Matilda 's contractions were now two minutes apart . The baby was on its way . As she was taken to obstetrics , Daniel was asked to sit in the waiting room . This was going to be a preterm birth , and he was not welcome in the delivery room at this time . " It 's all right ! The doctor decided that because you 're so close to giving birth , that we should prep you in the delivery room , that 's all . It will be a little easier on you and the baby . Now just lie back and relax . " The nurse then asked Matilda to turn slightly onto her left side . As she slowly did what she was asked , she spots the hypodermic syringe in the nurse 's hand . Reacting instinctively , Matilda raises her hand , pleading , As he walks into the delivery room , he continues . " The drug Mrs . Rush , is called Bupivacaine . The nurse will be injecting it just below your spine ; producing what we call a spinal block . Do you remember we talked about it , having something like this , if the situation called for it . " Dr Green then explained , " Mrs . Rush , your baby is in distress . The infant is not going to make the full term of your pregnancy . It wants out . Now ! And frankly , we don 't know why ? All we can do at this time is go along with it . The baby is calling the shots now . And even though the fetus is small , your body has not yet completed the necessary adjustments for birth . " That 's why I feel that this situation calls for a block . Most often , we don 't like to use this approach . It 's not always good for the infant . But in this case , I think it would be a bad idea not to use it . Yes , Matilda , was in pain ! And wanted it to stop . But she was also afraid for her baby . She had carried it too long to lose it now . The Doctor seems concerned , and this made her feel a lot more trust for him . She was able to relax a little bit more . Then Dr . Green , giving orders to the head Nurse , said , " Get her feet into the stirrups and lock them in . We 're short a Physician and a Nurse tonight . So lets be a little bit more on guard . " After she was placed in the birth position , Dr . Green notices a slight problem , and remarked to the head Nurse , " The birth canal really isn 't ready yet ! And she 's much too small . I hope that I don 't have to make an incision . Matilda 's water had already broken . There was nothing to stop the baby from coming . She tried hard , but she was still feeling a lot of pain . It seemed like the only thing that the spinal block was doing was to make it harder to cooperate . She really didn 't know if she was applying any force or not . Dr . Green never did like the use of head forceps , to deliver a baby . He believed that it could be more harmful then good ; so he used his hands as much as possible . with the help of the Doctor the baby is completely out . " Hey ! We have a little girl , " the Doctor announced . " Nurse ' Please carefully Take her ; clean her off and get her into the incubator . Stat ! " Amelia Elton , 42 years old , has been a Nurse with the General for just over a decade . She has been head of nursing on this ward close to four years . She 's seen a lot of Physicians come and go , but she liked Dr . Green the most . Amelia has worked with the Doctor off and on , for the past 19 months . He 's a young Physician of 31 . He is set in his ways , and she knows them very well . That 's why when the good Doctor cut and tied the umbilical cord , almost immediately ; she knew something must be wrong . He had always told her that it 's best to wait a few minutes before permanently separating Mother and child . but in the past , he has never forgotten even the smallest of details . It was almost as if he knew something . But what ; without tests , there is nothing that he could know , thought Amelia . Removing his surgical gloves , Dr . Green added to his previous orders . " Nurse after you have cleaned up the infant , make sure that she has full life support . I want her taking directly to N . I . C . U , and I want her set up for immediate testing . " She said respectfully . Nurse Elton knew that the Doctor 's harsh tone was just his way . He had already told her that he would be lost without her . Although she sometimes felt like throwing an instrument tray at him . But Matilda was anxious to hold her new baby , so she asked . " She 's all right isn 't she Doctor ? I mean , couldn 't I hold her ? " " And I don 't want you to be bothering the Nurses about seeing her . The baby must rest ; just as you , must rest . She too has had a trying time of it . OK ? " Just at that moment a young Candy Striper walked in . Patricia Bryce , also known as Pat , to most of the staff . She volunteer just a few months earlier . She was a good girl but always seemed to get in and out of trouble without even trying . The Candy Striper is traditionally a young female student . " Pat " had to undergo a few months of training , and was identified by the candy cane striped uniform . The concept originated in the 1940s and became very popular in the 1960s . " You . They sent you ? Okay ' Pat , I 'm going to wheel Mrs . Rush into the hallway , where she 'll wait until her room is ready . I want you to take her baby up to N . I . C . U . " I 'm moving this baby to N . I . C . U ! . . Wait ! . . Well , she looks all right to me . OK , but just for a few minutes , then I must come right back . Just let me move her out to the passageway and I 'll be right down . " Pat says . " Mrs . Rush , I must go away for a few minutes . Then I 'll come right back . I promise . It 's very important , or I wouldn 't leave you , you understand don 't you ? " Mary 's color darkens . Once again she moves her arms around , her little hands reach out , and her tiny fingers clutch at something unseen . Mary is dying . " Mommy ! there 's something wrong , Mary looks sick , What 's the matter with her ? Mommy can 't you do something ? She . . She needs help ! " Matilda , still crying , tries again to climb out of the gurney . But she couldn 't get the railing down . And with the after - effects of the spinal