Contents
Chapter 77
Overview
Awakened by strange sounds, Elsie sees Shane on Roxanne’s porch holding an unconscious Persephone and a gun. Neighbors gather as Roxanne calls police. When Persephone bites Shane and he aims at her, Elsie lunges to protect the child. The gun fires, leaving Elsie apparently shot while surrounded by loved ones.
Summary
Elsie wakes at 1:11 AM to faint tinkling and senses movement. Looking out, she spots Shane on Roxanne’s porch cradling a limp Persephone; the child’s bedroom window is shattered. Elsie rushes outside in her nightclothes with Nugget, confronting the drunken, armed Shane.
Roxanne emerges, and at Elsie’s urging calls the police. Neighbors Joan and Peter switch on lights and step outside, increasing pressure on Shane. Elsie challenges him, separating paternity from possession, and urges him to see Persephone as a person, not leverage.
Persephone wakes, frightened, and Shane grows agitated as attention mounts. When Persephone bites him, he drops her, then points the gun at her head. Roxanne screams, Nugget barks, and Persephone shields herself.
Elsie sprints and throws herself between Shane and the child. The gun discharges. As darkness closes in, Elsie feels grateful that her final act is to protect Persephone, with Nugget barking and the voices of Joan, Roxanne, Peter, and Persephone around her.
Who Appears
- Elsie “Mabel”Eighty-one-year-old narrator; confronts armed Shane and leaps in front of Persephone as the gun fires.
- ShaneDrunk, armed aggressor; breaks into Roxanne’s house, seizes Persephone, and fires after she bites him.
- PersephoneChild taken by Shane; wakes, bites him to escape, then is shielded by Elsie from the gunshot.
- RoxannePersephone’s mother; calls the police and screams as events escalate on her porch.
- NuggetElsie’s dog; alerts, barks during the confrontation, then is heard as Elsie falls.
- JoanNeighbor who comes outside, witnesses and calls Elsie’s name after the gunshot.
- PeterNeighbor who steps out as lights come on, present during the standoff and aftermath.