Three-Minute Fervor
When she realized she couldn't pull the Rabbit Doll from the child's arms...
Child's Mom tucked the Rabbit Doll under the covers along with the child.
Child's Mom adjusted the covers around the child.
She nudged the Rabbit Doll's head to the side.
So the child could sleep more comfortably.
"Let's go."
After watching the child for a while, Child's Mom stood up and spoke softly to the man.
The man nodded.
Child's Mom closed the child's bedroom door.
Then she let out a sigh without thinking.
Only after the sigh escaped did Child's Mom realize she had sighed.
She gave a wry smile.
The man said nothing.
He knew why Child's Mom had sighed.
He sighed inwardly too.
Child's Mom went to sit on the living room sofa.
Her shoulders were slumped a little.
"...Tell me."
After a long pause, Child's Mom looked at the man who had sat down beside her. "Anna..."
"What do you think is going on?"
Everything had been fine before.
Why had she suddenly...
started having hallucinations?
Just as she'd told the child earlier, Child's Mom had already concluded that the shadow was only a hallucination the child was experiencing.
Otherwise, how could they explain that she and Child's Dad had failed to see the shadow time and again?
Especially the last two times...
They'd been so focused and attentive...
And still hadn't seen the shadow.
Besides...
She'd just told the child...
that when the child saw the shadow, none of the other people nearby had reacted at all.
That wasn't normal.
The shadow wasn't the sort of thing that would blend into a crowd.
At least, judging by the child's description...
the shadow was the kind of thing that would draw plenty of people's attention the