block , it was almost impossible to climb out . Dr . Green immediately opened the small chamber , and checked the infant 's vital signs . " She appears cyanotic , I don 't understand ! How could this have happened , Who 's responsible for this ? " He asked . " I . . I 'm sorry Mary , that I didn 't come to you when you needed me the most . I tried … I really did ! But it wasn 't to be . . . I failed you , . . Can you ever forgive me ? " " Well if it isn 't the young Dr . Jekyll . . Did Mr . Hyde come along with you today ? What ever could have taken you away from your butcher shop ? And all those lovely ghoul friends of yours . " she said contritely . " I said the girl left on her own , and it was not a heart attack . I said she had congenital heart disorder . She had what 's known as a malformation of the heart . Matilda is now starting to listen to Dr . Green . She shows that she is interested by saying , " There you go again . And can 't you speak English instead of a foreign language ? " Matilda , feeling annoyed with the tugging of her coat , abruptly says , " What is it ? " Startled , Dr . Green says , " I beg your pardon ? " " Oh I 'm sorry . " Matilda said . " Well , I guess I just have no choice but to believe you . Matilda opens the rear door and takes off her coat , then places it on the rear seat . Daniel calls to her . She turns to look his way with tears in her eyes and shouts back to him , " What is it Dan ! " Daniel , angry because she walked away , starts to exchange views with his wife . Daniel has told his family and friends that he and Matilda have a very special relationship . They never argue , they exchange views . " What is the matter with you ? Mom and Dad have come a long way to be here with us . And you have the nerve to just walk away ? " Daniel then slams her door and walks around to the driver 's side of the car , opens the door and gets in and then continues . " Just where are your folks ? I sure don 't see them here . " He then slams the door , starts the car and drives away with the two of them still exchanging views all the way to the driveway of home . Daniel shuts off the car . He and Matilda are still going at it . Suddenly Matilda shoves open the car door , gets out and runs into the house crying , leaving the car door open , Daniel also gets out and shouts . " Matilda ? Matilda ! " The little golden - haired girl sitting in the back seat , sits a bit longer , then climbs up over the front seat and gets out of the passenger side door which is still open . She slowly walks into the house . After a few moments Daniel comes out and slams the car door , then go 's back inside . a few minutes later the front door slowly closes . For now , we leave the Rush 's home . The new clothes and blankets that they had collected through the past months before the incident , remain unused . The toys not played with . . . . Or just maybe , they are ? On one afternoon , the little girl was playing outside by herself . She was sitting on the backdoor steps when a small dog came up to her . The child was tickled by this , and laughed . Then started playing with the Puppy . Matilda started to wash a few dishes . The window faced her , just above the sink . She looks up and out , when she heard the laughter of a child , and the barking of a dog , Matilda then says aloud , " Who 's worried ? I 'm not , I was just wondering whose animal it was , that 's all , and how do know it 's a he ? Huh , I just hope that you 're barefooted the next time that you go into the yard . " The girl keeps right on playing with the dog . It wasn 't long after that , when Matilda set the table and called Daniel to dinner . He sat down , looking at the meal that had been prepared . The young girl came running in to dinner also and sat down at the table . She sat there and noticed that there wasn 't a plate set for her . Then she got up and said . " Oh that ' that 's all right Mommy , I ' I 'm not really hungry . I 'd like to go back outside and play with my friend a little longer . Can I ' Mommy ? " Matilda didn 't even look up , just picking at her food . The little girl , felt a tear rolling down her cheek , but she just wiped it away ; and went back outside to play with her newfound friend . Nothing was being said at the table , so Daniel felt that he should start a conversation . After dinner , Matilda cleans off the table and starts to throw the leftovers away . She suddenly thinks of the dog ; and looks outside to see if he was still there . He was . So she opens the back door and takes it out and empties the plate of scraps onto the ground , as the little pup watched . Matilda says to it , " There ' now ! You eat this all up , and when you 're done . You just take it home to your Master ' and tell him it 's from me , Okay ? and you make sure , that it 's a really big pile . " " Well , I 've been looking for you ' for sometime . You 're not that easy to find , you 'd think you were President or something , hard as it was to find you . " The man said . " Oh , but I 'm not a stranger , I 'm a friend . " She grabs the dog away from him , and says . " Whose friend ? " " No , he 's my friend ! What do you mean when you say , that you 're my friend too ? I only have Sandy . . . Wait ! . . Your . . talking to me . " " Yes . . Shouldn 't I ? . . Sandy must be a very good friend . He 's a beautiful animal , but you must have lots of playmates ? " " Yes , I do know about your baby . And I 'm sorry about what happened . But Mary is the name that your Mother gave to you . " Answers the man compassionately . Daniel and Matilda were sitting on the couch also watching . Then Matilda says to Daniel . " Why do we always watch this silly show ? I hate it ! " That night , Matilda couldn 't sleep . She kept hearing sounds . She would get up and find that the toys had been disturbed . She felt uneasy about this , but she didn 't mention it to Daniel . The following night , it was Daniel that got up as Matilda slept . The TV was on . " Oh my God ! " he complained . " That just doesn 't feel right between my toes . Tilda ! " He yelled . " Get a hose could you , and wash my damn feet off , Please . I have a bone to pick with that mutt . " She will soon find that she is not like any other child , and that love is not all that easy to get . Matilda walked into the room , and started getting into bed . Little Mary gets a big smile and feels so good about sleeping with Mom and Dad another night , It 's always so warm between them . But then suddenly Matilda stops ! She gets this horrified look in her eyes and jumps up and off of the bed . She remarks with fear in her voice as she leaves the room . " What 's up ! With me ? You mean you haven 't noticed ? " she replied tersely . " Just what 's been going on in our home ! that thing in our bed ! . . . In our lives ? " Daniel , not really understanding , is not sure what to say . Composing himself , he replies , " What thing ? No Tilda ; I honestly don 't know what it is your talking about ? Please tell me . " Looking to make it clearer , Matilda says , " Look ! I 'm not going nuts . I 'm not ! I was awake a few nights ago , that is , I was almost asleep when I felt these two cold tiny feet pressing up against my back . Daniel ! You do not have little feet ! " Matilda exclaimed . " When I turned around , there was no one there ! You were at least a foot away from me . And this has happened two other times before . And you ask ' what 's up with me ! Mary had gotten out of bed and walked into the living room . She could hear her Mom and Dad talking in the kitchen . She didn 't really know just what they were talking about , and didn 't really care . She still didn 't know what was going on , but she was contented just playing by herself . She knew it wouldn 't last long . It never had in the past . Mary quickly replies . " She 's not ! God don 't like liars and he 's going to get mad at you , and send you to hell if you keep lying . " At that moment Mary has a flashback of when she was playing in the kitchen . Matilda was on the phone talking to a friend , talking about when she was little that she feared stories about the devil , and that she couldn 't say devil so she called him the dark man . And that you never ever listen to the dark man . Mary says , " He 's here ! God is with me right now ! And you 'd better go , or he 's going to be very mad at you . " Visibly angry , Mary said bluntly , " Go away ! I 'm not going with you anywhere ! My Mommy told me all about you ; and I know who you are too . You 're the dark man . I 'm not supposed to even listen to you at all . cause you lie , Just go away . " Becoming unsure of herself , Mary answers , " Yes ! She did … sort of . I mean I heard her talking about you . And I 'm not going with you . So you 'd better just go away , or I 'll tell my Daddy about you . And he 'll tell God about you . " " Matilda answers . What do you mean , what 's going on ! " " Are you so unaware of what 's happening in your own home that you have to ask ? " Matilda tries to calm down , telling Daniel , " OK . OK . It 's been going on ever since we left the cemetery , something touching me , things out of place , like the toys we find in the front room . You know ? Things like that . You mean you haven 't even notice it at all ? " " I don 't know By who ? or even what ! I just know that something isn 't right with us . I just know someone is here . Dan ! Help me . " " Such as the other night , I found the TV on . It 's happened before , but … the other night was different . I felt something , I really don 't know what ; like , I don 't know ? almost , familiar . as if there was someone or something in the room that I knew . I can 't explain it . One more thing , we 're watching kid programs on the boob - tube , why ? " Daniel says . " OK , then it 's settled . If you must , you must , " " First thing in the morning . But for now , can we get some sleep ? " Amazed that he would even want to sleep after what she has just told him , Matilda answers with authority , pointing to the floor : " Well ! Alright . But here ! Tonight we sleep right here . " Matilda and Daniel snuggle close together and fell asleep soundly on the floor of the living room . Through the rest of the night they are undisturbed . Little Mary too was fast asleep , happily snuggled so close and tightly between her loving Mom and Dad . I don 't know . By something , or someone . The dog ? Yes , it 's always out there . Really ? . . I didn 't know that . Dan 's trying hard to watch the morning news , but answers . " Yeah ! Hey , that 's really nice Tilda , … ahh … give your Mom my love ; Okay ? " Tilda , agrees to relay the message . " Oh Mom , Dan sends his love . And he said that he is more then willing , to have a seance . " Matilda whispers , " Shhh . . . Be quiet now ! No not you Mom . Yes Mom He just can 't wait . Tonight ! No , … That 's perfect . Yes the sooner the better . Dan 's all for it . And I 'll make a very special dinner for all of us , alright ! See you tonight . Bye . " Inquisitive , Mary asked , " Who are you ? Mr . Why is it that you 're the only one who will talk to me . Did the dark man send you ? I told him that I would not go with him . " Tears welling in her eyes , Mary says , her voice tailing off . " No , No ! one will . And I don 't know why ? Did I do something bad ? " Gently placing his hand on her arm to comfort her , Peter says . " No Mary . There is no bad in you at all . " Mary begins to cry , looks up at him and asks . " Then why won 't anyone else but you , talk to me ? The dark man said , . . they don 't want me ! " " The dark man ? " Peter repeats . " I did tell you to be careful of him . Your mother has been calling him that from the age of five . No Mary , the dark man is a liar . Your Mom and Dad have always wanted you . That 's why he 's mad , and lie 's to you . " Peter answers . " Well little one some people call him the devil . But we that know him just call him an evil child for that 's all he is . Just one of Gods children that went the other way , and gets into a lot of mischief . " Realizing he had not made himself perfectly clear , Peter said . " Well , sort of . You see you 're Mom and Dad had a lot to do with your creation . That 's how the Master planed it . The two of them made you . But the Master did have a hand in it . Do you understand ? " Laughing out loud at such a thought , Peter says . " No little one I really wish that I was , but no , I 'm not . I was born , and angels are not born . They are created . In fact , they were the Master 's first creations , even before the world itself . And the angels that are here now are the same ones as in the beginning . You see Mary . Angels don 't die , not like you or me . Sometimes one or two may get lost , but there is no need to replace them . " " Not to me , " Mary says . " I just hear her talking to her friends when they come over to see her . But I like hearing about Angels ! It makes me feel good . Do they really help people ? " " Angels are God 's unseen warriors , and messengers . " Peter answered . " He sends them on lot 's of jobs to help many people . But there are just too few of them to help everyone . So the Master has souls like me ; to fill the gap . " " Well , that 's where we , come in . The ones that were born . The ones called Denizens Beneficence Angelic . Beings who dwell among the Angels . We don 't have the power that they have , but we have just enough power to help those in need of us . Why there are hundreds of Angelic Dwellers . And We 're what people see ; and are mistaking for the true ones " With a hearty laugh , Peter says . " Angelic Dweller , it 's much easier to say . And no , not yet . You see , you 're to be the first ! " " ( OK ! OK , I heard you . " Daniel said . " Your Mom and Dad will be here soon ; maybe we can get to the bottom of this . What ever it is ? We 'll get rid of it . " But suddenly feeling like a little girl again , she pleads , " Please ! Mom , Dad , won 't you come in . We have so much to talk about . " Matilda 's parents are Raymond and Monica Wilson . They are firm believers of the supernatural . Although they are amateurs in this field and only do it as a pastime they are actually sought - after by many of those needing spiritual help , and have come to believe that they are gifted . Monica , who has never worked and has spent most of her life as a homemaker , believes that running a home , is more of a job than Ray will ever know . He 's had it easy ; she has always said . She has been involved with the unknown , for sometime now , and has finally convinced Ray to get involved also . " There 's that son of … ahh ! … in - law of mine . The one who ran over my dog last year . You know Son ; old Rex has never forgotten about what you did to him . He 's really going to take a bite out of you , when he sees you again . " Monica is skeptical . After going through so many false sightings she is hoping that there is really something going on in Matilda 's home . Monica starts to talk to Matilda like she was still a baby . " It 's true ! " Matilda said . " I mean I don 't know if it 's really a ghost or not . But there 's something ! Please come in and sit down , both of you , and I 'll try to explain it after dinner . " It 's just at this time that little Mary came in from the outside , through the door that was left opened . She has been spending most of her time in the backyard lately . She now stands in the middle of the living room , looking at the newcomers ; and listening to them talk . The voices were so familiar . She knew who these people were . She doesn 't know how , it 's just a feeling way down deep inside of her . She then says quietly , " Grandma ? Grandpa ? Hel - Hello , It 's me , Mary . " Mary then walks into the kitchen and stands just within the door looking at Matilda . She realizes something more . Matilda is not looking at her either . She tries hard to make herself known . " Mommy Please . Not you too . Don 't you see me here ? What 's wrong with me ? Why do you all hate me ? What did I do ? " " Daddy ? Please look at me . Daddy You must hear me ! What am I ? Please tell me Daddy , you have to see me ! I 'm real ! Daddy I am . Please ! " Mary then goes to the dining table and sits on the floor , just slightly underneath , and puts her tiny hands around the leg of the chair ; then her arms , and hugs the leg tightly ; and just sits there looking at everyone , and says to herself . . " Sandy I 'm alone , I have nobody . Peter Where are you ? Please . . Tell me what I am ? With tears rolling down from those pretty pastel blue eyes , she remembers one other time that she cried , standing next to a dying baby girl . She then said to herself : " Mary ? Is that , … Why you knew me ? You were looking at yourself ? " Matilda comes out of the kitchen and call 's everyone to the dinner table . Dan takes his place as the head of the family . As Ray pulls out the chair for Monica he has a little problem , Mary is still hugging the leg . Dan interrupts . " She 's been doing it a long time Mom . I 've asked her why , but she can 't , or won 't tell me . " Matilda answers , " My God ! What 's the big deal , it 's just a plate , I don 't know why I do it . … it just makes me feel better , Okay ! . . I mean , I don 't even think about it anymore . I just do it ! " " Well , right now , I 'm going to enjoy this wonderful meal that you prepared . We 'll talk after . Could you please pass the potatoes . " The family did in deed enjoy their dinner . It was during the cleaning up , when the men went to the living room and Matilda and Monica were left alone , that Monica started to open the conversation . " You know that some spiritualists believe that if you set an extra plate at your table that you 're giving welcome to a loved one who has passed away . " She denies the allegation . " Mom , I 'm not giving welcome to anyone . It 's just a habit ! I told you that I don 't know why I do it . It just doesn 't seem right not too . " " Mom ! of course not , Mary was just a newborn . How in the world could she be haunting our home , get real ! That 's the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard , I never