Took: A Ghost Story

“My sister, Erica, and I were sick of the back seat, sick of each other, and mad at our parents for making us leave our home, our school, and our friends.”

This quote introduces the theme of The Impact of Family Conflict. Forced to live in a new town, Daniel and Erica are angry at having to leave their old life. The quote also introduces the tension between the siblings, which only escalates as the story progresses.

“Something moved at the edge of the woods. Its head gleamed in the moonlight, as white as bone. I heard the howl again, louder this time, and stumbled backward, slamming and bolting the door.”

This is Daniel’s first glimpse of Bloody Bones, which takes place on his first night in Woodville. This encounter alerts Daniel of something terrifying lurking in the woods. As he learns more about the local folklore, this moment plays in his mind, planting the seed that the stories of Old Auntie and Bloody Bones could be true.

“‘We don’t like it here,’ Erica whispered to the doll. ‘It’s a bad, scary place, no matter what they say. You and I know, but nobody believes us.’”

Erica speaking to Little Erica is an important part of her story arc. What starts as attachment to the doll (as the doll reminds Erica of her old life) transforms into dependence, as Old Auntie manipulates the girl through Little Erica. This moment shows that Erica already feels something is wrong with Woodville and believes the doll agrees with her.

“I was sure that Erica had imagined the whispering voice, but when I looked at the woods behind the house, I felt my chest tighten with anxiety.”

After Erica tells Daniel that she hears a voice whisper her name at night, he tries to come up with a reasonable explanation, like the wind. However, when Daniel looks to the woods, he feels that there is something sinister out there. This foreshadows Erica’s disappearance and the unveiling of Old Auntie and Bloody Bones as more than just folktales.

“Mother and Father didn’t have any more luck in Woodville than we did—the adults disliked them for the same reasons the children disliked Erica and me. They were especially offended by our failure to join the only church in town. We weren’t only outsiders, we were godless outsiders.”

This quote summarizes the family’s social hardships in moving to Woodville, West Virginia. Daniel and Erica are mocked for their accents, upper-class background, and the house they live in. Mother and Father also struggle to fit in. This isolation contributes to the tension between the family members.

“Even though I couldn’t hear the whispering, I sensed that something was behind us in the woods, hidden, watching us. If I had told Erica that, she’d be even more scared, so I said, ‘Nothing’s calling you, Erica. You’re imagining it.’

‘You must be deaf.’ Erica turned away from me and hugged the doll.”

After Erica asks Daniel if he hears the whispering once more, he suspects something sinister is happening. However, considering Erica’s fear since they moved to Woodville, Daniel opts to protect his sister and omits the fact that he feels they are being watched. However, Erica is certain someone is whispering her name. Because Daniel does not acknowledge Erica’s concerns, the distance between the siblings grows, contributing to the girl’s isolation.

“They were too busy arguing to pay much attention to either Erica or me. I don’t think they realized how miserable we were. Or how much they’d changed.”

This quote captures the family conflict growing in Daniel’s home. Daniel and Erica grow distant and are bullied at school. However, because Mother and Father are wrapped up in their own conflicts, they cannot see how much the children are suffering. Family conflict is important to the story because it contributes to Erica’s isolation, which leads to her running away.

“‘She’s a pretty little thing,’ he said. ‘Take good care of her, son. Don’t let her go wandering off like…’ His voice trailed off.”

In this quote, Mr. O’Neill warns Daniel to keep an eye on Erica. He has just finished telling Daniel about Old Auntie and Bloody Bones. He understands the danger that Erica could be in should Auntie covet her, but he does not want to scare Daniel, so he trails off before mentioning Selene. His family knew Selene, so the story of her disappearance hits close to home. The quote foreshadows Erica’s disappearance.

“The old woman gives the dolly a sweet voice. The dolly uses her sweet voice to tell the girl she loves her, but no one else does. She tells the girl she understands how she feels, but no one else does. Especially her brother. He hates her, doesn’t she know that? Hasn’t she always known that?”

This quote shows how Old Auntie manipulates Erica through Little Erica. Auntie has enchanted the doll to speak to Erica, to convince her that she is unloved by everyone except the doll. This prepares Erica to leave her family. Later, when she is given the option to run away with Auntie, it sounds like a good idea because she believes her family hates her.

“Cuddling her doll, she began whispering, just as if someone was with her—not the doll, but a person. I peered into the bushes around her, but I didn’t see anyone. At least, I don’t think I did—it was more like I sensed a presence.”

After Daniel follows Erica into the woods, this unsettling scene unfolds. Daniel cannot tell who Erica is whispering to or why she has gone to the woods, but he can feel a presence in the clearing. This foreshadows the dark nature of the forest and shows the effects of the doll’s manipulation on Erica, who is typically afraid of the woods.

“The little girl pats Erica’s hand. ‘Come live with us before they start into beating you and scolding you and making you sleep by the fire. Why, they could kill you dead one night.’”

Old Auntie takes the form of Selene Estes, her current captive girl, to convince Erica that her parents will abuse her. She invites Erica to live with her “auntie” instead. Because Selene is also a young girl, Erica trusts her. This helps prepare Erica for Auntie’s abduction and abuse.

“Erica twisted and turned, kicking me, flailing her arms. ‘She wants her! She’ll take her!’”

