“Hello?”

“Hi, sweetie, it’s Daddy. Can you hand the phone to Mommy?”

“No, Daddy, she’s in the attic with Uncle Mark.”

A pause.

“Sweetheart… you don’t have an Uncle Mark.”

“Oh, but I do! He’s in the attic with Mommy right now!”

Another pause, this one heavier. Daddy’s voice lowers. “Okay, listen carefully, honey. Put the phone down, go to the attic, knock on the door, and tell Mommy that Daddy’s home.”

“Okay, Daddy! Hold on!”

The line goes silent for a moment. Then the little girl comes back.

“I did it, Daddy!”

“And? What happened?” Daddy’s voice quivers.

“Well, Mommy got really scared. She jumped out of bed and ran to the attic stairs, but she tripped and hit her head. She’s lying on the floor now and not moving.”

Daddy’s heart pounds. “What about Uncle Mark?”

“Oh, he got scared too! He tried to climb out the window, but it was locked, so he jumped into the tree instead. He’s stuck there. I think he might be sleeping.”

A long, excruciating silence follows. Daddy’s mind races. Finally, he swallows hard and stammers:

“Wait… tree? Sweetheart, is this 775-4932?”