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Back The Mother Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Author
  5. HALLOWEEN
  6. Seven Weeks Before Halloween
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. HALLOWEEN
  11. Six Weeks Before Halloween
  12. FOUR
  13. FIVE
  14. SIX
  15. HALLOWEEN
  16. Five Weeks Before Halloween
  17. SEVEN
  18. EIGHT
  19. HALLOWEEN
  20. NINE
  21. TEN
  22. HALLOWEEN
  23. ELEVEN
  24. TWELVE
  25. Twenty-Five Days Until Halloween
  26. THIRTEEN
  27. FOURTEEN
  28. HALLOWEEN
  29. FIFTEEN
  30. SIXTEEN
  31. SEVENTEEN
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. NINETEEN
  34. TWENTY
  35. HALLOWEEN
  36. Eighteen Days Until Halloween
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. TWENTY-TWO
  39. HALLOWEEN
  40. TWENTY-THREE
  41. TWENTY-FOUR
  42. Eleven Days Until Halloween
  43. TWENTY-FIVE
  44. TWENTY-SIX
  45. Eight Days Until Halloween
  46. TWENTY-SEVEN
  47. TWENTY-EIGHT
  48. TWENTY-NINE
  49. HALLOWEEN
  50. THIRTY
  51. Four Days Until Halloween
  52. THIRTY-ONE
  53. HALLOWEEN
  54. THIRTY-TWO
  55. Two Days Until Halloween
  56. THIRTY-THREE
  57. The Night Before Halloween
  58. THIRTY-FOUR
  59. HALLOWEEN
  60. THIRTY-FIVE
  61. Halloween, Present Day
  62. THIRTY-SIX
  63. THIRTY-SEVEN
  64. HALLOWEEN
  65. THIRTY-EIGHT
  66. HALLOWEEN
  67. THIRTY-NINE
  68. HALLOWEEN
  69. FORTY
  70. HALLOWEEN
  71. FORTY-ONE
  72. FORTY-TWO
  73. FORTY-THREE
  74. FORTY-FOUR
  75. HALLOWEEN... NOW
  76. FORTY-FIVE
  77. Seven Months Later
  78. FORTY-SIX
  79. FORTY-SEVEN
  80. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  81. ALICE SWANSON’S
  82. Reader's Guide
  83. Questions for Discussion
  84. Booklist

It’s so dark on the path. And here she comes, Daphne, our single mother, so young, so full of hope, holding Nora’s hand by the lake. Nora is scared. She doesn’t like being out this late, not now, not on Halloween night when all the images of spiders and bats and monsters swirl up inside her head and threaten to overwhelm her. She squeezes Daphne’s hand oh so tight. She doesn’t want to lose her.

The witches materialize. They come out of the woods, black cloaks blending into the shadows, and Daphne screams. Nora buries her head in the folds of Daphne’s skirt. She imagines the witches taking her away into the shadows, baking her into a pastry. Eating her.

Or worse, making her one of them.

But the witches aren’t interested in the little girl. They want her to go home. They have other business to attend to.

Nora’s mother takes her, tugs her away from Daphne. She murmurs and mimics the things mothers say—“Time for bed, it’s late, too much sugar”—but it’s clear, dear reader, that she is distracted.

Jacqueline’s hand is cold as she leads Nora away. “Hurry, hurry,” she says now, rushing her along the path to their house. Inside, Nora expects her mother to bring her upstairs, help her to bed, but instead she is brought into the living room, where her father has changed out of his costume and is reading a book.

“I’m going back out,” Nora’s mom says. She is angry, but her voice breaks as she tries not to cry. This makes her angrier. “Take care of our daughter for once.”

Jacqueline whirls before her husband can answer. She adjusts her cape. Secures her pointy hat. She does not look back, does not say goodbye. Then the mother, the witch, is gone. Just like that.

Poof.

A magic trick.

THIRTY-NINE

Kendra

It was definitely a party everyone would remember.

The decorations were spectacular. Parents were tipsy. Kids ran around wide-eyed. An abundance of food and drinks. Even Mrs. Tressle was out and about, chatting and looking less like she’d just sat on a tack.

And the band—Oh the band! How had I never thought to hire a band before now? They weren’t great—just some kids who played decent enough ’80s rock covers—but the live music added so much to the atmosphere. What other neighborhood around here had a Halloween party with live music?

None of them, I tell you. None of them.