Other Mommy – The Entity from the Closet

Overview

Other Mommy is the primary antagonist in Josh Malerman’s 2024 horror novel Incidents Around the House. She is a malevolent, shape‑shifting entity that first appears to the young narrator, Bela, emerging from her bedroom closet. The entity repeatedly asks Bela, “Can I go into your heart?” and reveals a desire for reincarnation—a form of possession in which she would inhabit Bela’s body. Other Mommy can mimic the voices of people Bela knows, crawl on all fours, and move between locations independently of physical space. Although Bela initially views her as a friend, the entity’s persistence and growing intrusiveness drive the family’s escalating crisis.

Plot Role

Other Mommy serves as the central supernatural threat that disrupts the family’s domestic life. She appears in nearly every chapter, first as a secret companion Bela has been hiding from her parents, then as an undeniable presence that forces the adults to confront a reality they cannot explain. Her demands escalate from simple nightly visits to actively pursuing Bela outside the house—at a park, a zoo, a friend’s home, and even remote locations like a Lake Michigan beach. The entity’s ability to be seen by multiple adults (Marsha at the party, Mommy in chapter 16, Brian the paranormal investigator) confirms she is not a figment of Bela’s imagination. Other Mommy’s actions propel the family into a desperate search for solutions, leading to exorcism attempts, spiritual circles, a hired “pest remover,” and finally the radical plan to “revoke” Bela’s innocence.

Motivations and Traits

Motivations

Other Mommy’s primary goal is to enter Bela’s heart—a metaphor for taking over her body and re‑ experiencing life. She explains to Bela that she wants reincarnation: a chance to “come back to life” and slip into Bela’s heart “as easy as slipping into a dress” (chapter 45). The text suggests she targets children because they possess innocence, which makes them “appetizing” to entities like her (Lois’s explanation in chapter 46). Other Mommy does not seek destruction of the family; she wants access to Bela’s consciousness.

Traits

• Persistence: She appears day and night, follows Bela from house to house, and never takes “no” for an answer. She tells Bela she will keep asking until Bela answers “like a friend.”
• Mimicry: Other Mommy can reproduce the voices and laughter of people Bela knows (Kelvin’s laugh, Mommy’s voice in the confessional scene).
• Physical mutability: Her face changes size, her mouth can stretch to the floor, and she can appear faceless (the bathroom scene at Evelyn’s house). She slides on her belly and has dark hair on the backs of her arms.
• Manipulation: She initially presents as a friend, playing peekaboo and engaging Bela in conversation. Later she uses guilt and fear, subtly threatening to become dangerous if refused (chapter 27).
• Intelligence without humanity: She seems to understand human emotions (loneliness, desire for belonging) and uses them to bond with Bela, but shows no empathy for the family’s suffering.

Chronological Arc

1. First meetings (before chapter 1): Other Mommy first speaks from the closet. Bela treats her as a secret friend, exchanging personal details and holding hands.
2. Initial verbal request (chapter 2): The entity sits beside Bela and asks, “Can I go into your heart?” marking the first explicit demand.
3. Disclosure to parents (chapter 3): Bela accidentally reveals Other Mommy’s name; her mother’s smile fades, and the entity grunts from behind the bed after they leave.
4. Expansion beyond the bedroom (chapters 5–8): Other Mommy appears during the day, follows Bela to the park (wood room), and is seen by Marsha at the party (chapter 11).
5. Mommy sees her (chapter 16): Mommy screams upon seeing the entity in Bela’s bedroom, confirming the threat to both parents.
6. Family in flight (chapters 17–32): The family flees to Grandma Ruth’s, to Lois Anthony’s, to Frank’s house, to Evelyn’s. Other Mommy follows each time, demonstrating she is not tied to a location.
7. Home siege (chapters 33–40): The family returns home with guard dogs and alarms. Other Mommy continues to appear, mimicking voices and causing disturbances.
8. Final confrontation (chapters 41–47): The family arms themselves with knives, then shifts to Lois’s psychological plan. At Lake Michigan, Mommy confesses the truth about Bela’s parentage to “make Bela less appetizing.” The novel ends with Other Mommy crawling toward them on the beach.

Relationships

• With Bela: A complex bond of friendship, fear, and dependence. Bela initially enjoys Other Mommy’s company, confides in her, and even “liked” the idea of reincarnation slipping into a dress. As the entity’s demands intensify, Bela grows terrified but still hesitates to say “no” outright, because she considers Other Mommy a friend (chapter 22). Bela’s guilt and sense of responsibility deepen the psychological horror.
• With Mommy and Daddo: Other Mommy is perceived as a violation of the family’s safety. Mommy feels personally targeted—she interprets the entity’s name “Other Mommy” as a judgment on her inadequacy as a parent (chapter 49). Daddo tries to remain optimistic but is ultimately overwhelmed.
• With other adults: Marsha sees Other Mommy at the party and screams. Brian, the paranormal investigator, touches her and is thrown back by a violent wind. Lois Anthony treats the entity as a possession‑attempting spirit. The priests refuse to help.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Themes and Symbolism

• Loss of innocence: Other Mommy explicitly targets Bela’s innocence. Lois explains that innocence makes one “appetizing.” The family’s attempt to take that innocence away highlights the theme of childhood vulnerability.
• Fear of the unknown: The entity’s amorphous nature—changing faces, limbs, and locations—represents the formless terror that cannot be reasoned with or understood.
• Reincarnation as possession: Other Mommy’s desire to re‑incarnate is framed as a hostile takeover. The metaphor of “slipping into a dress” suggests a parasitic need for a host.
• Family unity under siege: The parents’ relationship fractures under the strain, but they ultimately unite to fight the entity. The novel explores how a supernatural threat can both break and bond a family.
• Consent and bodily autonomy: Other Mommy’s repeated request to “go into your heart” echoes questions of consent. Bela’s refusal is an act of self‑preservation; the entity does not take without permission, which sets it apart from physical intruders.

5 Book‑Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Other Mommy ask, “Can I go into your heart”?
She wants reincarnation—to inhabit Bela’s body and experience life again. She describes it as slipping into a dress (chapter 45). The heart is a metaphor for her innermost self.

2. Can Other Mommy be seen by adults?
Yes. Marsha sees her at the party (chapter 11), Mommy sees her in Bela’s bedroom (chapter 16), and Brian the investigator sees and touches her (chapter 40). This confirms she is objectively real, not a hallucination.

3. Does Other Mommy cause any deaths?
Frank Doherty dies in his closet, and the text strongly implies Other Mommy is responsible (chapter 26). Bela suspects the entity gave her a “present” through his death. However, the novel never shows Other Mommy directly killing anyone.

4. Why does Other Mommy follow the family even outside the house?
She is not tied to a location. The entity tells Bela that she comes “from someplace other than the closet” (chapter 45). She can move through space and appears wherever Bela is—the park, the zoo, Grandma’s house, Evelyn’s, and the beach.

5. What is the meaning of the name “Other Mommy”?
The entity instructs Bela to call her that. The name implies a replacement for or reflection of Bela’s biological mother, Ursula. Ursula herself wrestles with the idea that the entity’s existence judges her as a “shit” mother (chapter 49). The name underscores the theme of identity and maternal inadequacy.

For more on the novel’s central ideas, see the themes overview.