“There!” Michael cheered, momentarily distracting Susie from trying to leave. The last phantom of the girl with long black hair came and sat with them. When she had merged with the others like her, she blinked, then looked up and took in a long, calm breath. “We’re all together now,” Michael said with a smile. The drawings on the ground had disappeared, and five real-seeming children sat with Carlton under the table, no longer ghostly images.

“The rabbit isn’t your friend,” Carlton repeated. Susie gave him a puzzled look, and pointed to the only drawing left, the large one that showed all five children with the smiling yellow rabbit.

“I said bring him to the table,” William said angrily, drawing Carlton’s attention across the shadows. The painted fox cocked its head to the side, but before William could scold it again, more noises came from the hall. The door opened, pushed like something was bumping against it, and a variety of mechanical things made their way into the room, crawling and clawing their way across the floor in various states of disrepair. There were the climbing babies, and the gangly clown that had sat atop a carnival game in the dining room; others filed in that Carlton did not recognize: waddling dolls painted with clowns’ faces, disjointed circus animals, and other things he could not even name.

“Get back,” William hissed at the macabre processional, and brushed a crawler aside with his foot, struggling to keep his balance. The little blond boy had stopped crying; he was staring stunned at the creatures, shrinking away with his hand half blocking his face.

“Afraid of them, now?” William turned on the boy. “Don’t fear them. Fear me,” he snarled with renewed strength, and he clenched his jaw, taking stiff but deliberate steps toward the boy. “I’m the only thing in this room that you should be afraid of,” he said, and the boy turned to him again, his face still full of fear. “I’m just as dangerous as I’ve always been,” William growled. He grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him to the table.

“No, no, no!” Carlton shouted as he watched the shadowy figure hoist the boy onto the table. He glanced helplessly at the children, but they looked at him blankly. “Can’t you see? He’s hurting that boy!” The children just shook their heads confusedly. “He’s in danger, I have to help him. Let me out.” Carlton struggled to get up, but his legs were weighted down, and anchored to the illusion.

“That’s just Bonnie.” Susie smiled.