Summary

Ariel continues to grieve but finally sees that Lucy is not herself any longer. She realizes Lucy "was long gone" (154). Lucy's staff call to tell Ariel that they want to have an intervention because she has been drunk at meetings. Three weeks after Ariel returns from Mongolia, Lucy leaves for rehab. Ariel has now lost more than she ever imagined.

Analysis

Ariel personifies Mother Nature in this chapter as she continues to struggle with her grief. She writes of wanting to "beg Mother Nature to return what she had given and then taken away" (154). This personification shows Nature as a powerful, controlling force in people's lives and demonstrates Ariel's conclusion that she is not the one who is ultimately in control of her fate. Mother Nature is the real witch with the power to give and take life; Ariel is no longer so entitled...