The Key to Extraordinary

Emma watches Earl and his mother. When he looks at her, she slides under the table, and Cody Belle follows. Emma reveals last night’s events. She traces the constellation of holes drilled into the floor, which look like stars. She worries that Earl will recognize her and tell Granny Blue about the graveyard. Cody Belle insists that that will not happen because Earl has not spoken since surviving a tornado last spring.

Just then, Topher’s band plays “Darlin’ Daisy,” an old folk tune. The song instructs a girl named Daisy to dance through the forest and town and to ride away and not get caught. Amid the excitement, Emma and Cody Belle watch Earl. The happiness in the crowd is palpable, making Emma long to find the treasure even more. She feels that she needs to save the cafe. Then, Earl and Emma shiver at the same time, which she attributes to the “Touch,” a feeling of fingers brushing the back of the neck. Some think that it's ghosts, others believe it’s angels, and still others say that it’s the whispered prayers of deceased loved ones. When Earl catches her eye, instead of looking away, Emma smiles.

Suddenly, a howling wind pushes the doors open. When Earl screams and crouches with his hands over his ears, Emma rushes to his side. Outside, red rose petals rain from the sky. It is a Gypsy Rose summer, which only happens when ghosts “are trying to get” people’s “attention” (77). When Earl leaves, Emma follows and introduces herself, explaining why she chased him in the cemetery. As Emma shares random facts about herself, including her fears, the clouds dissipate, and the sunset is visible. Emma’s banter almost makes Earl smile. When she offers a daisy and hot cocoa, Earl accepts both.

The next morning, Club Pancake—Granny Blue, Aunt Greta, and Uncle Peri—is in the cafe discussing Warren Steele’s contract. Peri and Greta are still against the idea. As Emma secretly watches them, she marvels at how many friends they have lost and at the strength of the human heart to endure grief. Then, the conversation switches to how Peri told Emma about the Conductor, which angers Blue because she worries that Emma will search for the treasure. Peri reminds Blue that he heard the Conductor’s song during a Gypsy Rose summer. As Peri recounts his exploits, Emma’s mind wanders to the glowing flowers in the Thicket, and she feels the Touch. Emma vows to find the treasure, save the cafe, and get rid of the Big Empty. Suddenly, she realizes that the key in her dream is for the Conductor’s treasure chest. She resolves to return to the Thicket, but not alone.

Emma wants Cody Belle’s help, but this will be challenging because the girl fears ghosts and graveyards. Before sunrise, Emma hops on her bike and pedals to her best friend’s house. Terrified by Emma’s plan, Cody Belle needs significant convincing to join the quest to find the treasure. However, Emma wears her down, and they decide to go that very morning while Blue is still busy in the cafe. When they emerge into the living room, Mrs. Chitwood is watching the rose petals fall and reminiscing about the first time she saw them. As she hugs Cody Belle, Emma’s heart aches for her own mother until she, too, is pulled into the hug.

When Emma and Cody Belle get to the cemetery, they sneak into the Thicket from the Wailing Woods. Everything goes silent. Emma recalls how her mother always said that the graveyard was sacred and that special places have a thin veil between worlds. The birds begin singing again, and the girls move through the Thicket. Emma shares that the Conductor’s voice did not sound like a man. As they wander among old graves, Emma leaves bouquets at each one. When she helps Cody Belle get out of a spiderweb, they feel the Touch. Then, Emma turns around to see violets springing up from the mud to form a trail to a gravestone. Cody Belle tries to flee, but Emma stops her, and they inch down the violet path. Tangled among the ivy on the marker are the three flowers from Emma’s dream: violets, daisies, and roses. When they clear the gravestone, they discover an etching of a compass rose. While Cody sketches it in her notebook, Emma realizes that the tomb belongs to Lily Kate Abernathy, the Wildflower who is missing an entry in the Book of Days.

When the girls return to the cafe, they are shaking. After taking a few sips of Boneyard Brew, Cody Belle calms down and notes that there is probably no treasure beneath the tombstone. Emma questions why Lily Kate’s page is missing from the Book of Days. When she suggests that maybe Lily Kate failed at her destiny, Emma says, “At least I’m not my family’s first failure” (105).

When Topher gives Emma peach-lavender muffins to bring to a customer, she is sidetracked by Granny Blue at the jukebox. Emma knows that something is wrong, and she finds out that Warren Steele’s people are coming to survey the land. Now upset, Emma is even more determined to find the treasure. When she says the name Daphne Prescott out loud, Blue knows that Emma is thinking about the Wildflowers and warns her against doing anything wild. Then, she tells Emma to deliver the muffins. At the table, she sees Waverly and Cody Belle, who already brought a new order of muffins. They are talking about the Wailing Woods and other haunted places. Before leaving, Emma asserts that the ghosts in Blackbird Hollow are friendly; Waverly admits that she does not believe in ghosts or love.

On the front porch, Emma and Cody Belle create posters for a peaceful protest against Warren’s crew surveying the land today. Cody Belle asks her where she got the idea, and Emma recounts the story of Daphne from the Book of Days: As a 74-year-old woman, she protested for women’s right to vote. By the time Warren’s men arrive, a crowd of people blocks the cemetery’s entrance. An old man, who seems to be in charge, promises not to harm the graves. Emma does not have the gate key, so the crew must climb over the gate. Among the crowd is Earl Chance. Although he does not speak, he looks ready to smile. When Warren’s men hear a screeching noise from the Wailing Woods, they flee, thinking that it was a ghost. The noise is actually Uncle Peri on a squeaky bike shouting for Emma to follow him. The girls and Earl run to get bikes. As Topher comes outside, Emma sees Waverly leaving quietly and looking sad.