Eve never told Adam about the noise Tellus made while waiting in the car at the hospital. Lately, he'd been working twelve hours or more a day, just to make ends meet. Things were going bad enough for the family as it was, without the girl's behavior becoming well known.

Autumn recovered remarkably fast from the injury to her leg, and returned to school after a few days rest. By that time, the family had decided to heed her request to no longer live in Greece, and prepared instead for a return to South Dakota. Eve's mom had an outbuilding that was once used long ago to house migrant workers, which was actually much nearer to the house where Adam's parents lived. Though the accomodations were antiquated and a little rustic, it would be far easier for the family to afford.

When Eve wasn't preparing for their move back to the United States, she spent every moment she could alone with her youngest daughter, helping her learn to behave more like a human being. A year in a cave with whatever the abomination was that masqueraded as Eve's father was taking its toll—not only on tiny Tellus, but on the entire family.

"Spd r * [Pio] +Iue rjOE`u," Tellus bellowed one day while watching her mother pack.

"Use English, Dear," Eve said. "Normal words."

Tellus squinted, which had become her way of blinking. "Oh," she peeped in her tiny voice. "I want to know if Pappoús will be there when we get to our new home."

Eve smiled. It was going to feel good to live on a farm again. "Of course," she said. "And yia-yiá, too."

Tellus almost blinked again, keeping her eyes wide open. A distant stare grew in them. "No," she said. "Your daddy bampá. Will he be there?"

It was time for another heart-to-heart talk. Eve stopped packing and sat down on the floor, to be at eye level with Tellus.

"Princess, listen to me. You and I, we're not the same as other people we know."

Tellus had heard her mother say things like this before. She nodded in agreement. "Nai, Mama. I know."

"Now Daddy and Autumn, they are more like normal. But you and me…" Eve paused to force Tellus to finish the sentence.

"We're special," she said.

Eve nodded with a serious look on her face. "Nai. That is right."

"Why can't I talk like your bampás does? Isn't he special too?"

"Tellus, sweetie. We've been over this. That's not really talking. No one knows what you're saying."

"I do. And Pappoús does."

Eve returned to packing. "My daddy's dead, Princess. We all know that's true."

Tellus disagreed. "No, he's not. You know he's not. I know he's not too."

"Yes, he is. I had to… He had to get out of the way, for you to come home with me."

"Didn't Daddy say he killed your bampás first?"

Eve turned her back on her daughter. It was easier that way for her to deal with the truth.

"Yes, Dear. That's right. He did."

"And then you killed him next?"

Eve sighed. It was hard enough for her to deal with being crazy herself. Having a daughter like Tellus didn't make it easier.

"Mm-hmm. That's also true."

For some reason, Tellus seemed satisfied. She left her mother alone and found a corner in their small flat where she could be by herself.

"kOo-o0j sDu + i~hzT'g oeRubed onT [Dir * tmR]," Tellus said into the corner, practicing her bellowing.

Eve found Tellus still sitting there an hour later, wrapped up tight as a ball with her face a inch from the wall. She didn't scold her daughter for making odd noises. Eve's face was whiter than usual, making the orange curls of her hair seem to glow.

"What's the matter, Mom?" Tellus asked, rising to her feet to get a hug.

Eve ran her fingers through Tellus' hair, straightening some snarls. Her eyes seemed seven thousand miles away.

"My mom called. She said Bampás is dead."

"Daddy's bampás?" Tellus peeped.

Eve shook her head. "No. Mine."

Upon hearing the news, Adam came home as soon as he could. Together, they decided Eve and Tellus should leave right away, and return to South Dakota to attend the funeral. Whatever strange idea Eve's mother had up her sleeve, it was fortunate for everyone involved that Adam and Eve both liked her. She paid to have the outbuilding spruced up, so Eve and Tellus would have a place of their own to stay while in South Dakota. She also paid for two round trip airline tickets, so they could return to Greece once the funeral was over.

"Take as much stuff as you can," Adam said. "That way, you can leave it there, and we'll take more things later, when we leave here for good."

"I don't like this, Crow," Eve said as they sorted through their meager possessions. "I don't think I should go."

Adam confided in his wife. He spoke in a low tone so their daughters wouldn't hear.

"I don't like it either. I'm not sure why Tellus has to go."

"Well, she's not in school yet, like Autumn. And she's never met my mom."

"I don't want Tellus to come back here," Adam said. "I want her to stay with my parents."

"I do, too. But except for my mom, there are no other neighbors for a mile. And…" Eve grew hesistant. "I still worry about my dad."

Adam got upset. "That creep is everywhere. How many times must he die?"

A shudder roared through Eve. She hugged her husband close, until she was sure she was no longer shaking.

"Hopefully, this time is the last."

Eve returned to South Dakota, bringing six-year-old Tellus along for her very first visit. Although the two families were neighbors, Eve refused to let Tellus step foot in her mother's house. The funeral for Eve's father was scheduled for the day after their arrival, and Tellus was exhausted from her long ride in a plane. So as she slept in the home of Adam's parents, Eve visited with her mom.

"I want to know more about my father," Eve said, being polite.

"He always loved you," Eve's mom replied. "You know that, I'm sure."

For some strange reason, Eve agreed. "But he wasn't nice. He was a bad man."

"No. He wasn't."

"He killed people. My friends."

Eve's mom busied herself in the kitchen. "I'm kind of glad he's gone," she confessed. "He did cause nothing but trouble."

"How did he die?" Eve asked. "You never answered the question."

"No. I haven't. It's… complicated."

"I killed him," Eve said plainly. "Didn't I?"

Eve's mom smiled kindly. "No, my Eve. No."

Eve didn't smile at all. "Adam killed him, too."

"No. It's not like that."

"I don't think he's dead."

Eve's mom remained silent.

"Is he?" Eve asked.

"My Eve. Please. Your father's gone, and this time it's for real." She tended to a pot on the stove. "Why don't you stay for something to eat? You must be hungry from your long trip, and we haven't had a meal together for years."

"No, Mama. But thanks, just the same." Eve scrunched up her face. "What the heck are you cooking anyway? It smells god-awful."

"Oh tut tut, Dearie. I've made this before. We ate it all the time when you were a child."

The funeral was held at a small parlor in the nearest town. No one but Eve and her mom attended, except for Adam's parents and a couple farm hands. Tellus was also there, staring at the closed casket.

"That's where Grandpa is?" she would ask anyone who'd listen, over and over again.

"Yes, Princess," Eve told her again.

Tellus confided in her mother, using her tiny voice. "I don't think he's there. I think it is empty."

Eve also confided. "I think so, too," she whispered. "Grandpa's not like normal people."

Tellus whispered back. "I know. He's invisible."

Eve nodded. "And he doesn't die. Not like they do anyway."

"Where do you think he is?"

Eve thought about her answer. "I don't know. But once the casket is in the ground, I think we'll be rid of him."

Tellus disagreed. "It will not be enough. Secrets don't stay buried."

Eve shared a smile with her not-normal daughter. "What do you say we find out? Let's do some exploring."

Tellus grew excited. "Once we get back to yia-yiá's house?"

Eve quietly shushed her, then warily looked around, to see if anyone had been listening. "Let's look for Pappoús tonight, after everyone's asleep."

"Yes! Let's."