Chapter 4: Callie — Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

Chapter 4 shifts the narrative to Callie, the child at the center of the story, as she and her mother drive out of town. The chapter opens at a gas station, where Mom gets out to fill the tank. Callie notices the smell of gasoline and admits she loves smells that are supposed to be bad for you—glue, gas, bug killer. When Mom returns to the car, her mouth is tense, a detail Callie registers immediately.

Callie's imaginary companion, Dumpster Puppy, whines and pushes his head against her hand, warning that Mom is taking them somewhere secret and that trouble may be ahead. Callie dismisses his pessimism—she knows they are going to Sundial, a place she has been before. Still, she acknowledges the air has a crackly feeling, and something is up.

Callie has been allowed to bring Dumpster Puppy's bones on the trip, but she regrets leaving her other animal bones behind. Those bones usually nestle in her pockets and sleep in the hollows of her body at night; now they will wander the house lonely, since Dad and Annie don't know how to talk to them.

Pale Callie sits beside her, humming and looking out the window. Pale Callie has been to Sundial before, though Callie doesn't have Pale Callie's bones and doesn't know what Pale Callie really is—only that she goes where Callie goes and always has.

As they drive, Callie recalls Dad's goodbye. While Mom was loading the car, Dad hugged Callie and warned her to be careful, telling her to call him if she gets scared. When Callie asks why she would be scared, Dad says Mom can be a little unstable. Callie feels a thrill of fear, understanding what he means: the crying, the screaming late at night, the yelling at Dad. She also reflects that Mom lies, and Callie can always tell, even when Mom doesn't know it herself. For example, Mom doesn't actually like Callie, even though she swears she does.

Callie thinks about the slap Mom gave her, a secret she chose not to tell Dad. She doesn't know why she kept it secret—maybe because it made Mom seem a little more like her, just for a second. And keeping a secret, she reflects, is a powerful thing.

The ride to Sundial is long, and they're not even out of town yet. To pass the time, Pale Callie and Callie play