Contents
Chapter 1
Overview
Laurel enters her adult daughter Hanna’s dreary flat and, seeing no signs of her return the previous night, spirals into fear. Haunted by Ellie’s past disappearance, Laurel calls Hanna’s office and confirms she’s safe. The moment underscores Laurel’s ongoing trauma, isolation, and the family’s unresolved loss.
Summary
Laurel lets herself into her daughter Hanna’s gloomy flat, a place overshadowed by wisteria and woodland. She notes the impersonal feel and her habitual role as cleaner, reflecting how the flat serves as a stopover in Hanna’s life rather than a home.
Noticing the absence of Hanna’s usual morning traces, Laurel is seized by dread. Her fear is amplified by past trauma: Ellie once left for the library and never returned. With no network to consult, Laurel’s isolation deepens her panic.
Laurel calls Hanna’s mobile and reaches voicemail, heightening her alarm. She searches online for Hanna’s office number, calls, and hears, “Hanna Mack speaking.” Relief floods in; Laurel hangs up without speaking.
Grounded again by routine, Laurel opens the dishwasher and resumes unstacking it, her quiet domestic act revealing the fragile equilibrium she maintains in the long shadow of Ellie’s disappearance.
Who Appears
- LaurelMother haunted by Ellie’s disappearance; panics at Hanna’s absence, confirms her safety at work, resumes cleaning.
- Hanna MackLaurel’s adult daughter; absent from her flat but reachable at work, highlighting her detached, hotel-like life.
- Ellie MackMissing daughter referenced; her disappearance drives Laurel’s acute anxiety and overreaction.