Took: A Ghost Story

Seventh grader Daniel and his family ride in the car from Fairfield, Connecticut to Woodville, West Virginia. Daniel and his second grader sister—Erica—are accustomed to private schools, country club pools, and a generally privileged life. However, once their father lost his job, they had to leave everything behind and move. Daniel and Erica are both upset about the move. Their parents—Mother and Father—try to reassure them that West Virginia will be great, that Daniel will love the woods. During the car ride, Erica talks to her doll—Little Erica—who was a consolation gift for the disappointment of moving. The doll shares Erica’s hair and many outfits. Daniel was given binoculars and a guide for bird-watching, but feels that Erica received the better gift.

Whenever Daniel complains about Erica talking to Little Erica, their parents scold him. As they turn down an unpaved country road, Daniel and Erica bounce into each other. Erica complains that Daniel keeps bumping into Little Erica. Daniel says Little Erica is a doll and doesn’t care. Erica argues that Little Erica is alive.

When the family finally sees their new house, it’s dark. Daniel notices how rundown it looks, but Mother assures him that it looks better during the day. Erica adds that the house looks scary. As the family gets out of the car and walks in, Daniel feels like he’s being watched. He looks back at the dark driveway but sees no one.

Old Auntie watches from a hilltop, cloaked by the woods, as the family pulls into the driveway of their new home. She spots Erica, learning her name as though the breeze carried it to her. She can tell Erica is afraid of the house, but she knows the girl will not stay there for long. Auntie turns to her companion and tells him that Erica will be theirs. Once the family goes inside, Auntie and her companion head back to their own home.

The family enters the house, shadowy and rundown. At Erica’s inquiry, Mother explains that the furniture won’t be coming until the next day. The family plans to camp inside the house, with sleeping bags, pillows, and a camping stove. Mother and Father prepare dinner on the stove. Erica shares her food with Little Erica. As they go to sleep, Daniel hears Erica whispering to Little Erica.

Daniel wakes in the night to pee. He’s uncertain about navigating the stairs in the dark, so he goes out the front door instead. He stops to admire the sky. A long, loud howl comes from the woods. At the edge of the tree line, Daniel sees a tall figure with a bone-white head. He scrambles back inside, slamming the door behind him.

Mother wakes and scolds Daniel for being loud, asking him what he was doing. Daniel explains what he saw and why he was outside. Mother assures him that the figure was his eyes playing tricks on him. Daniel settles in and sleeps.

The next morning, the movers bring the family’s furniture and belongings. Daniel and Erica choose their bedrooms; they are supposed to unpack their things. Daniel walks by Erica’s room and catches her talking to Little Erica again. Daniel reminds Erica that she should be unpacking, but she protests, saying she refuses to do so until they’re back at their old home. He tries to help Erica unpack, but she stops him. Mother comes to see what the fuss is and tells Daniel that she’ll take care of Erica. Mother shuts the door and consoles her sobbing daughter.

In the basement, Daniel and Father try to figure out how to use the furnace, but the latter resolves to replace it with something more modern. Father imagines converting part of the basement to a darkroom for photography, but Daniel thinks it looks like a murderer’s lair.

Daniel wanders around outside the house. He finds old refrigerators and other dumped appliances and furniture. Upon seeing the house in the daylight, Daniel realizes it needs a lot of work. He considers siding with Erica, wondering what their parents were thinking by moving.

The next day, the family picks out paint for the house’s interior. Daniel and Erica get to choose their room colors. The family works all week to prep and paint the walls. The place feels more like home with painted walls and decorations. Daniel arranges his collections in his room, and Erica finally unpacks.

A week later, Mother enrolls seventh grader Daniel and second grader Erica in the same school. The school is in town, far from their home. Erica comments that the school is scary as Mother ushers them in. The unpleasant school secretary leads Daniel to his classroom. He struggles to answer the teacher’s questions, and the other students make fun of him for dressing and “talking funny.” The other children find Daniel arrogant due to his privileged background. They knock his food out of his hands in the cafeteria and bully him in the locker room and gym class.

