Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina feels powerful and content upon donning the Cloak, and by a supernatural intuition, she knows its history: A sorcerer from the nearby village created the cloak but tried to destroy it when he realized that it consumed souls. He attempted to throw the Cloak down a deep well, but it would not let go of him; finally, he threw himself down the well along with Cloak. He died there, but the Cloak did not decay. Mr. Thorne found it when, in a drunken state, he fell down the same well in his angst over losing his wealth. Serafina is thrilled to finally “find all the answers” (234). When she pulls up the hood of the Cloak, however, she hears and sees all the enslaved souls the Cloak has taken, including a girl dressed in yellow who misses her mother and another girl who speaks Russian. The images prompt Serafina to rip the Cloak off, but it wraps itself around her hands and tells her that they will be strong together. Serafina knows she must destroy the Cloak. Suddenly Mr. Thorne grabs her by the ankle.