Chapter 27 (Chapter 26) Summary and Analysis — The Storm of Stones

⚠️ 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 silver barrier is set, Fern remains unconvinced the danger has passed. That night she, Holly, and Zinnia watch the treeline from her bed, but no witches appear. Saturday is Laundry Day, made unbearable by crushing humidity. The girls work under a darkening sky until a freak hailstorm of rocks shatters windows, shreds laundry, and injures several girls, including Willow, Tansy, and Laurel (who is hospitalized). Fern screams apologies during the barrage. After the stones stop, the girls try to rationalize the event as weather or God’s wrath. Miss Wellwood returns with Hagar; police arrive and find evidence of an encampment. Miss Wellwood orders the removal of the silver horseshoes over the doors, breaking Hagar’s protection. That evening, Miss Wellwood conducts a house-wide search, confiscating personal items (lava lamps, books, candy) and punishing the girls. Fern begs Hagar for a solution, but Hagar admits she does not know what to do next.

Key Events

Fern, Holly, and Zinnia spend the night watching for witches out the window; none come.
Saturday morning brings oppressive heat and the chore of hanging laundry.
A sudden storm of rocks pelts Wellwood House, breaking windows and wounding multiple girls.
Fern desperately screams “I’m sorry” during the attack, begging for it to stop.
Laurel is taken to the hospital for observation.
Miss Wellwood returns; she orders the silver horseshoes removed from the doorways.
Police search the surrounding woods and find an encampment, leading Miss Wellwood to accuse the girls of sneaking out.
Miss Wellwood confiscates contraband (Tarot books, lava lamps, snacks) and punishes the girls.
Fern confronts Hagar in the kitchen; Hagar admits she has no plan.

Character Development

Fern is haunted by guilt over her broken promise to Miss Parcae and by her secret identity as Neva. Her instinct during the storm is to apologize, showing she blames herself for the supernatural retaliation.
Hagar is exhausted and defeated. After Miss Wellwood’s return, she is forced to remove the protective horseshoes. When Fern asks what to do, Hagar can only say “I don’t know.”
Zinnia remains loyal, supportive, and levelheaded. She tries to comfort Fern and later helps sweep glass without complaint.
Miss Wellwood asserts her authority harshly. She frames the stone attack as the result of the girls’ “diabolism” and punishes them collectively.
Holly is silent and withdrawn, dangling her head during dinner, still bearing the physical and emotional weight of the assault.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Supernatural consequence. The stone storm directly follows the removal of silver protection. Fern’s guilt and the girls’ occult experiments are presented as having a literal, violent cost.
Institutional control vs. bodily autonomy. Miss Wellwood’s search and punishment emphasize the Home’s total control over the residents’ bodies and possessions. The girls are denied sugar, salt, privacy, and personal comfort items.
The power of belief and story. After the attack, the girls turn the terrifying event into a heroic story, rationalizing it with weather, biblical precedent, or anecdotal folklore. This collective storytelling helps them process trauma.
Silver as a boundary. Silver horseshoes and the mention of Miss Parcae’s silver underscore the theme that certain materials can keep supernatural forces at bay—but institutional authority can dismantle that protection.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 27 (Chapter 26) marks the climax of the supernatural threat to Wellwood House. The stone storm is an unambiguous act of supernatural retaliation, shattering any doubt that the witches are real and active. Miss Wellwood’s return and her removal of the protective silver leave the girls vulnerable for the first time since Hagar’s root work began. The chapter also deepens Fern’s personal crisis: she is trapped between her old self (Neva) and her current identity, and she now carries the weight of having broken a promise to a dying woman. Hagar’s admission of helplessness sets up a turning point where the girls must act on their own.

Study Questions

Why does Fern scream “I’m sorry” during the stone storm, and what does this reveal about her state of mind?
Fern believes the attack is a direct punishment for her occult activities and for failing Miss Parcae. Her apology shows she is overwhelmed by guilt and sees herself as responsible for the group’s danger.
How does Miss Wellwood interpret the stone storm, and what does her interpretation reveal about her character?
She dismisses any supernatural explanation and blames the girls for associating with “hippie-class” drug users. Her reaction reveals her refusal to consider the unknown and her need to maintain moral control over the Home.
What is the significance of Hagar having to remove the silver horseshoes?
The removal symbolizes the collapse of the protective barrier Fern’s group relied on. It also highlights Miss Wellwood’s authority overriding Hagar’s spiritual practices, leaving the Home exposed to further supernatural attacks.