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She laughed again and pulled Tad to the stairway. I listened to them giggle and navigate their way upstairs, wondering if they would wake Mama. I almost wished they would. At least she would speak and move again, but apparently they didn't. Once they were in my room and had shut the door, the house returned to its ominous stillness.

I closed my eyes and made silent prayers.

When I opened them. Elliot was sitting across from me.

"Its almost over," he said. "The whole thing... it's almost over."

I simply stared at him. He no longer frightened me or surprised me. I could see that bothered him.

His smile softened to a grin of confusion. Then he shook his head.

"You're happy about that, aren't you? You wanted all this. You wanted me to succeed."

I said nothing.

I closed my eyes again, and when I opened them much later on, he was gone.

And in his place there was nothing but emptiness, a deep, dark emptiness that had settled comfortably in my heart and wrapped itself snugly around my very soul. There was nothing left for me to do but sleep, surrender to it like a soldier who had fought his best and settled regretfully but willingly into a bed of defeat.

At first light. I was waken by a tug on my hand and opened my eyes to see Baby Celeste standing there and looking at me.

"Celeste!" I cried, and scrubbed my cheeks with my palms. Is Panther awake. too?" She shook her head.

"Did Mama wake you?" I asked hopefully.

Again, she only shook her head.

"C'mon then, let's see how she is." I started up the stairs. She didn't follow. I looked back at her standing at the foot of the stairway. "Don't go anywhere now. Celeste. Were going to make breakfast in a minute."

She didn't reply. She just continued to stare up at me. I hurried to Mama's room, taking note as I passed my own bedroom that the door was shut. It would be quite a shock for Mama to see that Betsy had dared bring someone to our house like this. I thought.

Mama was awake, but she had the same distant look in her eyes. What frightened me the most, however, was seeing that she had wet herself like a baby.

"Oh. God. Mama," I cried,

She didn't look at me: she didn't in anyway acknowledge that she had heard me. For a moment I just turned in circles mina to think of what to do first. Then Panther began to cry. I anticipated Betsy risinc, to see about him, but the door of my bedroom never opened. I didn't know what to attend to first.

"Mama, you have to get up. You have to change and clean yourself. Please." I pleaded. "Mama."

She closed her eyes, then she opened them and looked at me. I held my breath. She smiled.

"Mama, oh, thank you, thank you," I moaned to every spirit that dwelled in and about our home.

"Noble?"

"Yes. Mama. yes. It's Noble. Now listen. You have had an accident. Please get up. We need to change the linen on your bed and you need to clean yourself"

"An accident?" Finally she realized what she had done. "Oh. I'm getting older. I guess." Panther's cries grew louder,

"Who's crying?"

"It's Panther."

"Panther? Who's Panther?" She started to prop up on her elbows,

"Betsy's Panther. Mama, Betsy's baby."

She looked at me and shook her head with confusion.