On the bus home, Daniel and Erica learn that their stop is last. A boy on the bus mocks Daniel’s accent, suggesting the latter thinks he’s better than everyone. By the time most of the children have gotten off, a boy sits near Daniel and Erica. He asks if they forgot to get off, as his stop is the last one. Daniel informs him that their stop is last, explaining where they live. The boy, Brody, gets nervous. He asks if they live on the old Estes family farm. Daniel replies that he doesn’t know who owned the place before them. Brody tells them that a girl, Selene Estes, disappeared from the farm—specifically, something dragged her away. He tells them to ask anyone about Selene Estes, and they’ll know the story. Finally, Brody gets off the bus.

Upon reaching Daniel and Erica’s stop, the bus driver Mrs. Plummer tells them not to listen to Brody Mason because he’s a liar. When they get off, Erica tells Daniel that she’s afraid of what Brody said, but he tries to reassure her. They talk about their shared day with cruel classmates and teachers. Erica then asks if Daniel hears noises at night; he asks her the same question. She says she often hears someone whisper her name. Daniel tries to convince Erica that the whispering is the rustling of trees, but she insists that she knows what she is hearing. As they walk up to the house, Daniel looks back at the woods and feels anxious.

At dinner, Erica tells Mother and Father about the story of Selene Estes. They assure her that it’s just a story. When it’s time for bed, Erica is afraid. Mother tucks Erica in, despite Father’s protests that she is spoiling her. Daniel studies for his social studies test, but his textbook is outdated. When he passes Erica’s room, he hears Mother reassuring her that Selene’s story isn’t real.

On the bus the next day, Brody sits behind Daniel and Erica. He kicks their seat and tells everyone on the bus where they live. The other children share scary stories about the house and woods. Daniel gathers what information he can.

According to the children, 7-year-old Selene Estes and her family lived in the house 50 years ago. She disappeared one night, and the children speculate that she was taken by demons in the woods, Old Auntie the “conjure woman,” or Auntie’s companion Bloody Bones—a skeletal razorback hog that stands on two legs.

The stories terrify Erica. The bus driver Mrs. Plummer tries to assure her that the stories aren’t real, and that the other children will warm up to the siblings in time. However, several weeks pass and the children continue to bully Daniel and Erica. Mrs. Plummer saves them a seat at the front of the bus, so she can kick off any children who get too rowdy; however, the children continue to torment the siblings. The bullying in school continues as well.

Mother and Father also struggle to fit in. They didn’t join the church in town, so the townspeople see them as godless outsiders. Father eventually finds work at Home Depot, and Mother is hired as a receptionist at a real estate office. On weekends, Daniel and Father hike in the woods. Mother stays home to work at her loom while Erica plays with her doll, reads books, and draws. Erica is “perfectly content until the day [ends]” (43), when she grows fearful of the night and the mysterious whispers.

One Saturday, while Mother is at work, Erica joins Daniel and Father on a hike, bringing Little Erica along with her. It’s late fall, and the trees are mostly bare. Daniel goes ahead and stumbles on some roots. When he gets up, he spots a chimney through the trees. He eventually comes upon the ruins of a cottage with a caved-in roof. Daniel calls for Father and Erica. Father takes pictures of the cottage, and the group explores the inside.

Inside, a buzzard quickly flies off, startling Erica. The air smells, and Daniel and Erica both want to leave. There are animal bones and several pieces of old pottery scattered about. Daniel and Erica decide to wait outside, while Father continues to look around.

Outside, Daniel hears rustling and looks around. He sees nothing but feels someone’s presence. Erica asks if Daniel hears whispering, her name being drawn out into syllables. Daniel says he doesn’t; Erica calls him deaf. Father finally emerges, having photographed some of the items in the cabin.

Dinner is tense. Mother is upset about her job, and Father responds by complaining about his own. Erica complains about the tough, fatty meat in the stew. Father responds that tough meat is all they can afford and leaves the table in frustration. The family finishes dinner in silence.