As Daniel drags Erica out of the woods, she screams and fights, afraid that someone will take her fallen doll. Erica’s words have a dual meaning: Though she is referring to Old Auntie disguised as Selene, she is also describing Auntie’s eventual theft of her.

“Father had never talked to me this way. He got mad so easily now. So did Mother. Erica was unhappy and secretive and strange. I was miserable in school. And lonely. Nothing was right.”

After Father scolds Daniel for forcing Erica to leave her doll in the woods, he realizes the severity of his mistake and how much his family blames him for Erica’s unhappiness. Daniel also acknowledges how much the town has negatively impacted his family.

“My feeling of being watched, the darkness of the woods surrounding the house, Erica’s behavior, the tension between Mother and Father, the unhappiness we’d all sunk into—everything was wrong. Maybe, just maybe, it all tied in with Selene Estes. Or something else—I just didn’t know what.”

Daniel begins to put together that his family’s misery might not be a series of unrelated events—but the result of a larger, sinister force. He suspects that the stories about Old Auntie taking Selene Estes could have truth to them, and that Auntie may be influencing his own family too. The quote also summarizes the many facets of the family’s unhappiness.

“The old woman takes her arm and pulls her roughly to her feet. ‘You belong to me now. No one wants you but me, no one loves you but me. They’ve forgot all about you, and you’ve forgot all about them.’”

Once Old Auntie has Erica alone in the woods, she corners her and reveals her true form. She convinces Erica that no one else loves her. While this moment is revealed to be the beginning of Auntie’s spell (that will force Erica to forget her life), it also acts as a metaphor for abusers’ grooming of victims to ensure they do not seek help from outside sources.

“I started crying. I couldn’t help it. ‘I should have let her get the doll. She really loves it. I wish I had, but I, I—I don’t like being in the woods when it’s dark.’”

With Erica’s disappearance, the family struggles to keep calm. In this quote, Daniel finally breaks down. This is the first time he’s shown emotion regarding Erica’s disappearance, as well as the first time he admits to being afraid. His breakdown largely stems from guilt for making Erica leave her doll in the woods. Not only do Daniel’s parents blame him for Erica’s disappearance, but he blames himself.

“I had a crazy idea I could find Erica myself, be a hero, make up for leaving the doll and all that it had led to.”

Feeling guilty over Erica’s disappearance, Daniel decides to find her himself to redeem himself in the eyes of his parents and the town. This shows the toll that Erica’s disappearance has taken on Daniel. After this moment, every decision he makes is motivated by a desire to find Erica and return her home for both of their sakes.

“With one free hand, she grabbed the doorpost and held on. ‘Let me get the pretty dolly. Auntie give her to me. She said I was to take good care of her.’”

When Daniel finds Selene Estes in the cabin ruins, he attempts to haul her out, just like he did with Erica several days prior. Selene demands to retrieve her doll, mirroring Erica’s desire to do the same thing (and Daniel’s refusal). This moment reveals the parallels between Selene’s abduction and Erica’s. The doll is also a symbol of isolation, as both girls turn to it for comfort and pay little attention to anyone else when doing so.

“What can Auntie do with such a stupid, lazy girl but scold her and beat her and shut her up in the hidey-hole under the cabin floor.”

Once Old Auntie has Erica in her cabin, she inflicts the very abuse that she spoke of in Important Quote #12, showing how she manipulated the girl in order to capture her. Erica only ran away to Auntie’s to avoid potential violence.

“‘No, Auntie,’ Selene cried. ‘Ain’t I worked hard all my life for you? Give her back and let me stay with you. I’ll work hard, I’ll do better, I promise you.’ Selene tried to embrace Old Auntie, but the old woman pushed her away.”

Selene’s desperation to return to Old Auntie shows the effects of the latter’s abuse on the former. Selene doesn’t remember anything but life with Auntie and will do anything to return to the witch’s care, even if she must face more abuse.

“My parents had lost their minds. Their marriage was collapsing. The only way to fix things was to find Erica and bring her home. And no one could do that except me.”

Daniel believes he is the only hope for his family to get back on track. He sees his parents sinking further into depression, fighting and refusing to cook or do chores. He takes on the responsibility of fixing things because he feels guilty and responsible for Erica’s disappearance. Daniel also knows that his parents don’t believe the stories about Old Auntie, so they won’t be able to help him face her.

“I said good night to them and went to my room. They barely acknowledged my presence. It was as if I’d disappeared too. If I failed tonight, if Bloody Bones killed and ate me, would they care? Would they send anyone to look for me? Or would they just sink deeper and deeper into the house, burrowing under blankets, eating bad pizza, drinking, smoking, not even noticing I was gone?”

As Daniel prepares for his final showdown with Old Auntie and Bloody Bones, he wonders what might come of his parents if he fails. He already feels neglected by his parents and worries that they will further deteriorate if he cannot bring Erica home and disappears just like her. These concerns show that Daniel understands what is at stake as the story nears its end.

“Before either girl picked up her fork, they studied each other for at least a minute. They didn’t say a word, but I sensed something flowing back and forth between them. Slowly, Erica put her hand on Selene’s hand and smiled at her. Selene smiled back.”

After Old Auntie’s spell on Selene and Erica has been broken, the girls meet for the first time. Though they cannot remember their time with Auntie, they have a deeper understanding of each other because of their shared trauma. This moment is the beginning of Selene and Erica’s friendship, which is significant because it hints at a bright future for both girls.