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Cinnamon pulled us all back.

"She can see us in the reflection," she whispered.

"Let s get out of here,," Ice said. "Now!"

Without any discussion. Cinnamon backed farther away from the window and nodded toward the ladder. We had to go down in reverse order. Rose first, Cinnamon last. Going down was much harder, not only because we couldn't feel our legs and distrusted the grips our hands had on the metal railings, but because the ladder was at such an incline, it took much more nerve to descend than ascend. I tried keeping my eyes shut tight. We had to be careful we didn't step on each other's hands. I nearly stepped on Ice's. Rose was moving so slowly. At one point she actually froze.

"What's happening?" Cinnamon called down.

"Rose can't move," Ice said. "Oh. no. Get her to. Ice. Hurry."

Cinnamon and I listened to Ice speaking softly to Rose, trying to calm her, urging her to take one more step and then another. Rose whimpered.

"I'm going to fall," she moaned.

"Not if you hold on tightly and just take your time. Carefully lower your foot to the next rung. Go on. Do it," Ice said a little more firmly.

Finally. Rose began to move again, and then we saw the darkness above us get washed in light, and we all froze once more.

Whoever it was had opened the curtain. Was she coming out? "Quickly," Cinnamon begged.

Rose found the strength and made it to my landing. We each followed, and all of us hurried through my window and into my room, where we collapsed on the floor. My neck was so damp with nervous sweat. I needed a towel. So did the others.

"Well?" Ice was the first to ask.

"I don't know what to say. Edmond Senetsky is not a man? Was that what we learned?" I asked.

"That can't be so. He's a bit of a dandy, but I never thought he wasn't a man," Cinnamon replied.

"It looked just like him, didn't it?" Rose asked. "Well, didn

't it?" she pursued when we were all still silent.

"Yes and no," Cinnamon said. "I don't know. It wasn't a good light. It's all so bizarre. One thing is for sure." she added, looking up at us all. "we don't say anything about this to anyone, not yet at least."

"I wouldn't know how to begin." Rose said. "I feel a little sick to my stomach. How are we going to behave normally tomorrow?"

Cinnamon smiled.

"Just follow Madame Senetsky's advice and focus completely on your work. Remember, a good performer can't see beyond the footlights."

"I don't think I'll have the strength to make one turn, much less dance," Rose complained.

"You will," Cinnamon said. She gazed at Ice and me. "We all will."

"Then what?" Ice asked.

"I don't know. Not yet. anyway."

She laughed,

"How can you laugh about this?" Rose demanded.

"I was just remembering how most of the kids in my school thought I was weird because of the way I dressed and the things that interested me.

"After seeing this. I realize I was as healthy as the whole Brady Bunch put together," she said.

Everyone was quiet, lost in her own thoughts for a few moments.