The cave entrance was blocked. A boulder taller than Veronica and wider than Becky and Aunt Prudence together denied them access to the opening. "How did this get here?" Veronica asked. Molly said nothing, a memory as vague as a dream gnawing at the edges of her mind. Veronica pounded the boulder in frustration. "So close! How can we get this close and not get inside? Goddamn it!" Veronica grabbed Molly by the front of her coat and shook her. "Why didn't you tell me about this, you little brat? Is this some kind of joke to you?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was here," Molly said, tears coming to her eyes.
Veronica stopped shaking Molly and dropped down to her knees to brush Molly's tears away. "I'm sorry, honey. I lost my temper. You're a good girl, the best girl in the world. Can you ever forgive me?" Molly nodded. "Don't worry, honey, we'll find a way to move that rock and get inside."
Veronica went up to the boulder and set her shoulder against it. Before she could try to shove the heavy rock aside, Molly called out, "No, don't!"
"What's wrong, honey?"
Molly didn't know, but something told her not to try moving the rock. "Something bad will happen," she said. In her mind she heard familiar voices. What were they saying? She couldn't make out the words.
"You mean a booby trap?" Veronica asked.
Booby trap. She heard Becky saying these words. She put her hands to her head and closed her eyes until the words came into focus. "You want to booby trap the cave?" Becky said.
"We have to make sure no one can get inside and tamper with the water," Aunt Samantha said. "It's too dangerous."
"How are you going to booby trap it?" Aunt Prudence asked.
"It's simple really," Uncle Wendell began.
"Wait," David said. "Can't you put her somewhere else?"
"Molly? She's fine. She's sleeping," Becky said. Now Molly remembered. It was over two years ago when she still slept in her crib on a winter night like this, so cold Becky swaddled Molly in four blankets and covered her head with three bonnets. She lay dazed in the crib beneath the blankets, her thumb in her mouth, wondering if this was a dream.
"We can't take the chance of her telling anyone," David said. A chair creaked and then Molly felt him standing over the crib. She remained on her stomach, unflinching and her eyes closed as she pretended to sleep.
"Leave her alone. She's just a baby," Aunt Samantha said. "She can hardly walk or talk. What's she going to do?"