bell could barely be heard. Aunt Addie!
"If you want that dog, you keep him downstairs after this," Mark snapped. "I won't have the mutt carrying on like that! It disturbs Aunt Addie." He turned and hurried down the hall, and suddenly, Melanie was surrounded by darkness once again.
"He could have at least waited till I got to Addie*s room before he turned out the light," Melanie muttered,
as she lifted a still-whimpering Butch into her arms and hurried towards the clanging bell. She opened the door to her aunt's room, walked in and sat down beside the bed, and recounted what had just happened to the wide-eyed old woman.
"I can't believe it,** she finished. "Mark didn't seem distressed over my bringing Butch here. He never said a word against it, and he was so nice about driving me into town to pick him upl"
"Mark isn't himself—" Addie began, but Melanie cut her oft.
"I've never seen Mark so mean and vicious," she said. "He didn't try to help me pull Butch back. He just walked up out of nowhere and kicked him as hard as he couldl He was like a madmanl" She shuddered with horror.
Aunt Addie nodded and reached out to pat the dog, who looked at her fondly. "Mark isn't the same since Todd killed himself," she said. "I've heard that it's like that sometimes with twins—one dies and the other goes insane afterwards. It's easy to see how that could happen with Mark. Todd was so overbearing and had such a strong influence over him."
Melanie laughed in spite of the distress she was feeling. "Oh, Aunt Addie, you can't mean that," she scoffed. "Mark just has a temper that we don't know about. Maybe he's showing a side of himself that we never saw before because he was so dominated by Todd. Anyway, I don't think Butch is really hurt. His feelings suffered more than anything else, I guess, but it could have been serious, and I'm sure mad at Mark about it."
"Just the same," Addie warned, "I'd be careful if I were you. I've been thinking about it all day, and I have some suspicions about Mark."
"What kind of suspicions?"
The old woman shook her head and smiled. "I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself until I'm sure. I'm tired of being called crazy every time I open my mouth."
"Have I made you think that / thought you were crazy. Aunt Addie?"
The yoimg woman looked hurt, and Addie smiled at her. She was so like the woman who had adopted her— warm, sweet, sensitive to the feelings of those around her. No, Melanie had never given any indication that she thought her crazy. She could trust her, Addie felt
"It wasn't Mark that kicked your dog, Melanie. Not really." She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. Melanie looked at her, obviously puzzled, and Addie went on. "It was Todd . . . Todd moving about in his twin's body, because his evil spirit will never rest in peace. Not in this world! Mark is possessed, because Todd had such a hold over him in life that he can have the same hold from the grave. Todd is a demon now, and demons come back from the dead and take possession of other folks' bodies!"
Melanie didn't scoff at her, nor did she say that she thought her idea was crazy. She wanted to choose her words carefully, because she knew the old woman was firm in what she had just said and Melanie did not want to ridicule her and risk hurting her feelings.
"Aunt Addie, I think maybe you are just superstitious.** She put Butch on the floor and watched in anger as he limped about the room, favoring his injured side.
She gave Addie a sympathetic smile and leaned over her. "You see, you always had animosity for Todd. Maybe you hated him a little, even though he was your own brother's son, your own nephew. It's easy for you to keep right on blaming him for everything that happens, even though he's dead. I say let Todd rest in peace. He's dead, and he can't hurt anyone ever again."
"It was Todd." Addie's voice rose, and her lips trembled. Melanie wasn't laughing at her, but she knew that the yoxmg girl did not believe
"If you want that dog, you keep him downstairs after this," Mark snapped. "I won't have the mutt carrying on like that! It disturbs Aunt Addie." He turned and hurried down the hall, and suddenly, Melanie was surrounded by darkness once again.
"He could have at least waited till I got to Addie*s room before he turned out the light," Melanie muttered,
as she lifted a still-whimpering Butch into her arms and hurried towards the clanging bell. She opened the door to her aunt's room, walked in and sat down beside the bed, and recounted what had just happened to the wide-eyed old woman.
"I can't believe it,** she finished. "Mark didn't seem distressed over my bringing Butch here. He never said a word against it, and he was so nice about driving me into town to pick him upl"
"Mark isn't himself—" Addie began, but Melanie cut her oft.
"I've never seen Mark so mean and vicious," she said. "He didn't try to help me pull Butch back. He just walked up out of nowhere and kicked him as hard as he couldl He was like a madmanl" She shuddered with horror.
Aunt Addie nodded and reached out to pat the dog, who looked at her fondly. "Mark isn't the same since Todd killed himself," she said. "I've heard that it's like that sometimes with twins—one dies and the other goes insane afterwards. It's easy to see how that could happen with Mark. Todd was so overbearing and had such a strong influence over him."
Melanie laughed in spite of the distress she was feeling. "Oh, Aunt Addie, you can't mean that," she scoffed. "Mark just has a temper that we don't know about. Maybe he's showing a side of himself that we never saw before because he was so dominated by Todd. Anyway, I don't think Butch is really hurt. His feelings suffered more than anything else, I guess, but it could have been serious, and I'm sure mad at Mark about it."
"Just the same," Addie warned, "I'd be careful if I were you. I've been thinking about it all day, and I have some suspicions about Mark."
"What kind of suspicions?"
The old woman shook her head and smiled. "I'm going to keep my thoughts to myself until I'm sure. I'm tired of being called crazy every time I open my mouth."
"Have I made you think that / thought you were crazy. Aunt Addie?"
The yoimg woman looked hurt, and Addie smiled at her. She was so like the woman who had adopted her— warm, sweet, sensitive to the feelings of those around her. No, Melanie had never given any indication that she thought her crazy. She could trust her, Addie felt
"It wasn't Mark that kicked your dog, Melanie. Not really." She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. Melanie looked at her, obviously puzzled, and Addie went on. "It was Todd . . . Todd moving about in his twin's body, because his evil spirit will never rest in peace. Not in this world! Mark is possessed, because Todd had such a hold over him in life that he can have the same hold from the grave. Todd is a demon now, and demons come back from the dead and take possession of other folks' bodies!"
Melanie didn't scoff at her, nor did she say that she thought her idea was crazy. She wanted to choose her words carefully, because she knew the old woman was firm in what she had just said and Melanie did not want to ridicule her and risk hurting her feelings.
"Aunt Addie, I think maybe you are just superstitious.** She put Butch on the floor and watched in anger as he limped about the room, favoring his injured side.
She gave Addie a sympathetic smile and leaned over her. "You see, you always had animosity for Todd. Maybe you hated him a little, even though he was your own brother's son, your own nephew. It's easy for you to keep right on blaming him for everything that happens, even though he's dead. I say let Todd rest in peace. He's dead, and he can't hurt anyone ever again."
"It was Todd." Addie's voice rose, and her lips trembled. Melanie wasn't laughing at her, but she knew that the yoxmg girl did not believe
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