Summary

In the Prologue, Bug, the narrator, says that she and her Uncle Roderick always knew that the big, old house they lived in with Bug’s mother, Sabrina, was haunted. Proof of this haunting came in the form of cold spots in some rooms, doors that slammed shut or closed for no reason, and changes in the moods of rooms. Since Uncle Roderick died, however, Bug senses the house is haunted in a way that is actually frightening.

In Chapter 1, eleven-year-old Bug writes that she knows her uncle has died as soon as it happens. She wakes in the night feeling as if her bed is unbalanced and about to fall over.

Bug’s mother comes into her room after she receives a phone call informing her that her brother has died. Her mother cries. Bug feels sad, but she cannot bring...