it - how could they? It was a secret! - and the kids were coping with the situation in their own way. They had done what they needed to, and four years later, the past was only a memory.
Why wake old fears? Was that woman aware of the consequences?
«Now, it's all right,» Helena said, more to calm herself than to inform the others. It wasn't as relevant, was it? «We needed time to overcome it, but now it's good. However, four years ago...»
She sighed again.
«Mark loves that place, for some reason, even if it's so far from Vienna. Oh, maybe, especially because it's far from here. He says his grandfather was a man from another age, one who valued work the most. He thought everything would turn out right if we spent some time there, only the four of us.»
She leaned on the backrest, returning to that time with her thoughts. It had been difficult, and her greatest fear was to live through that again. Luckily it was over, but why did that girl want her to remember? Would it really help?
*Frau means «woman» in German, often used as «Mrs». Can also mean «wife».*