Touch of Fear ▸ House of Anubis [2]

chapter fifty-one. house of status

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            "So everyone's hearing is back to normal this morning?" Nina questions as Fabian and Alfie come into our Sibuna room the next morning. I nod, rubbing my ears still. I swear, I was still hearing that rumbling all night.

            "Speak up, Nina," Amber says, "stop mumbling."

            "That answers that question."

            Alfie has two action figures in his hand, one of a monster-zombie thing and the other an army-man, and he's playing with them. "Hey, Fabian, do you want to play before breakfast?"

            "Alfie, you are not nine years old," Nina says as I take the dolls from him. "Everyone, can we please focus?"

            "Focus on what?" Fabian asks.

            "The task, Fabian."

            "Right, I'm sorry. The memory's getting worse."

            "I think it's pretty clear everyone is getting worse," Nina says with a sigh. I mean, I think mine's still the same. Then again, no one's asked me any questions since yesterday. "Okay, guys, we need to find a way to finish this task and lift the curse. It's got to be about knowing the melody...if Sarah was here, she would know."

            "Who's Sarah?" Fabian asks. He doesn't even remember Sarah.

            "Sarah, Fabian. Dollhouse Sarah," Nina reminds him, though not calmly. I glance over to the dollhouse itself, noticing that it's lit up again. "I'm sorry. I just—" She's cut off by me exclaiming her name. "What?" I point toward the dollhouse and everyone turns to it. "Oh, thank you, Sarah!"

            Nina runs to the dollhouse, opening it up. The glowing object this time is a music stand. Is there a music stand in Anubis House? I can't remember ever seeing one.

            "It's a music stand," Fabian states the obvious.

            "Wait," Amber says. She's got a pair of tweezers now and uses them to pick up the very small sheet of paper on the music stand. Sheet music.

            Fabian takes it, squinting. "It's something...I just..."

            "The Song of Hathor," Nina reads.

            "That's got to be it. That's got to be the name of the tune we need to play."

            "Yes! So how does the Song of Hathor go?" Nina asks us. Everyone else shrugs. I've never heard of it before. "Ashley, what does Anubis say?"

            Ohh, the Song of Hathor. I know this, it's... There's a pause, and then he starts humming. Da, duh, dah...no, that's not it. I only heard it twice!