even thought once that it could possibly be Mary . Not once . " Well , they don 't feel that it 's like that at all . Instead it 's believed that the soul is just as alive as we are . And that it grows and learns just like we do . So must the spirit be created as an older child . so it 's thought that seven being a sacred number ; that it is most likely the beginning age . I mean God rested on the seventh day , and you can find this number all through the Bible . Surprised , Matilda answers , " So what are you saying Mother , that the age of seven is a great age ; to start a new life ? Come on Mother ! You can 't believe that . Its insane thinking . " Monica continues . " Maybe ; and maybe you must be a little bit insane to believe that little baby 's are flying around heaven ; with the only missions in its existence is to sell soft toilet paper , or to shoot little Arrows at peoples rear ends , so they can fall in love ? Dear ! A one day old Newborn cannot take care of itself . It needs someone to take care of it . Are we to keep thinking that there is someone taking care of all the hour or day old children that are in heaven . Who do not know that they even exist ? No ! I don 't think so . Sweetheart ! They must be able to walk and talk and know that they are . So a 1 - hour - old baby , is going to have a seven - year - old soul . It makes perfect sense to me , and I believe it . " Dan and Ray are sitting in the living - room . hearing everything , not knowing if they should put in their worthless two cents or not . But Ray jabs Dan in the ribs and tells him in a whisper , " Be careful how you answer . " " Dan says nervously . ( Ahh ! Yeah , Tilda , what your Mom says makes perfect sense to me . You did ask her for her help you know . " Monica , becoming more agitated , asked , " Do you still read your Bible ? Where in it , can you find anything about a newborn 's soul ? I think it says something about the hall of soul 's in Revelations , but that 's it ! Monica turns to Dan . " Dan , What have you experienced ? And please don 't tell me that you haven 't . I know better than that . Its time to open up . " Confused , about what Monica was trying to say . Dan answers . " Well - yes , I suppose that I may have had a few little experiences . Let me see . … well ! … I woke up one night and I thought that I heard crying . So I looked around the house . But I never found anything , nothing . And then I found that the toys had been moved from the nursery . I 've even , seen things move ! And I 've felt things that I really couldn 't explain . But there is one thing that really bugs me . I have a young niece , and as she sleeps ' she kind of drools on her pillow . She 's only six , just a baby , you know ? It leaves spots , saliva ' stains . If you look at our bed you 'll find the same kind of stains on our pillow , and even my shirt sometimes . They can see things that we can 't ! . . Don 't ask me why ? But if there is something out there , the dog knows it . And if he 's playing with it , then it can 't be all that bad . " Dan quickly turns to Matilda , with a shocked look on his face , and said in disbelief . " Is that what you think we 're trying to do ? Get rid of Mary ? You yourself said ; you didn 't believe that it was her ! That 's so totally unfair of you . You don 't know ' that it 's Mary for one thing , and for another ' it could be one of those demons ! Tilda I didn 't know Mary , and neither did you ! But I think that Mary ' would want us to do this . Don 't you ? Think about it . " Dan , now realizing what Monica had just said , gives concern for what they are about to do . " Monica ! You 've never had a seance work before ? " Dan . " Ahh ' No ! I ah ' was just wondering , why you do it ? If it doesn 't work ! But I 'm not going to ask . So , How do we begin ? Sit around the table and hold hands ? Or something of that nature ? " Monica answers with great expectations . " Yes ; the energy we all possess is more powerful that way ! Ray ! Would you like to join us ' or are you going to sit there all night with your mouth shut ? " Ray answers . " Well , It 's always been safer that way . But I guess ' I can ' take part in it . " The stage was set . Everyone was in their place . Ray , hoping this time he would see something worth the effort . Matilda , not sure about what 's going to happen . Daniel , a disbeliever to the end . And Monica , believing that it 's the only way to get an answer . And Mary , wanting only to be seen and heard , and to know what it feels like to be loved . Was the dark man right after all ? Are Mommy and Daddy really trying to get rid of her ? What is a Seance and what does ' it have to do with her . She sits and waits . The lights go out ' and the four of them clasp hands ' and close their eyes . And for a long time not a sound . Then suddenly Monica breaks the silence . In a whisper , Monica answers . " Be quiet ' Daniel ! " Matilda says " Mom , this isn 't funny anymore ! " Her eyes darting about the room . Monica quickly replies . " Shhh ! This was never meant to be funny ! Mary ? Is this you , Mary ? Can you let us know in some way , If it is you , Baby ? " Little Mary has become very intent ' to let her Mom and Dad know that she is with them . So in desperation she picks up a small toy that was lying on the floor , and flings it across the room . As the toy strikes the wall and bounces off , Mary giggles . Matilda says . " Mom ! Are you doing this ? And if you are ' please stop it ' Right now ! You 're scaring me . " Dan interrupts . " Tilda , your Mom 's not doing it . Monica ! " Dan continues . " Is it really Mary ? " Monica answers . " I really think it is , " Ray is tired of all of this , as he calls it ; Hog - wash , and is the first one to try and make actual contact with this unknown entity . He snorts , " I 've had enough of this shit ! Mary , Mary ' honey , is it you baby ? If it is ? . . Come to your old Grandpa . Come on ! Don 't be afraid . And I promise you ' that I won 't be ether . " Ray looks over at Monica . His face almost white ' and