Chapter 3 Mary’s Home

jerome sat quietly at the table, sipping beer and watching Emma move madly; Sometimes one or two things fall in the process.

"I'm not crazy," Emma said fiercely. "I'm not. Someone's in this house. I swear, someone's here, jerome."

She continued to fiddle with things in the cupboard.

"I don't think you're crazy," jerome stood up, put his arm around Emma and began to shake her gently left and right. "It's all right. It's over now."

Emma began to cry and pushed her husband away. "No! No!"

Emma ran out the back door crying; Then he stopped and leaned against a tree. jerome is out

Follow her. When he reached Emma, he put his hand behind her shoulder. Emma turned, buried her face in his chest and continued to sob. jerome put one hand behind her head and patted her back with the other hand. He didn't want to make her sad anymore. He just stood there holding her and didn't say anything. Emma kept crying.

A few minutes later, Anna came out. "Mom."

jerome told Anna, "pumpkin, mom doesn't want to talk now, okay. Why don't you go back and watch TV. We'll go in in a minute."

"No, it doesn't matter. I'm fine." Emma sobbed one last time as she dried her eyes and cheeks. "What's the matter, honey?"

"I talked to Mary and she said she decided not to use our bathroom," Anna continued. "She's sorry to let us wait for her."

"Never mind. It's okay to tell Mary; I'm not angry with her. Now, why don't you go back in and watch some TV before you go to bed?"

"OK." Anna returned to the room; But she stopped on the back porch, turned around and shouted to her mother, "Mom."

"What, dear?"

"Mary also said she was sorry to disturb you this morning."

Emma was confused now and asked, "what do you mean, it upset me this morning?"

"Everything is moving. When I told her you were asking me if

A completely confused Emma interrupted her daughter, "what? What do you mean she moved them? What? When, Anna, what's going on“

"Sorry, mom;" Anna was sad and tried not to cry. "Mom, I didn't know she did it. She said she just wanted to help and put things in the way her mother lived here. She said she just missed her mother... That's all."

Anna couldn't help crying any more. She suddenly cried, "I'm sorry, mom“

Emma ran over, knelt on her knees and began to hug Anna. "No, don't cry, honey; it's okay. Shh. Mom, I'm sorry to yell at you; it's not your fault. No, no... don't cry any more, Anna... Shh."

Anna stopped crying, but she was still sobbing. Emma wiped the tears from her daughter's face and stroked her hair. She smiled at Anna. Anna smiled, too. Emma asked...

"Honey; did Mary tell you she used to live here?"

Anna nodded.

Anna nodded again.

"Anna, dear; where does Mary live now?"

Anna raised her arm, pointed to Emma, turned and looked, "there... In the barn."

Emma has been sitting on the back porch for hours. Some of Emma's questions have been answered; however, more questions have taken their place. Emma is sure that they need to leave the house.

jerome looked out the back door and saw Emma sitting on the porch, staring at the barn. He was with his wife.

"You know; jerome took his wife's hand." there's no one outside. "

Emma continued to stare at the barn. "I know."

"OK," jerome paused and continued, "I asked Anna why we didn't see Mary

Still staring ahead, "no, what?"

"She said we couldn't go. Mary told her that only she could see her."

"HMM."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

"No, jerome, what does that mean?"

"That means Mary is Anna's imaginary friend, isn't she, Emma?"

Emma finally looked at jerome. "Anna had never had an imaginary friend before, so why now?"

jerome was a little unprepared and struggled for a while to come up with an answer. "I don't know. She used to have other children around; but now she's here, a little lonely and no one around. Maybe she just needs to find a friend to play with."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't think she's making up Mary?"

Now jerome was completely confused. "What do you mean she didn't make up Mary? Mary is an invisible person. She doesn't exist at all. I mean, come on, Emma."

Emma looked up at the night sky; then she turned back and said to her husband, "what if everything in the kitchen has been moved? Knocking at the door? Running footsteps? Who did it; Anna? What about the blood in the egg yolk? I think our daughter did the same?"

"Wait a minute... Wait a minute... What's the blood in the egg yolk? What are you talking about? You don't make sense, Emma."

"jerome," Emma became excited, "there was blood in the egg yolk this morning; but,

Then it's gone. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Mary has been doing all this, okay; she's not fictional. She's real. "

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"A real little girl; who no one else could see but Anna?"

"Think about it; Anna said that Mary was arranging things the way her mom use to when they lived here...that she misses her. Any of this adding up with you yet?"

"No; I must have missed math class that day. What are you saying, Emma? Please, enlighten me."

"I'm saying; Mary's a ghost."

jerome scratches his head. "A ghost?"

"A ghost."

"So, let me get this straight; the idea of Anna making up an imaginary friend is

totally absurd...but, her playing with a ghost makes perfect sense...I see."

"You don't get it, do you? Forget it."

"No. No, Emma; I get it. I really do. Our little girl is hanging out with Casper...it makes perfect sense. Fine. Well then, now that that's resolved, let's go to bed."

Emma slides away from jerome, crosses her arms and looks off to the side. "Don't patronize me, jerome."

jerome moves in closer and tries to put his arm around her shoulder; but, Emma pushes it away. jerome pulls back and attempts to apologize.

"Emma, Hon', I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off like that. I'm just a little confused about what's going on. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't seem possible to me that Anna's communicating with some sort of ghost; that's all I'm saying."

Emma starts to calm down, and is now able to look at jerome while talking with him. "I know it's difficult to believe; but, that doesn't mean it's not possible. There are plenty of cases of haunted houses..."

"Come on, Emma."

"No, really; you hear about it all the time. I'll bet you that's why we got this place so cheap; because they knew it was..."

"Whoa. Hold on. Emma, listen to what you're saying."

"I am listening to what I'm saying. Are you listening?"

"Emma..."

"jerome, we have to leave."

"What?"

"You know I've had a really bad feeling about this place. We can't stay here."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we can't stay here; we have to g〇.”

"Go where?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere but here, jerome." "Emma, Hon', look..."

Suddenly, the serenity of the night is broken by the screams of a child.

"Anna!" Emma hollers, as both jerome and her charge into the house to get to their daughter.

As they run to the staircase, the screams echoe throughout that overly spacious house. They race up the stairs, nearly stumbling over each other to get to Anna. The screams get louder as they near Anna's room; becoming deafening as they rush to her door.

They bust through the door, nearly taking it off its hinges, as the last of the screams are heard. Emma and jerome, shocked at the sight, embrace each other and start to cry.

Anna's in the bed...sound asleep.