Melissa appears destroyed, devastated, in the living room of her house. There is nobody. Then she heads for the kitchen, her eyes distant and glazed, and the walk without personality as if she were an undead.

In the kitchen, William and Dora are eating condensed milk pudding, delicious. However, the sight of dessert does not make Melissa wake up from her torpor.

William is the first to notice Pamela devastated and gets up, dropping his spoon to the floor. Dora chokes on the mouthful that was in her mouth.

"Melissa! My dear sister, what is going on?" William asks desperately.

"Oh, Will!" Melissa cries and sobs, "They're saying that Josias...