the look of disbelief in his eyes . He answers . " Oh crap , she 's here , in my lap . I didn 't want to believe it , but ! She really is here ! " . . I ' . . I ' can feel her ! " Dad , where is she ? . . I don 't feel anything ! There ' there 's nothing here ! Are you sure ? You really feel something ? " Ray moves his hands over an unseen figure . " I ' . . I can feel her ! . . Her hair , . . her arms . But yet ! . . I don 't feel her ? " Matilda , wanting so much to know that it really is her child , begins to call out to her . " Ma ' Mary ? Mary ' honey , please ! come to Mommy baby . . . Please ' Mary , I need you to come to me . Dad ! . . Is she coming ? " Ray answers . " I don 't ? . . Wait ! She 's starting to move . Yes ! I think that she is . She 's moving away from me . Call to her again . " Mary is beside herself . She is going to sit in her Mommy 's lap ' at last ! This is too good to be true . As she begins to climb onto Matilda 's lap , Mary has a look on her face as if she has been doing it all her young life , This was nothing new , She giggles then sighs . " Oh my God . Yes ! I can feel her . I can ! Oh My baby , you don 't know how I missed you . " Matilda said , feeling her daughter . Matilda held the unseen child in her arms ' until the sensation of holding her went away , which was just a few minutes . And when she could not feel her anymore . the four of them talked for about an hour . Matilda became very excided . " Dan ? We have so much to do . We have to get her things ready ! Mom ? you know that we never did finish her room . Dan ? You 're going to have to finish painting it ! You know that , don 't you ? " Matilda looked at them sitting there with grim face 's and said , " What ! What 's wrong with all of you ? Dan ' What is it ? " " I believe that I know what Dan is trying to say . Mary is a free spirit , " Ray said . " She 's not going to be able to stay . You can 't keep her . " " Can 't keep her ? Not stay ! … what are you talking about , Dad ! . . Mary has been here a full year ! She doesn 't want to be free , She want 's to be with us . She 's my child ! Dan . . . She 's , our child ! You can 't just give her up ! Not now ! " " Peter , Peter ? " Mary said excitedly . " I thought that I would never see you again . Oh Peter ' wait till you hear what happened . You 're not going to believe it . I have a family now . Isn 't that wonderful ? I have a Mom and Dad . Peter , aren 't you happy for me ? " Peter answers . " Ahh ' yes ! I heard . You really have caused a little setback all right , " Mary says puzzled . " Setback ? I don 't understand ? " Mary becomes upset ! and says . " But . . . I don 't want to go with you . I can 't ! Peter , My Mom and Dad need me to stay with them . I can 't go with you now . I thought that you would be happy for me . " Peter says , lowering his head and petting the dog . " I 'm sorry , Mary , but it 's not up to me . You just can 't remain here . " Mary almost begging , refuses to go . " No ! no I must stay ; Please You don 't understand , I 've been so very alone all this time . You can 't take me away now . Not now ! When I 'm so close to having a real family . You just can 't ! " Just at this time Matilda came to close the backdoor and saw this strange man playing with the little dog in their backyard . Alarmed ! She calls out to him , making sure that Dan could hear her . " Sir ! Can I help you ? What are you doing in my yard ? " Mary then says to Peter . . " Mommy can see you ? " Peter unwillingly answers . " I 'm afraid so little one , not that I like it any . " Peter talks to Matilda , trying to explain his presence . " I 'm sorry Mrs . Rush , I didn 't mean to disturb you ! Matilda shouts calmly . " how do you know my name ? Who are you ? . . Dan ? " Matilda begins shouting louder . " Dan ! Come out here ! Dad , you too ! " Ray and Dan come running out , followed by Monica . Dan turns and see 's the intruder . " What the ? … Tilda ! What 's going on here ? Who 's this ? " Dan looks at the man and asks . " I beg your pardon Mister ! But who in the devil are you ? And what in the hell are you doing in my yard ? " Peter replied . " I really wish you could rephrase that just a bit . Again I 'm very sorry for inconveniencing you , but I have a job to do here . You really were not supposed to see me just yet . " Ray agrees . " For some reason I believe you about that ! Come on Dan , let 's go call the cops . " Dan hesitates . " Just wait ! OK Mister who are you ? Just what is it that you want here ? " Peter request . " Would it be alright if I come a little closer ? " " Thank you Mr . Rush . It 's so much easier to talk to you this way . My name is Peter , I 'm a friend to your daughter . I ahh … have been here a few times before , in the past year . " Dan says angrily " Now just a minute , My daughter ? What in the hell are you talking about ? I have no daughter ! Why are you here ? " Dan stops , and then looks back at the man and waits . " Thank you Mr . Rush . " Says Peter . he then holds his hand out to Mary , but she stays away from him . He then looks back at Dan and the others and says , " You see that ! She won 't come to me anymore . " Dan looks but sees nothing . " You 're keeping a very special creature from beginning her new existence , " Peter said . " You see , it 's my job to make sure that she 's ready before she goes on . But it 's not that easy . We have never had a new Guarantor before . " The Teacher always gives a little time for the guides to acquire the knowledge that he , or she , need to work with the children . But ! There really has never been anyone like her , So I 'm sort of going by ear here . " Ray answers . " What Children ? " " Ahh . Well . . You , And those like you . Gods Children . Yes , I 'm afraid Mary 's time is just about up ! " Peter explained . " Well ! That 's - - that 's certainly not fair ! We only now found out about her . That is if you 're telling the truth and your not some kind of mental case ! You can 't just take her away from us now , we don 't even know her , " Matilda said to