# Seven-Day Terror explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by R. A. Lafferty.

## What happens

Nine-year-old Clarence Willoughby builds a 'disappearer' from a beer can and cardboard, causing objects and even people to vanish for exactly seven days. His younger sister Clarissa, who knows how to reverse the effect, eventually restores everything after a week of chaos, revealing that she had read the instructions in Clarence's diary.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Absurd and Inexplicable

The disappearances defy logic and science, yet are caused by a child's simple toy, highlighting the absurdity of the inexplicable.

### Knowledge and Its Limits

Clarissa's secret knowledge of how to make and reverse the disappearer contrasts with the scientists' inability to explain the phenomenon.

### Social Politeness and Repression

The Willoughby family's casual handling of the crisis and Clarissa's cryptic remarks reflect a veneer of politeness masking deeper chaos.

## Character check-ins

### Clarissa Willoughby

Eight-year-old sister who knows how to reverse the disappearances and orchestrates the return of all vanished objects after seven days.

### Clarence Willoughby

Nine-year-old boy who builds the 'disappearer' and causes the seven-day terror by making objects and people vanish.

### Myra Willoughby

Mother of Clarence and Clarissa; initially allows Clarence to test the disappearer on Blanche Manners' cat.

### Nokomis

Bartender at the Plugged Nickel who advises Clarence and later serves 'Fire Hydrant Highballs' during the chaos.

### Officer Comstock

Suspicious police officer who correctly suspects one of the Willoughby children is behind the disappearances.

### Dr. Velikof Vonk

One of the eminent scientists baffled by the disappearances, discussing the phenomenon in metaphysical and quantum terms.

## Key lines

> This transcends the metaphysical. It impinges on the quantum continuum. In some ways it obsoletes Boff.

This goes beyond philosophy and affects the very fabric of reality, making previous theories obsolete.

_Dr. Velikof Vonk expresses the scientific community's bewilderment at the disappearances._

> I have a suspicion verging on a certainty. As of now I can say no more.

I'm almost sure what's happening, but I'm not ready to reveal it yet.

_Clarissa hints that she knows more about the disappearances than she lets on._

> I knew he was the one that did it. He read in my diary how to make a disappearer.

I knew Clarence was responsible because he stole the instructions from my diary.

_Clarissa reveals that Clarence copied the disappearer design from her private writings._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_45_se/chapters/seven-day-terror
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_45_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_45_se/chapters