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"Stop saving that! Stop saying they're weird!" she shouted at him.

"Then stop doing what you're doing to them. And send them to school, for god's sake," he replied and left the house, slamming the door behind him. The whole house shook.

Mommy said nothing to us. but I could see she was very troubled. She went off for one of her long, quiet walks through the meadow and into the woods.

When she returned, she looked like she had been crying for days.

Daddy didn't really wear his pendant much. and Mommy assured me as we sat waiting for him that night that he wasn't wearing it this day.

"He goes out with it on, but he takes it off as soon as he drives away."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I know.'' she said, nodding and staring out at the dark through the slightly parted curtain. The candle flickered as if some spirit was indeed circling the small flame.

I had no doubt Mommy knew Daddy had taken off his amulet. The way she said it put the jitters in my bones.

Noble, calmed down from his tantrum, came into the room complaining about my not playing with him. but I couldn't help it. I was too nervous to pretend anything. I wanted Daddy home. I wanted us all to feel safe again,

"There's no reason for you to sit here with me like this. Celeste." Mommy told me. "Go amuse your brother." She waved me. off.

"But --"

She turned sharply.

"You two should feel the same things," she said as if she was just realizing a bigger problem. Her eves grew small again as she thought. "When one of you is sad, the other should feel sad. too."

I didn't understand why. Noble never felt what I felt, and I rarely if ever did feel what he felt. We were twins, yes, but we were individuals, too. and after all, he was a boy and I was a girl.

"Why is that, Mommy?"

My confusion seemed annoying to her. She twisted her lips and closed her eyes,

"Just go," she said with her eyes still closed. "Play! Occupy yourselves!"

I got up quickly, but before I reached the doorway, Mommy released a cry. She put her hands on her heart, one over the other, and stood there looking up, her face bathed in terror, her eyes wide, her mouth twisted.

Noble seized my hand. and I put my arm around him. She began to waver as if the floor was moving under her feet.

"Mommy?" I cried.

She started to look toward us, and then...she fainted.

The sight of her collapsing to the floor was the most frightening thing either Noble or I had ever seen. She folded, her body pouring downward as if all of her bones had turned to liquid.

Noble started to cry, and I couldn't move for a moment. All the breath had gone out of me.

"Mommy!" I screamed.

Her face w

as turned away from us, and her arm looked so twisted. I thought for sure it was broken.

"What's wrong with Mommy?" Noble shouted through his sobs. He covered his face so he couldn't see her.

I let go of him and edged closer to her, my heart pounding so hard. I could feel the thump in my throat and even into my teeth. I knelt beside her slowly and touched her shoulder, Then I poked it.

"Mommy?"