Suffer the Children Read Online Free PDF

farther into her corner.
    “Well, of course she’s terrified,” Rose said. “If that cat had brushed up against me, I would have jumped too.”
    “But that scream,” Jack said.
    “I guess it was kind of awful,” Elizabeth admitted. “But you have to get used to it.”
    “She’s right,” Rose said, stooping over Sarah. “Sarah doesn’t react the way the rest of us do. Mrs. Montgomery tells me it isn’t anything to worry about It’s just that Sarah doesn’t react to very much, and when she does react, she tends to overreact Mrs. Montgomery says the best thing to do is simply act as if nothing happened at all. For instance, if Cecil brushed up against me and I jumped, would you make a big fuss about it? Of course not. And that’s what we should try to do with Sarah. If we stay calm, she’ll be all right If we make too much of a fuss, it will only scare her more.”
    “Can you do it?” Jack asked. “Can you get used to her being this way?”
    “I’ll never get used to screams like that,” Rose muttered as she gathered Sarah into her arms. For a moment Sarah seemed to shrink away from her mother, but then, as if she suddenly realized where she was, her arms went around Rose’s neck, and she buried her face in the warm breast. Rose, totally immersed in calming her child, carried Sarah from the room.
    Jack, still standing at the door, moved aside to let his wife pass. He made a small gesture, as if to put a comforting hand on Sarah, but Rose was already through the door by the time he had made up his mind to complete it. His hand wavered uncertainly in the air for a moment, then disappeared into his pocket. He stared at the Ouija board.
    “Where did you get that thing?” he asked.
    Elizabeth glanced up. “It was in the storeroom. You know, the one where we found the old picture. How old do you think it is?”
    “Not that old. Probably thirty, forty years. Those things were popular in the twenties. Everybody had one, and everybody was holding séances. I seem to remember my parents and their friends playing with one. Probably that one.”
    “Want to try it with me?” Elizabeth asked. “Maybe we could find out who the girl in the picture is.”
    Jack smiled at her. “We know who it is,” he said. “It’s obviously you. Same eyes, same hair. Only I don’t understand why you never wear that dress any more.”
    “Oh, it’s so old,” Elizabeth said, her eyes twinkling as she joined the game. “I’ve had it for at least a hundred years. It’s really just a rag now.” She sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to throw it out.”
    “Don’t. I can’t afford to buy you a new one. Maybe that Ouija board can tell me where the money goes.”
    “Maybe so,” Elizabeth said, a note of eagerness in her voice. “Want to try it?”
    For a moment Jack was tempted. Then he remembered Sarah, and shook his head. “I’d better get downstairs and see if I can help your mother with Sarah.”
    Elizabeth nodded. “Okay. I’ll be down after a while.” She watched her father leave the room, then glanced down at the Ouija board. Then she remembered the cat.
    “Cecil,” she called. “Cecil? Where are you?” She held still for a minute or two, listening, then called to the cat again.
    “Cecil? I’ll find you, you know, so you might as well come out now.”
    There was no telltale scuffling to tell her where the cat was hiding, so she began a search of the room. Eventually she discovered the cat, clinging to the inside of the draperies, halfway up from the floor. She pulleda chair over and stood on it while she disengaged the cat’s claws from the thick material.
    “Did Sarah frighten you?” she said. “Well, you frightened her first. If you don’t want her to scream, you mustn’t brush up against her like that. But it isn’t your fault, is it? How would you know it would scare her? All you wanted was a little attention. So you let go of that curtain and come down here with me. Come on, let go. It’s all