Wait Till Helen Comes

Twelve-year old Molly is the right-brained sibling in the family: artistic, emotional, and intuitive. She enjoys cozying up with a good book and loves creative writing.

Her love of reading and watching scary stories fuels her vivid imagination, which in turn fuels her anxieties: Molly’s ability to envision terrifying things like Helen decaying in her coffin and her own eventual death contributes to her fearfulness. As Heather scornfully notes, Molly “thinks everything is dangerous” (71). Even Michael thinks Molly is a “scaredy cat” afraid of everything from bugs to bones. Her little brother’s practicality makes Molly embarrassed by her fears, revealing her self-reflective side. She acknowledges her fears and tries to suppress them to keep others from thinking she is a “baby.”

Molly’s sensitivity manifests in other ways as well. She loves her mother deeply. She admires beauty, easily imagining the old Harper House in its glory 100 years ago. Molly also believes she possesses a sixth sense—one that alerts her when things are wrong and allows her to see Helen. Molly has faith in her heightened sensitivity and keenly feels others’ censure. She is hurt and betrayed when Michael does not believe she saw a ghost.