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roof! Anticipating her bellowing screams the girls had

gagged Carrie. "Now lie or sit still as a proper owl should," said the same harsh voice. "Perch here on the roof, near the chimney under the moon, and in the

morning you will be one of us."

Struggling and frantic now, Carrie tried to resist

the pull of so many who forced her to sit. Then, even

worse, they suddenly took away their hands and left

her there in the darkness on the roof--all alone. Far

away she heard the whispering titters of their retreat

and the slight click of a door latching down.

Cathy, Cathy, she screamed to herself, Chris,

come save me! Dr. Paul, why did you put me here?

Don't nobody want me? Sobbing, making small

mewing sounds while blindfolded, gagged and bound,

Carrie braved the steep incline of the huge, strange

roof and began to move toward where the latching

sound had come from. Inch by inch, sitting up and

sliding along on her bottom, Carrie moved forward,

praying every time she moved an inch not to fall. It

seemed from her faltering report that she gave me

much, much later that she was not only guided by

instinct, but she could hear, above and from behind the

oncoming spring thunderstorm, the sweet and distant

voice of Cory singing as he strummed his melancholy

song of finding his home and the sun again.

"Oh, Cathy, it was so strange way up there high, and the wind started to blow, and the rain began to fall, and the thunder rumbled and the lightning struck so I could see the brightness through the blindfold-- and all the time Cory was singing and leading me to the trapdoor that opened when I used my feet to force it upward, and somehow I wiggled through. Then I fell down the stairs! I fell into blackness and I heard a bone break. And the pain, it came like teeth and bit me so I couldn't see or feel anything or even hear the rain

anymore. And Cory, he went away."

.

Sunday morning came and Paul, Chris and I

were at the breakfast table eating brunch.

Chris had a hot, homemade buttery roll in his