Feathers sway down by their thighs.

They hold hands tightly.

– Dear Mary, Mother of God, please forgive me!

– It is not her forgiveness that you are going to need. We will only ask you this one last time, Mr Udnam: where is Elise? What happened to her? You burnt us to death in our beds so we would stop asking questions. Why did you need our silence if she had gone to America? Did she drown on the way? Where is Hope? Where is Jessie? We are sending you to the other side today, Mr Udnam, any minute now. Where is Elise?

Mr Udnam stands up.

Agnes looks from him to the girls.

Her husband is hunched over, crying, catching as much of this narrative as he can from what his wife says. The parrot is stunned silent and pretending to be dead. Dora is wide awake.

– I don’t know where they went!

– What do you mean?

The planchette starts spinning and spells out.

J

E

S

S

I

E

M

A

C

R

A

E

I

S

C

O

M

I

N

G

Agnes looks up at Mr Udnam.

– Jessie MacRae is on her way. I can feel her coming down the levels.

– No.

He shakes his head.

– Is she alone?

Olive asks it sadly and her sisters look at her worried.

– No, there are two others. An adult and a child.

– What did you do to them?

The smallest girl flies down from the beam to scream in Mr Udnam’s face – her feathers flutter around her and fall to the ground. The sound of cloven hoofs progresses slowly down the hallway. Mr Udnam begins to shake.

1963

Flat 6F6

William Burroughs (49) take me to your word maker so I can plead for my pitiful life