Cries of the Children(34)

What about Ralphie?

Ralphie created his own fears. I only brought them out He’ll push them away again and remember nothing.

But Tatiana—she’s going to tell her father what she saw.

He won’t believe her. No one will. Brush yourself off, go home, and act as if nothing happened. I’ll come again soon.

Marty, wait!

But Marty had instantly vanished from his thoughts. Steven did as instructed, cleaning himself up and heading home. Rachel was waiting for him on the back steps, her arms open wide. She grabbed Steven into them and hugged him fiercely.

Then she stepped back and looked him over.

“You don’t seem hurt,” she said. “Tatiana said something happened in the woods.”

Steven managed a bewildered expression.

“Nothing happened,” he said. “I don’t know what Tatiana is talking about. She came into the woods, to a clearing I found, and then she got really angry at me. She said I had no right to be there.”

Tatiana had come out onto the deck, and now she stamped her foot.

“I did not say that!” she cried. “You did something to Ralphie Mercken. He was screaming like crazy, and the wind was blowing.”

Rachel frowned at her.

“There is no wind today, Tatiana,” she said.

“There was in the woods!” Tatiana insisted. “It was blowing and blowing. It knocked down leaves. And Ralphie was screaming!”

Rachel knew that every word Tatiana said was true. She had been sitting at the piano, playing a medley of Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes, when she’d been struck by a feeling something was happening to Steven. And then the sheet music had disappeared, replaced by a small holographic tableau of the woods. She’d seen Steven and Tatiana and an unfamiliar white boy in that clearing. She’d seen the white boy’s mouth open wide in a scream, seen the wind blowing fiercely.

It had lasted only a half-minute, but it was enough to send her running out here to find out what was wrong. Tatiana hadn’t had a chance to tell her anything was wrong.

Only she knew the whole thing was crazy. Rachel would never admit, especially to a six-year-old, that she’d had a psychic experience. She would never tell anyone.

“Stop it right now, Tatiana,” she said. “You’re just jealous and want to get Steven into trouble. Well, you’re the one in trouble now. Go to your room, and don’t come out until dinnertime.”

“Daddy will believe me,” Tatiana blubbered.

“Daddy’s gone to the hardware store,” Rachel said almost triumphantly.

Tatiana’s eyes were brimming. Rachel had never been so mean to her! But she could tell by the angry look on her mother’s face that this was no idle command. Shaking, she ran up to her room.

No, it wasn’t her room now. It belonged to Steven. She hated him. Hated him!

She went to the window and looked out. Rachel and Steven were still in the yard, their arms around each other’s shoulders. Tatiana cried and cried.

The night her mother had come home late, she had felt there was something different about her. Now she knew it was true. Rachel was changing into something mean and ugly, and no one could see it but her.





15


IT WAS MORE than an hour before the situation in the emergency room was under enough control for Samantha to break away. She was worried about Julie. Had the child eaten? Was she upset because Samantha hadn’t returned when promised?

Nanette Belfield easily read the concern on the doctor’s face.

“Don’t fret, Dr. Winstead,” she said. “I’ve taken good care of Julie. I knew you’d be busy, so I took her to the cafeteria myself. She’s probably there now, finishing her lunch.”

Samantha sighed with relief. “Thank you, Mrs. Belfield. I’ll go right up there.”

In the cafeteria the lunch crowd had diminished considerably, but there was no sign of Julie. A quick check of the lavatory didn’t produce her either. Samantha headed back to the elevator. As she was about to press the button, she heard her name over the intercom.

“Another emergency?” she thought aloud, stepping into the elevator.

“You are wanted on the second floor. Dr. Winstead, you are wanted on the second floor.”

The second floor? Why?

Samantha realized what had happened. The maternity ward was on the second floor. Julie must have gone up by herself!

When she stepped off the elevator, Barbara Huston was there to greet her.

“You’d better come with me, Samantha,” she said.

“Is it Julie?”

Barbara nodded.

“You really shouldn’t have let her wander around by herself,” Barbara said. “I saw her coming out of the preemie ward, and she looked like she was scared to death about something.”