Nightbooks

Alex can’t sleep knowing his nightbooks are gone, and he regrets not sharing the stories when he could. He realizes he has only two stories left. When he tries to write more the next day, he can’t. Yasmin brings him an ointment she made for his cuts. She seems different today, more relaxed and confident, and she expresses gratitude that he took the blame for what happened with the plants. After using some of the ointment, Alex puts some on Lenore too.

Yasmin tells the story of her arrival in 4E. There were three other children: Eli, Hwan, and Claire. Claire tended Natacha’s plants, and Yasmin learned a lot from her. She takes Alex to the cabinet with the porcelain figures, and he realizes they are the kids who lived there before. Yasmin points out which ones are Hwan, Eli, and Claire. She explains that, one day, a plumber was coming to fix some pipes. Claire told Yasmin she broke the pipes herself and taped a note under the sink, explaining everything. Somehow Natacha figured it out, and she punished Claire that night.

Alex wonders if the spell can be reversed, but Yasmin reminds him that this is real life and not a fairy tale.