The Elementals

by Michael McDowell

To them all, Beldame represented the fair and possible reward for distress, misfortune, and labor in this world—it was to them a heaven on earth, and resembled the other, preached-of heaven in that it was bright, remote, timeless, and empty.

“It was the Elementals,” he said quietly. “It was the Elementals playing tricks on you—playing tricks on all of us.”

And the evil spirits in the third house are called Elementals.”

But really all we know is that there’re presences in the house at Beldame, and they’re evil.”

“And they’re called Elementals because they belong to the elements of nature or something like that?”

Luker nodded, and no one thought it strange that a thirteen-year-old girl should have the power to impose such restrictions.

The strangely adult behaviour of 13-year-old India is one of the book's curiosities.