Tear Jerker / Wait Till Helen Comes

• Molly tries so hard to be a good stepsister to Heather, but the little girl hates her (as well as Michael and Jean) and does everything she can to make their lives miserable. She once destroyed Molly's old Barbie dolls that she was saving her for her own children.
• In the graphic novel, Molly's expression as she lies awake in bed listening to her mother and stepfather argue, as the result of Heather lying that Molly and Michael took her to the pond, then ran off and left her. All the while, Heather is sitting upright in bed and smiling.
• Several little girls over the years have drowned in the waters of Harper Pond, including Mr. Simmons' cousin Rose when they were children. He describes one of those girls who wandered off one day and was found floating in the pond.
  Mr. Simmons: Ten feet under, and all tangled up in weeds. I hope I never see anything that sad again.
  • It turns out that Helen has been luring children to the pond because she is so lonely, and wants them to stay with her. But after they die, they always disappear, and she doesn't know where they go.
    Molly: But the other little girls, the ones who drowned in the pond. What happened to them? Why aren't they with her?
    Heather: They wouldn't stay. They always faded away and left her. She doesn't know where they went. To their parents maybe. They didn't love her enough to stay. (sobbing) And now I've left her too, and she's still alone.
• Molly's, Michael's and Jean's devastated reactions when they come home one day and find out their rooms (and only their rooms, not Heather's or Dave's) and everything in them have been completely destroyed, courtesy of Helen. Even worse, Heather smugly whispers to Molly, "What did I tell you?" and smiles at her. In desperation, Molly blames Heather, but of course their parents don't believe her.
  • After clearing out her destroyed possessions from her room, Molly thinks that it looks as impersonal as a motel room. She also notes that Michael must be depressed because of the loss of his mounted insect collection, which took him years to build.
• The Reveal that Heather accidentally started the fire that killed her mother when she was three. She was playing with the stove and it started a fire that got out of control. She could hear her mother calling her name, but didn't answer because she thought she was going to be spanked. All this time, she has been hiding the truth for four years because she's terrified that her father will hate her if he finds out.
  • Heather also reveals that Helen accidentally started the fire that killed her parents and herself when she knocked over an oil lamp during an argument with her stepfather.
  • Helen floating down to the basement of Harper House and begging her dead parents for forgiveness.
    Helen: It was my fault. My fault, Mama. Mama, Mama, I'm sorry. Forgive me, Mama, forgive me. And you too, Papa Robert. I didn't mean for you to die. Nor Mama either. Nor me, nor me.
• Helen giving her precious silver locket to Heather after passing on, with a message: With love from Helen. Do not forget me.