The Dire Mother

""Well, as they say: there's no business like show business.""

- Cyrus regarding Margaret

Margaret Shelburne, chosen to be The Dire Mother by millionaire Cyrus Kriticos, is a minor villain, yet major character in Thir13en Ghosts. She is also the mother of Harold Shelburne, The Great Child. She was portrayed by Laurie Soper.

Before death
Margaret was a three feet tall midget since her childhood, being dessed like a doll by her own mother, sometimes. She searched for sustenance at a carnival, owned by a man named Jimbo, being shown as a freak for an audience to laugh at her. One day, at the circus, she was raped by another freak, the "Tall Man". The result of that act was her son, Harold, whom she loved more than life itself, spoiling him since his baby years. One day, some of the freaks decided to play a little joke and kidnapped Margaret, keeping her in a plastic bag. Enraged, Harold chased after them, but when he reached the freaks, it was too late: Margaret was already dead, suffocated by the bag she was in, her son doomed to die shortly after.

Ghost
Margaret is never seen apart from her son, constantly seen feeding or holding hands with him. She wears a worn-out doll clothing, and is incredibly small due to her condition, especially in comparison with her son. Her face is completely wrinkled due to her age.

Role in the movie
Margaret is only seen twice before the climax, and always by Harold's side. She is finally seen at the climax, leaving the house with her son and the other ghosts, crossing over after being realeased from the Ocularis Infernum.