The Buck Stops Here

[Poor Elaine looks heartbroken as the video comes on. Behind her is Mhairi's empty box, looking small and discarded in a corner. She brushes some hair out of her face and leans back in her chair.]

Amazingly, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's amazing what the human imagination can come up with sometimes.

I thought my mirror would leave some lasting damage... I mean physical lasting damage. [With that comment she suddenly looks rather angry.] Mirrors aren't supposed to be on the same side as us. It's not fair. Those were the rules.

[She opens her mouth as though she's about to say more, but the look in her eyes calms and her shoulders slump. She crosses her arms.] This feels like my pet just died. Or was stolen. [Not gonna cry again, not gonna cry again.]

[Elaine is still spirit walking, not yet quite ready to risk going back into her body.]

Mm. [She clears her throat, and forces herself to look straight at the camera.] I don't usually get that scared or desperate. [This is important to her; she's only twelve, after all, and the opinion of her peers and friends matters a lot. Like any kid and teen, she cares very much about what people think of her.] I think it wasn't just the atmosphere of the place, but maybe the Mansion actually got into our heads and fed us fear.

There was a time I was kidnapped for a few hours, before I came here. And I could have sworn that I would die of fear. I was so scared. And then I realized that it wasn't my fear that I was feeling, but my captor's. I guess it was strong enough that I could read his head without meaning to. And during the event, being around all that fear, I... just couldn't take it. [I just wasn't strong enough. What was Lucifer thinking, giving me this power... I don't know what to do with it, don't know how to live with it.]

[I wish he was here...]

Ganta? Could we have that talk now?