Peter . " I 'm not taking her away . It 's not up to me . I 'm just here to help her to adjust in anyway that I can . And take her where she needs to go whenever she 's ready . And thanks to all of you , she is ready . " " You didn 't need too . You just had to be with her . You were her teachers - - all of you . I mean , Who better to have as a teacher than your own family to really learn about life and death , love and fear , strength and anger , and , yes , even God . Just about everything that she needed to know you gave to her . And now she 's ready to become what destiny , and God has chosen for her . " " Ahh , yes ! Well , Mr . Wilson , something new that has never been seen before , and maybe never will again . An angel that was born . From the beginning of time , angels were created . " I 'm sorry ! " Matilda interjected . " But you can 't have her ! Not now ! Not ever ! Find yourself some other hybrid ! If you will . " Matilda address 's . " Dan , you 're talking about our one and only child here ! We can 't just give her up to him , just like that . " Mary was sitting on the grass trying hard to understand what was being said . She felt that her Dad was right . To him ; and every one else , she was not here , and never was . All this time she wanted her Mom and Dad . Now that she had them , she had to leave . And what about Peter ! How is it possible that they are able to see him ? To talk to him . Mary wanted more then just her Mom to know that she was there . She wanted her Mom , and Dad , to know that she was alive . So Mary took steps to get what she wanted . " You 're not what ? Now , Mary , you must ! You can 't stay here . There 's a new life awaiting you . I can 't just leave you here ! . You 're going ! And that 's final ! " There was only one thing that he was able to do . Saying no more , Peter closed his eyes and tilted his head back towards the night sky . He clasps his hands tightly before him , then his lips begin to move as if he were talking to someone . Everyone stops and gasps at what Peter was pointing at . A huge young man dressed in a bluish gray leathery lappet or garment , almost like a uniform of war , with a blue shoulder sash that had strange markings . He was adorned with long golden hair and had a golden shield in his hand and a sword of silver and gold on his side . His face showed kindness , but his eyes were strong and harsh . There seemed to be an aura of light about him . His arms were big and strong looking like that of a warrior , bracelets of bronze and copper on his wrists . " The only one who has been given the power to grant Mary 's request . The Arch - Angel , Uriel ; The Angel , of Death . Or Transformation . " After the shock wore off , all eyes turned to Mary . She stood there with her hands folded in front of her . She was wearing a pink and white dress , and her hair was done up in ponytails on either side of her head , complements of Uriel . There she was , standing there as big as life itself , with a big smile and a slight tear rolling down her cheek . Mary had come home at last . She slowly walked to the girl and stopped two feet away , standing there and studying her . No one was saying a word . Matilda then started to shake her head from left to right , and then began to cry . " Oh my sweet Mary , I do love you ! I do ! " Dan said as he embraced his only child with all the love that has been penned up inside of him for her , that even he himself didn 't know he had . " Yes Mrs . Wilson . The Spirit is ageless . Yes , a baby 's Animus can appear a certain age . And a spirit is referred to as a soul when it 's merged with the body . But the Psyche or spirit is as old as it needs to be . As for an age , look to the scriptures and the sacred numbers . You 'll find them to be seven , fourteen , twenty - one and twenty - eight . The last is the age of the Angels . " " No , I 'm just a nobody named Peter . I should go now . If you start me rambling on , I won 't know when to quit . See you in the morning Mrs . Wilson . " Peter said . Peter walked away saying softly to himself , " For what ? I did nothing . Uriel did all the work ! Such a show - off , he could have just sprinkled a little fairy dust , and got the same results . But No ! He had to go with all the theatrics . Such a child ! Hummm , I wonder if there really are fairy 's ? " No one sleeps tonight ; there are so many things to do before morning . Games to play , and memories to make . And cake and ice - cream to be eaten for the birthday that Mary never knew . To be able to actually eat Mom 's cooking , so many new feelings , new experiences that Mary has never had before . But the best one of all was the feeling of love . And being close and touching the ones that you are devoted too . Nothing could replace this . When Mary asked , " Mommy , why can 't I stay with you ? . . I mean forever . Why can 't I ? . . I don 't want to leave you and Daddy . " Matilda Answers with almost a broken heart . " I don 't know baby , I really don 't . I wish I did ! I 'll talk to Peter when he comes back . " " Leaving ? " Matilda asks . " But why ? " She gets up to go to her parents . When she walks into the room she sees that Monica and Raymond have already got their coats on and are at the front door . " Mom ! Dad ! What 's this all about ? You can 't be leaving ? What about Mary ! She 's still here you know . Don 't you want to say goodbye to her at least ? " " But Mom ! Why ? … Mom she loves you too . She 's going to be very upset that you didn 't stay . And that you didn 't even say goodbye . " " I 'm sorry dear , really I am , but I just can 't be here when he takes her . I just can 't ! You understand don 't you dear ? You 'll say our good - byes for us , won 't you ? She looks at her , and thinks , [ Mary is so alive ! We just can 't allow her to die . Not again ! It 's getting so close to morning with every tick of the clock ; there must be something we can do , but what ? ] An hour later , Matilda starts breakfast , not knowing if this will be the first and last refection Mary would ever