Summary

Chapter 4 – Arsenip. While inspecting Stacey’s water heater, Chris finds sludge at its bottom, sludge that he also finds in her dishwasher. Narration sets these discoveries in the immediate aftermath of the family’s return from the fair (Chapter 1), and describes how, after returning home, all the improvements in Harley’s health that Stacey had seen over the last couple of weeks while they were away evaporate; he has backslid into illness and into what seems like depression. Narration then describes how Harley had always been quiet and had always loved animals, and then how the recent unexplained death of his beloved dog had upset him. When Stacey learns from Beth that some of her animals have become ill to the point of death, Stacey becomes convinced that something is connected to the illnesses of both her children and the animals. She...