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She wanted to reach for her husband and pull him out of whatever nightmare he was in, but instead she stared dazedly at him. She couldn’t stop thinking about him in the audience, decaying before her eyes. It reminded her of her disturbing dreams of Amos Dalby. These dreams made sense; since she’d learned about Amos, she’d sometimes think about the horrors that had helped build her husband’s family fortune. But what could explain these waking, grotesque visions? Was it something about this place? Could the ghost of the old house and what had happened here find its way into her mind? The foundation of the old house, with its rot and rust, making itself felt in the new?

She told herself to stop. This was her problem. She had brought this evil here by thinking about it all the time. Her husband had planned to erase it. She’d only mentioned Amos Dalby once to him, when she called from the set ofFortune’s Eye. She hadn’t mentioned his name, but she’d asked if Richard could tell her more about his family member who’d worked in railroads. It was clear from her husband’s response that he didn’t know a thing about trains or railroad tycoons. He’d only said that the person lost his entire family, and it was all too tragic and morbid.

Maybe he was right. But every time he woke from a nightmareshivering and complaining that he couldn’t feel his fingers, or gulping for air and saying he had dreamed of being buried alive, Vivian couldn’t help but think of the stories???had told her, of the Chinese workers who had experienced just that.

She tried to banish the thoughts from her mind, like Edith and Josiah had advised. Tonight was about success, fortune, and happiness. She reached over and took a sleeping pill from Richard’s bottle. She swallowed it without water and felt it force its way down her throat.

The next morning she sat in front of her vanity as she unhooked her earrings and rubbed the red from her lips. She felt better. Clearer.

Everything she had seen in the mirror years ago had come true. She was Vivian Yin, an actress who had just won an Academy Award. Years ago, she imagined that this moment would be the beginning, something that would define a long and illustrious career. But now she sat in front of the mirror and could think only about the screenplay she’d just started writing on the side.

This was just the beginning. She would write a screenplay and Richard could help her. They would make their movie and be back on that stage, together, next time. She would do anything in the world to make it happen.

eighteen

AUGUST 2024

DAY 4 IN THE HOUSE

NORAknew better than to go out into the garden now, but still, she leaned against the window in her bedroom. The pale pink roses were still the only blooming plant in the dismal, barren garden. Nothing stirred under the glow of a bright moon. The calm felt sinister, knowing as she did what could happen out there.

Something clattered in the kitchen. Maybe her evasive mother was finally up again. She’d been eating at odd hours and otherwise staying in her room. Maybe Nora could catch her and try to get more information out of her. She slipped from the bed and crept to the kitchen.

The clattering stopped just as she rounded the corner. Madeline whirled around, wielding a spatula. She visibly relaxed when she saw Nora. Her hand fell to her side. “Oh. It’s you.”

“What are you doing?” Nora said.

Madeline gestured to the kettle. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and had her large cardigan wrapped around her. “I was making tea. I couldn’t sleep.”

“With a large wooden spatula?”

“Oh, this.” Madeline waved it around. “I heard a noise and didn’t know who… or what it was.” At Nora’s look she continued, “This place is strange, okay? I’m not ruling anything out.”

Nora crossed her arms. “Fair.”

They glanced toward each other, though not quite at each other. Finally, Madeline spoke. “Uh, would you like some? Tea?”

Nora didn’t know what to say, which was ridiculous. “If you have some left over?” she managed.

“Can I make you some without a lawyer present?”

Nora blinked.

Madeline’s smile dropped. “Sorry.”

Nora sighed. “No, it’s deserved. I know I sounded like an asshole.”

“Well. My familyiskind of one big asshole conglomerate, so I get it.”

Nora almost snorted in disbelief. Had she just heardasshole conglomeratecome out of Madeline’s mouth? But the person who’d sat across from her days ago with rigid posture in a pristine blouse seemed relaxed now, despite everything. Her cardigan was loose around her shoulders. Pieces of her long hair had fallen out of her ponytail.

“What? I feel like I can say that.” Madeline put in the tea bag and carefully poured Nora a cup. “It’s herbal fruit tea, by the way. I found it in the cupboard. I hope it’s still good.”

“We’ll probably live.” Nora accepted the cup, surprised to find that the tea was still fragrant. It smelled like peaches. “Thank you.” She took very small sips. When she glanced out toward the garden, Madeline followed her gaze.

Nora said in a very faint voice, “You see them too, right?”

“The roses?” Madeline moved toward the door.