The sconces on the wall flickered as Mira tiptoed along. With each step the light dimmed further. Mira held her breath as she stopped at each of the bedroom doors, pausing to listen and see if she could hear her inside. She moved toward the end and with relief heard the sound of laughter again.

Mira leaned against the wall and then lowered her body toward the floor. The door hadn’t been closed completely and she peeked through the crack, careful to make sure the door didn’t fully open by accident. The girl stood in the center of the bedroom, her arms folded behind her back, waiting for something or someone Mira couldn’t see.

“My nig, where did you go?” Mira heard a woman’s voice call in the bedroom. “Oh, there you are!” the woman exclaimed. “You know you shouldn’t run off like that. I get so worried.”

The girl nodded. She let out a light giggle.

“Are you hungry? Do you want a treat?”

The girl made a high-pitched squeal and jumped up and down at the word treat. The woman smiled, appeared overjoyed at her response, and then walked over to the dresser and picked up something off the table.

Through the mirror’s reflection Mira saw the woman’s face. The resemblance fit the images in the photographs Jesse had shown her and Mira knew it was Mrs. Woodsman. That meant the girl was Lucy, her Lucy.

Mrs. Woodsman put the treat in her palm and balled her hand into a fist. “Spin,” she commanded, and Lucy lifted a leg and turned herself around, spinning her body in a loop. She finished with a little kneel and Mrs. Woodsman exclaimed, dropping the treat for Lucy to pick up off the floor. “Oh, good job,” she said. “Do it once more. Spin.”

Lucy did as she was told, spinning in another loop, but this time Mrs. Woodsman didn’t let her stop.

“Spin, spin, spin!” she yelled, and Lucy spun round and round, laughing at first, but the longer she had to do it the quieter she got, and Mrs. Woodsman kept yelling. Lucy twirled around, becoming more unstable with each turn until she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Her face was scrunched up in pain and confusion.

“No treat for you,” Mrs. Woodsman said. “I didn’t tell you to stop. What have I told you about not listening? You need to do better. You don’t want to end up like those—”

Lucy’s eyes welled up, and seeing her face, Mrs. Woodsman stopped. “Well, next time. Maybe you’ll follow directions,” she huffed.

Lucy nodded again. All of Lucy’s answers were either nods or simple gestures with her hands. She wouldn’t speak, barely made any sort of sound at all.