“We’ve still got it,” she said to him, and there was a playfulness to the smile on her lips. Her hand reached out to touch his foot and he felt not pressure but a pleasant warmth, as though a ray of sunlight had been concentrated on that section of his skin. “How are you, Mark?”

He nodded, not knowing what to say.

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “About me dying, I mean.”

“I never—”

“Yes you did.” She laughed, a sound that reminded him of tinkling chimes, the wind in the trees. “I know you, Mark.”

“I should’ve come back for you. I should’ve been there.”

“You made your choices. I made mine.”

He swung his legs off the bed, stood up, and walked over to where she stood. Reaching out to touch her face, his fingers passed through her form and he felt only that pleasant warmth.

He took a deep breath. “How did you die?” he asked. It was why he had come here. It was what he most wanted to know.

A frown crossed her features. “I can’t talk about that.”

“Kristen!”

“That’s not why I’m here. That’s not why I came back.”

“Did I bring you back?”

She smiled again. “You helped.”

“How did you die?”

“I told you—”

“I need to know!” His eyes did not leave hers, and he saw a struggle there.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you about that.”

“Kristen…”

She glanced furtively around, as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “You know how,” she said and looked at him meaningfully.

Her warmth was replaced by a wave of cold that came entirely from within him. “The girl?” he said.

She nodded.

“I knew it! What happened?”

“I can’t—”

“Kristen…”

Another furtive look around. “She sat on my face. And smothered me.”

“Jesus!”

“She was always wanting to have sex with me. And I always refused. And I guess, finally, she took the initiative. I was sleeping and when I woke up she was sitting on my face and I couldn’t breathe. I tried to push her off me, but even though she’s still a child, she weighed as much as a sumo wrestler. I couldn’t get her off. I tried to hit her, tried to buck her off, tried to roll over, but she just sat there on top of me, and finally I passed out. And I died.”

“I should’ve been there,” Mark said. “I should’ve come back after Dad died.”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“I could’ve protected you.”

“Not unless you slept with me every night. And I don’t think even you’re that weird.” She smiled teasingly, and he had to smile back.

“I miss you,” he said.

“I miss you.”

“Did you ever try to get her out of the House? Her or Billings?”