Chapter 2

Mom came home and assumed I'd stolen the cake and ruined it. Furious, she grabbed it and shoved it into my mouth.

"Were you born starving? You stole my daughter's cake? Get out! Let your dead mother buy you one!"

I had only been trying to protect the cake, but with my mouth stuffed full, I couldn't get a single word of explanation out.

That night, the shadow appeared beside my bed, humming and mumbling as if it were singing "Happy Birthday." I huddled under the covers, trembling in fear.

Early the next morning, Mom took Emily into town to buy another cake.

I chased after them, crying and screaming that the woman was coming to get me, but they were afraid I'd follow them too, so they ran as fast as they could without hearing a word.

I came back to myself. The water was no longer cool.

I stared at the pitch-black opening of the well. It seemed as though something inside was calling my name.

My scalp prickled, and I took off running for home.

The next day, Mom and Dad were taking Emily to the county seat to buy things she would need for college.

She wore a new pale-yellow dress and kept admiring herself in the mirror. Then she glanced at me, sitting in the corner and staring blankly at her dress. "Do you want to come too?"

Her eyes were fixed on my injured hand, but there was a smile at the corners of her mouth. "Fine. I'll let you come this once."

Dad didn't notice her expression and also pleaded with Mom on my behalf.

Mom finally relented. "Fine, but your bus fare comes out of your food money. If you want to go, then go."

"I'm not going."

But Emily forcibly dragged me out the door.

At the mall, Emily bought a quilt and made me carry it. Then she bought sheets and a duvet cover and made me carry those too, along with a pillow, bed curtains, and a thermos.

The three of them walked ahead, laughing and talking. Even when I hurried, I couldn't keep up. Then they went into a clothing store.

As soon as I walked in, the sales clerk froze when she saw me.

"They're twins! She's trying on this jacket, and we happen to have another one in the same size. They can each have one."

Mom's expression turned awkward. "She's not our daughter. She has her own mother. It's not our place to take care of her."

"Oh, okay. I must have gotten them mixed up. Looking closely, they really don't look much alike. Your daughter is tall and fair, while she's shorter and darker. They don't even dress alike. What was I thinking, mistaking them for twins?" The sales clerk hurried to smooth things over, then noticed all the bags in my hands.

"Is she your housekeeper?"

No one answered. The awkwardness in the store became unbearable.

I lowered my eyes to my toes, my heart aching as pain throbbed through the back of my hand.

Mom and Dad hurriedly paid and left the store.

Emily hung the clothes they'd just bought over my arms and gave me a sweet smile. "Hey, housekeeper, we're going to the zoo next. It'll be inconvenient for you to carry all this stuff, so you can go home first."

Mom was still angry about what had just happened. "See? Why did you even come along? Now I had to explain you to someone else. Looking like that, anyone who didn't know better would think we were abusing you.

"Go home. If you lose even one of these things, you'll answer for it."

With that, she grabbed Emily and headed for the exit.

Dad stuffed five dollars into my coat pocket before hurriedly following them.

Unfortunately, the bus fare back to town was fifteen dollars.

The sales clerk from earlier peeked out and looked at me. In the end, she gave me ten dollars so I could take the bus home.