She was living in the old house again. It was strange. It looked the same (except for a little dust), but Meta couldn't make herself feel anything but scared. Her mom acted all right, even though she wouldn't tell Meta why she had left or where she had been for two years.

Her mother made a pot of oatmeal in the morning. She asked Meta if she wanted some. Meta said no thank you, so her mother got down two bowls and filled them to the brim. She topped the porridge with chopped anchovies and shredded cheese and asked if Meta would like some Crisco. Meta said yes, so her mother sat down at the table and began eating.

Meta wasn't sure whether she was speaking at all sometimes.

She went to her room after not eating breakfast. She wished it weren't summertime so she could get away from her mother for a few hours. She tiptoed to the stairs and peeked into the living room. Her mother was pushing the vacuum cleaner between the couch and the coffee table, but the machine wasn't on. She picked up the cord and twirled it around her fingers, humming. Meta went back to her room and closed the door.

She brought down her crayons and a coloring book from her toy chest and sat cross-legged on her bed, opening to a picture of a cow. She would color it purple. She had finished the cow and decided to make the grass yellow when she heard the polkadot pillow behind her:

Hey, Meta. How you doing there, kid?

"I'm all right."

Feeling a little down? Your momma's acting kinda strange.

"No, I'm fine. Just coloring."

How about you take a nap?

Meta looked up at the wall. Her eyes drooped slightly. "Yeah, maybe a nap doesn't sound too bad." She pushed the coloring book to the side and let her head fall on the polkadot pillow. She could hear it really clearly when it spoke again.

Having some trouble falling asleep?

"Just a little."

I've got something to help. Head into the bathroom, reach around the side of the vitamins, and grab that blue bottle. Swallow the whole thing with some tap water.

"The whole bottle?"

Just what's inside the bottle.

"And it'll help me sleep?"

You'll sleep just perfect.

Meta did as the pillow told her, and when she dropped her head onto it again she slept so soundly, she could have been dead.

When she woke up, her mom was holding her hand. The doctors said they had pumped her stomach. "Like a foot pump?" she asked.

"Not quite."

There was a man in the corner.

"Honey," her mom said, "this is Doctor Shurilar."

"Did he pump my stomach?"

"No," the man said, "I'm a different kind of doctor. I just wanted to meet you. You'll come see me soon. We're just going to talk."

Meta nodded. She didn't mind talking to people, but she didn't want to talk right now. She was plum worn out, and the hard, white pillow was already chattering in her ear.