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Noble threw himself on his bed facedown. I sat on my bed, staring at him. Through the floor we could hear Mommy's and Mr. Kotes's muffled conversation. My stomach -roared with disappointment as I thought about what they were eating now. The house was still full of the wonderful aromas.

"Aren't you hungry. Noble?" I asked him softly. His body shuddered.

"I am. I'm so hungry. I could eat my pillow," I said, and he turned and looked at me. I saw he had been crying.

"I can't find it. Celeste. I looked, and it was gone. I'm not lying," he insisted, holding his arms out. He did look like he was telling the truth. but that made no sense.

"Spirits don't take things." I told him.

"How do you know? You don't know

everything about them. You should have told Mommy. You should have," he asserted. "She would have let us eat. She would have believed you."

"I told you. I can't tell her something that isn't true, especially about that. I might not ever see Daddy again if I do."

"I don't care. I don't see him," he said and turned over to lie facedown again.

The muffled conversation below grew softer, and then there was laughter. They played music again. too. How could Mommy do this? How could she be happy with us up here starving?

I lay back. Maybe if I meditated. I thought. I could stop being so hungry. Eventually I fell asleep and so did Noble. Much later. I woke wit

h a start and heard some footsteps descending the stairs. I rose slowly and opened our door. There was no one there. but I heard Mommy talking to Mr. Kotes below. I heard the front door open and heard her say good night.

"Thank you." he said. "A wonderful dinner, especially the dessert." he added, "And I don't mean just the apple pie."

I heard Mommy laugh.

"I'll call you tomorrow, Sarah." he added, and the door was closed.

I listened. Mommy moved about downstairs, shutting off lights, and then she started up the stairway. I waited in the doorway and when she saw me, she stopped.

"I tried to get him to tell. Mommy. Really. I did try, but he wouldn't. He fell asleep."

"Maybe he will tomorrow," she said. "when he sees there is no breakfast for either of you until that magnifying glass is brought back inside the house."

She marched past me to her room. I saw the lights were on already, and the bed was unmade. Why was the bed unmade? Mommy never left her room sloppy. She paused, turned, and looked at me.

"I'd advise you to get some sleep. Celeste," she said and closed the door.

I turned and went to one of our windows to look out at the night.

Daddy, I thought, if you're here, please tell me what to do. Please. I begged, and then I turned off the lights and went to bed.

Noble was up ahead of me in the morning. He had fallen asleep in his clothes and didn't bother changing into different ones. He just rose and went downstairs, expecting to have breakfast. I heard him come charging up the stairway, his feet pounding.

"Get up. Celeste!" he cried, charging through the door. He shook me.

"What is it?" I groaned.

"Mommy won't give us anything to eat until we find the magnifying glass."

"I told you," I said.

"We've got to find where Daddy hid it." he said.

"Noble. you know where it is. Just get it. Please." I said and closed my eyes.

He shook me again.