More on John Croft. Does it sound like I'm bored with him? I'm not.
John Croft’s daughter, Marie, died when she was 7 years old. During the Nightmare Cometh short story she returns. She was able to re enter this world by hitching a ride on the activities of demons and other supernatural events. The first time he experiences this is when he sees the bum on the street. The next time is when he awakens to the sound of his voice mail and sees the bum in the bathroom mirror. The next time is when he sees her in the car wreck. Then also right before he is alone on the street. He hears her laughter as he is in the nightmare of the empty street. When Mariana showed him her fingers. When he saw the bum in the street on his way to peters. When he drinks the water in Peters office.