Summary

In “Five,” Maggie writes that in the room that served as her bedroom, boards have been nailed across the doors of the armoire. Maggie pulls off the boards to discover her clothes are still inside. Her toys are still scattered on the floor of the playroom. In her parents’ bedroom, their clothes, as well as her mother’s jewelry and wedding dress, are still there. This suggests that her father’s novel is true. However, Maggie also thinks that her parents would have left their things because if they had returned for anything, it would have conflicted with the story that they were too afraid to return.

Later that night, Maggie was woken by the noise of a twig breaking. Maggie believes she sees someone standing just beyond the line of trees. Thinking it is one of the ghouls Tess told her...