Summary

As Janie continues to search for her son and Paul Clifford makes his confession about where Tommy’s body is buried, her nightmare and Denise’s nightmare have merged into one tragedy: the loss of a son. Police mumble on walkie-talkies around her about draining the well where “he says the boy’s body is buried” (285). Dr. Anderson tells Janie to come inside, and her numb, grieving body somehow obeys. As she goes inside, she watches Denise emerge with Noah dangling from her waist in an embrace. Panicked, stressed and overwhelmed, Noah has an asthma attack. He struggles for breath, the way Tommy must have struggled for breath under the water’s surface seven years ago. As they comfort Noah, trying to bring him back from the edge of the breathless state he has worked himself into, Charlie brings up...