have . Matilda wanted this to be the best she ever made ; a meal that Mary would always remember . She call 's Daniel and Mary to the table ; and they begin to enjoy a feast fit for a queen . " Mrs . Rush , you have been given a gift . . . Do you know how many there are out there who has prayed to see their child just one last time , even if it 's only for an hour ! Because of the special circumstances that are involved here , you 've been granted an entire night with your child . Daniel looks at his little girl for a few moments , then takes her into his arms . With tears in his eyes , he tells her . " Never ! My baby , you 'll always be in my heart and mind . Mary smiled . This is what she wanted to hear . She then turned to her Mother and stood looking at her for a time , and finally said , " You 're my Mommy . And I 'll always be you 're child , no matter where I ' am . " " I know . . . I was just wishing that my Mommy and Daddy , could see what I am about to become . I 'm scared for it to happen without them . " " I 'm sorry Mary , but you know that 's impossible . If you are among the mortals you must remain a child , that 's the way it works . As long as you are here , you 'll remain what you are . " " No ! . . No one speaks to God , . . not directly . But he knows what you are thinking , and he makes his words heard , in one way ; or another . In my case it was another . Ouch my ears still hurt . " Mary stands there wondering about what 's going to happen , and when ? And if it was going to hurt . Mary didn 't have to wait very long to find out . Suddenly without any warning . She stood frozen . Only her eyes , and lips had movement , and the pain was more then a child should bare . She looked at her Parents , fear that she has never known before , showed in her eyes . her hair becomes longer , and her clothing seems to dissolve from her body . Then she cries out as something begins to emerge , from either side of her bare upper back . Mary throws back her head in pain , with her eyes shut and cries out again . " Please , Mommy ! " As the growths on her back continue to emerge up and out , Matilda is horrified by what she sees . Mary is being twisted and torn . She pleads with Peter . " I can 't Mrs . Rush … I 'm not the one who 's doing it . Pray to the all mighty , only he can stop it . " Mary now stood up , as the buds on her back had now fully emerged into wings . She stretched her wings out from wall to wall , as she stood with her head bowed . The glowing flame - less fire ; now diminishes . The woman still not looking up . hands folded in prayer . It was over within a few minutes . But not for Matilda . " Mary ? It is you . But wh . . what happened to you ? I mean , look at you ! You 're so , . . so beautiful ! But why did they put you through so much pain ? It almost killed us to see you like that . " " But of course you are ! Everything that I am , you and father gave to me . Everything that I know , you and father taught me . You 'll always be my earthly parents . My Heavenly Father has not denied me this . Nor has he denied you . " " So many questions Father . I will go with Peter to begin my new life . The arch - angels have so much to teach me , and I 'm eager to learn all that I can . " " I don 't know ? Maybe someday I well be allowed to return for a short time . But if this comes to past , I would return as the child that you knew and loved . " " Yes I do Mother . But I still must come back as the child that I was . It 's the way it is done . I can 't show my love for you as an Angel . That love is for all , so I must show it as your child . " Mary 's wings were dry , she folded them behind her . Then suddenly a vast porthole opens on the wall that Peter is standing next to . A doorway full of radiant multi - colors and cloud - like shapes slowly stirring and pulsating . Sounds like rushing water and high winds , were coming from the porthole . Matilda and Daniel stare at the wall , and then their eyes turn towards each other . There were no tears , just wonderment . Did this actually happen ? Or was it all a hallucination ? Looking around at their home , there was nothing disturbed , everything was as it was . " Yes ! She was here , but you know we can never tell anyone about this . They 'd put us in the booby hatch . " Daniel said . " I know ! It 's the family secret . But that 's going to be a hell of a secret . You know , we don 't even have anything to remember her by . Nothing ! " Dan continues . I took it when we were playing together ; I figured that I would never have another chance . So I asked her if I could cut a lock , and she let me . " Matilda carried the hair to the corner of the room . She always kept a little jewelry box on the end table , a 24k . Gold - filled box with a white ivory top , there was a carving of a little Angel on it . It just fit in Matilda 's hand . The Child thought to herself . { " What kind of wonderful things could Mommy be hiding in here ? " } She seen lots of items of interest , many pretty things . She then found , a tiny gold box concealed under an old book , hidden deep within Mom 's chest . The Doctor didn 't inform my Mother that there maybe a problem . She and my Sister were just wheeled out into the hallway ; about 5 feet apart , until her room had been made ready . The baby was to be taking to N . I . C . U . Unlike the story , my Dad was know were to be found . She went to the Hospital alone in a cab at 2 in the morning . My Mom sometimes talk about her when I was young . My Mom and Dad are gone now . And it took me a long time to find Rosanna ; 5 years . The people at Forest Lawns were pretty nice about it , they have more then a few Cemeteries out there . When it was known that I was looking for her , they also searched . And found her In 2009 . the spot she lies in , had not even been paid for . But they said it was alright , she didn 't take up much room , and it was a long time ago . She had no headstone , just a Grave marker with a number . I 'd like someday to give her one . But this will have to do till then .