At the edge of the darkness, buried in the shadows, Claire appears, followed by Tammy and Missy. All three of them stand together, side by side, though they’re no longer covering their mouths. I see Tammy’s missing jaw and dangling tongue, Claire’s lips sewn completely shut, and Missy, with a red rubber ball jammed into her mouth and one long rusty nail skewering both cheeks.

The three girls stare at Jackson and me, and we stare right back at them. I look at my brother in awe. “You do see them,” I say.

Jackson groans. He nods. This is our own family secret. Our curse, I think. Tears form in Jackson’s eyes. He hangs his head, weighed down by regret. He’s hidden it all this time. All that partying. All those drugs. They were distractions, ways to help him forget.

Mrs. Green glares at Jackson. “My goodness, young man. You sure do have a lot to say. Thought we had fixed that.” She picks up a long, sharp whittle and marches towards him.

“Wait…don’t!” I say.

“Don’t worry,” Mrs. Green replies with a smile. “You’re next.”

She raises the whittle. Jackson’s too weak to respond. He gives me one fleeting glimpse before Mrs. Green moves between us, slamming the whittle down.

“Noooo!” I scream.

Jackson’s entire body tenses. I strain against the tape as my brother begins to spasm. His limbs jerk like a broken marionette. The wooden chair bounces on the concrete.

Mrs. Green drops the whittle. It makes a crisp thwick sound as it hits the ground. She nods to Herman and he moves forward, untying Jackson by slicing the tape with a small knife. Jackson crumples to the floor.

“Leave him alone,” I say, my voice wavering. “You crazy psycho, I swear to God. You leave my brother alone.”

But Mrs. Green just cocks her head. “Oh my,” she says. “Such language. We’ll fix that right up. Won’t we?”

I watch as Herman drags Jackson out of the room. Mrs. Green threads the needle again. She comes closer, pressing a wrinkled hand against my forehead. It’s cold and wet from Jackson’s blood. I squirm from the pressure of her hand on my skin.

Herman reenters, but Jackson isn’t with him. As soon as I see him, I break down. “What did you do to him?” I say. A sob escapes my lips. “What did you do?!”

I think of all the times my brother told me to be quiet, how he always said what I saw was all in my head. Knowing now that he was there with me, willing himself not to believe that our mother was right all this time…

I look to the ghost girls. “Please. Help. Claire. Tammy. Missy.” The girls don’t move, though Claire tilts her head.