TWO YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS AGO

In a flashback to two years and eight months earlier, Grayson sits alone on the floor of the tree house after Emily’s death. He holds a piece of metal connected to an old haiku and thinks about his childhood obsession with perfect words, deciding that his failure to be perfect has led to Emily’s death.

Grayson remembers Emily vividly and forces himself to say that she is dead. He blames himself because he took Emily to the cliffs when Jameson would not, and he believes that someone like him is not allowed to make mistakes.

A violent sound interrupts Grayson’s grief. From the tree house window, Grayson sees Jameson below, using an ax and other blades to destroy one of the bridges. Jameson keeps striking the bridge even though it is barely holding, as if he wants it to collapse beneath him.

Nash runs to stop Jameson, warning that Jameson will hurt himself. Jameson answers with bitter detachment and continues destroying the tree house, while Grayson assumes that Jameson blames him and thinks Jameson should. Nash tries to redirect Jameson’s pain, offering to help burn something instead, but Jameson insists on destroying the tree house exactly this way.

When Grayson approaches, Nash warns him back. Grayson refuses and admits aloud that Emily’s death is his fault, but Jameson coldly says nothing is ever Grayson’s fault. Nash finally catches Jameson’s wrist and stops him from swinging the machete.

Grayson’s guilt crystallizes into the thought that he killed Emily. He drops the haiku, picks up the longsword, turns back to the tree house, and begins destroying it alongside Jameson.