Description

Almost three years earlier, Ketti had fled along with her eleven year-old daughter Babette and newborn son Danny, leaving her ten year-old son Patrick with his father. She had done everything possible to stay hidden. Babette was often left to care for Danny while her mother worked the night shift. She loved Danny, and did not mind taking care of him. Loud sounds woke Babette one night and she went into the baby’s room to find her brother Patrick fighting with her mother. Ketti seemed to be trying to kill Patrick. After the police were called, it was found that Danny was no longer living. It appeared to be a crib death—the same thing that had happened to her other baby brother Billy right before they had run away.

With Ketti temporarily jailed to sort out possible child abuse charges, Patrick was taken to a Boy’s Farm while Babette was put into a foster home. Before being separated, Ketti told Babette to get the Wolfsbane from a drawer in the bedroom and to be careful around her brother Patrick. The Boy’s Farm turned out to be a wonderful, self-supporting farm where troubled boys could learn to live and work in harmony. Martin Preston, the manager, was kind and trusting and kept a sharp eye on both the farm and his two beautiful young daughters. But, strange things soon began to occur at the farm. First, one morning a calf was found mutilated and a dog with its throat slit. The next night one of the boys did not wake up. He was white as a sheet, and apparently his heart had stopped in the night. Old Rufus was very suspicious of the boys, but he worried that his beloved charge Marsh was responsible. He struggled to stay awake each night and prevent the boys from going out.

Meanwhile, Babette was convinced that her mother was now insane, and would try to kill Patrick as soon as she was released. Babette felt strongly that she must do something to stop her mother.