Lisa now has the blindfold on. Iris spins her around to disorientate her. Sophia looks on, from the house, with concern.
Later, Sophia and Lisa sit together with their feet dangling in the water.
“Let’s play a game of riddles,” says Lisa.
“Ok.”
“What animal can climb a house but can’t cross a stream?” asks Lisa.
“That’s a hard one,” Sophia says, puffing out her breath, between her tight lips, in concentration.
“An ant!” says Lisa with a smile. “Your turn!”
“My turn?”
“Yes.”
Sophia’s smile drifts away as she takes a little while to think. “How do we get out of this house?” she asks Lisa, in a sober tone.
Lisa looks a bit perturbed at this question. She is in turmoil. She doesn’t want to answer the question. But Sophia just keeps looking directly at her, not letting her off the hook.
And then Lisa blurts out, “Don’t leave, I want you to stay here with me, forever, until end of days.”. The girl has a look that says “Please don’t betray me.” Lisa’s voice becomes more urgent. “I want you to stay here! In any case, Iris won’t let you go!” And then the child’s voice gets softer. “Please.” She strokes her big sisters’s arm. “Stay with me.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Sophia says, with a sincere face on. “You’ll come, we’ll look for David, and we’ll leave this house.”
“We can’t.” Lisa’s face is anguished.
“You shouldn’t be here. But you are,” Sophia says, softly. “I can see you, I can talk to you, I can even touch and smell you.” Sophia holds the locket, which Lisa has around her neck. “Remember what we said when I gave this to you?”
“Yes,” Lisa says.
“What?” Sophia asks, encouragingly, with a smile.
“Never one without the other.” Lisa says. They both laugh warmly.
Sophia caresses Lisa’s hair. “You’re my sister. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you. Look at me.” Sophia grasps Lisa’s hands. “We’ll get out of here, yes?” Lisa nods her head. “So come on, tell me, how do we get out of this house?”
