Chapter 13 – Morning After the Séance: Family Tensions and the Growing Threat

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The morning after the party, Mommy arrives home still wearing her jacket and looking exhausted. Bela has prepared her own breakfast, a new skill Mommy does not yet know about. Mommy takes aspirin with orange juice and mentions the séance and ghost story from the previous night, dismissing them as unnecessary darkness. Bela says the story wasn’t scary, and Mommy calls her a “scare expert.”

Mommy then asks directly about Other Mommy, revealing that Marsha Dickman was so frightened she stayed at her brother’s house. Bela describes Other Mommy: her eyes sometimes appear on the side of her head or the bottom of her face, she is larger than Daddo, has to duck in the bedroom, and sometimes slides on her belly across the floor. Mommy asks whether Other Mommy has ever spoken to Bela. Before Bela can answer, Daddo rushes downstairs, clearly worried that Bela was alone. He and Mommy discuss their hangovers and the party. Bela reminds them of the planned zoo trip, which they had forgotten. They laugh, but when Mommy tries to hug Daddo he walks away to get more water. Bela asks for a stuffed vulture because vultures eat only dead things. Daddo agrees. Mommy looks at the ceiling, holding her elbows as if cold, and does not repeat her earlier question about Other Mommy speaking.

Key Events

Mommy comes home tired and hungover, still in party clothes.
Bela reveals she made her own breakfast without assistance.
Mommy mentions the séance and ghost story, calling them unnecessary.
Mommy explains that Marsha Dickman was terrified and stayed elsewhere.
Bela provides a detailed description of Other Mommy’s appearance and movement.
Mommy asks if Other Mommy has ever talked to Bela.
Daddo rushes downstairs, interrupting the conversation.
Parents laugh off forgetting the zoo trip, but Daddo avoids Mommy’s hug.
Bela requests a stuffed vulture; Daddo agrees.
Mommy ends the conversation without pressing further about Other Mommy.

Character Development

Bela shows increasing independence (making her own breakfast) and articulates Other Mommy’s traits with clarity. Her choice of a vulture — an animal that consumes only the already dead — hints at her pragmatic view of the supernatural threat.
Mommy is visibly shaken by the previous night’s events. She seeks information about Other Mommy but appears reluctant to hear the full truth, as evidenced by her not repeating the question after the interruption. Her physical posture (holding elbows, looking at ceiling) suggests anxiety and avoidance.
Daddo is protective (rushing downstairs) but emotionally distant. He avoids Mommy’s hug, indicating strain in the marriage. His hangover and forgetfulness about the zoo reflect a desire to escape reality.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The séance as a catalyst – The party’s ghost story raises the stakes, moving Other Mommy from a private fear to a shared community concern.
Parental denial – Both parents oscillate between acknowledging the supernatural and retreating into daily routines (hangover, zoo trip) to avoid confronting it.
The vulture – Bela’s fascination with vultures (animals that do not kill) mirrors her own passive survival in a house where a dangerous entity exists. The vulture represents non-violence and acceptance of death.
Daylight vs. night – Morning light contrasts with the night’s horror, yet the conversation feels like a nighttime talk, blurring the boundary between ordinary and extraordinary.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the first time a parent explicitly asks Bela about Other Mommy, signaling that the supernatural events are no longer a private childhood story. Bela’s detailed physical description of Other Mommy — shifting eyes, huge size, sliding motion — establishes a concrete image of the threat. The family’s emotional fractures (Daddo avoiding physical contact, Mommy’s reluctant curiosity) set up future interpersonal conflict. The vulture request foreshadows Bela’s unique perspective on life and death.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Mommy choose not to repeat her question about Other Mommy speaking?
Mommy is afraid of the answer. By not pressing Bela, she can maintain a fragile denial that the entity is a harmless imaginary friend rather than a real, communicative threat.

2. What does Bela’s interest in vultures reveal about her character?
Bela admires vultures because they do not kill; they consume what is already dead. This suggests she applies a similar logic to Other Mommy — she sees the entity as something that exists alongside death rather than as an active killer.

3. How does Daddo’s action of walking away from Mommy’s hug reflect his emotional state?
Daddo’s avoidance signals guilt, fear, or resentment. He is withdrawing from intimacy, possibly because he feels overwhelmed by the events or because he blames the party (and the séance) for escalating the household’s unease.