“Nora, you are so messed up!” Holly said. “You are really sick.”
“Holly!” Aunt Jule chided.
“You’re out of control, Nora,” Holly went on, pacing back and forth, combing her hair with her fingers. “You need to be locked up! You belong in a lunatic—” Suddenly Holly stopped, the color draining from her face.
She yanked on her hair, then she reached back with her other hand. I saw her swallow hard. I thought at first that it was her hands flexing her hair, picking it up off her neck. I watched with disbelief as a long strand of black hair twisted itself into a knot Then another, and another.
Holly clutched at her hair, her eyes widening with fear.
She leaned over and shook her head, pulling on her hair, as if she were being swarmed by bees.
“Make it stop, Nora!” Holly screamed. “Make it stop!”
Aunt Jule stood paralyzed. Nora looked terrified.
I know what this is, I told myself; there is nothing to be afraid of. I reached for the frightened Holly, trying to steady her, then caught her hair in my hands and held it till the bizarre storm of energy had passed.
The hair fell limp, though still in tangles. Nora turned and ran out the porch door. Aunt Jule started after her.
“She’s crazy, Mother,” Holly said, her voice shaking.
“She’s psychotic. Lauren is right — that was no accident last night.”
Aunt Jule looked silently at Holly, then continued after Nora.
Holly was trembling all over — with anger or fear — perhaps both. I felt bad for her but relieved for myself. Finally I wasn’t alone.
“Sit down,” I said gently. “Let’s get you untangled.”
It took a half hour to work the knots out of Holly’s hair; for a few of the tangles I had to use scissors. I knew Holly was upset because she didn’t say a word except yes each time I asked if I should cut out a knot.
Aunt Jule returned without Nora. Holly had regained her composure, but when she spoke she still sounded irritated.
“I know where Nora hides. I’ll find her when I’m ready.”
That wasn’t for another hour and a half. We cleaned up from the party, then Holly left me with the final task and went off in search of her sister.
“Where is she?” Aunt Jule asked, when Holly returned alone to the kitchen.
“I don’t know. I checked all of Nora’s hiding places twice.
And I looked at Frank’s.”
“Did you call her name?”
Holly struggled to keep her temper. “No, Mom, I called out Susie! Let her be for a while, okay? Her behavior is outrageous. It will be good for her to think things over.”
“She thinks too much already,” Aunt Jule said, and retreated to the dining room.
Through the doorway I saw that a lid had been put on the basket of knots and the broken lamp cleared away. With the yard clean and the house quiet, it seemed like just a peaceful day on the Shore. But I knew all of us were waiting; it was only a matter of time before something else happened.
As I headed outside I heard Nick in the garden greeting Rocky. When he saw me, the warmth in his voice quickly disappeared. “How are you?” he asked tensely.
“Okay,” I replied. “But we’ve had another incident.”
“What kind?”
Holly emerged from the house carrying her school backpack.
“You want to explain?” I asked her, not wanting to be the only one relating bizarre events.
“You can,” she said, “but he’ll just defend Nora. He always has.”
When I’d recounted what had happened, Nick put his arm around Holly. “Is Lauren exaggerating?”
I bit my tongue.
“No, it was just so freaky, Nick.”
He touched her hair softly. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Thanks.”
He turned to me. “Where’s Nora now?”
“We don’t know. Missing, hiding.”
“What happened before the incident?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What did you say to Nora to set her off?”
The heat rose in my cheeks.
“Be fair, Nick,” Holly interjected.
“I didn’t say a word,” I told him.
“You didn’t bring up what happened last night?” he asked.
“You didn’t start talking about your mother again?”
“No!”
“Nick, Nora is crazy, as crazy as they come,” Holly said.