At Amanda and Dan’s house, Daddo sits with Bela on the couch while Mommy talks outside. Trying to calm Bela after the frightening night, Daddo asks what Bela thinks the thing is. Bela says it is a mean person because it tricks Bela by pretending to be a friend and making Bela laugh, but now it only asks Bela to “reincarnation” it. Daddo does not understand what that means and, though he mentions ghosts, he tries to reassure Bela that there is no proof of them.

Daddo then shifts into a long explanation about feelings, telling Bela that people often call many different emotions “scared” when they are actually something more specific, like panicked, startled, or shook. He uses examples from Bela’s life to show that even anger can mean different feelings in different situations. His goal is to help Bela sort out fear and to steady both of them, even as he admits he may not fully know what he is talking about.

The quiet breaks when Dan comes downstairs looking for Ursula. He privately tells Daddo that he thought he saw Ursula in his and Amanda’s bedroom. At the same time, Bela briefly sees someone at the top of the stairs before the light reveals Amanda. When Mommy comes in from outside, the adults gather near the front door, and the tension becomes open.

Dan and Amanda admit they are frightened, especially because Amanda is pregnant, and they ask Bela’s family to stay somewhere else. Mommy reacts angrily, feeling abandoned after coming to them for help in the middle of a frightening crisis. Daddo tries to stay diplomatic, but he also makes clear that they did not choose this situation and are trying to understand what is happening. Mommy immediately calls her mother and arranges to go there.

Bela, Mommy, and Daddo leave without their things. In the car, Mommy and Daddo complain about Dan and Amanda’s refusal to help, though Daddo also says he understands their fear. On the drive to Grandma’s house, Daddo suddenly brakes for a deer, startling all three of them; the shock briefly turns into laughter and shared relief. A second deer crosses moments later, ending the laughter, and the family continues through the dark toward Grandma’s house.