Contents
17. Eden
Overview
Eden sneaks into The Manor to see Gabriella, hoping a family photo will prove her identity. Instead, she finds Gabriella’s unnervingly expert paintings of Spyglass—somewhere Gabriella has never been. When confronted, Gabriella speaks for the first time in ten years to deny Eden as her mother, escalating Eden’s identity crisis.
Summary
Late at night, Eden drives to The Manor, a secure mental health facility where her daughter Gabriella lives, intending to prove her identity by retrieving a family photo she left in Gabriella’s room. She persuades the night staffer to let her in by claiming a time-sensitive family emergency.
As Eden is escorted through the building, she reflects on Gabriella’s childhood accident—struck by a police car—her subsequent mutism, and the strain it placed on Eden’s marriage to Harrison. Eden admits guilt over placing Gabriella in the facility and recalls that painting has been Gabriella’s only form of expression.
In Gabriella’s rooms, Eden forgets the photo when she sees dozens of paintings: all are striking, mature depictions of Spyglass, Eden’s new house in Cornwall—a place Gabriella has never visited. The discovery unsettles Eden and links Gabriella to Eden’s current troubles.
When the staffer wakes Gabriella, the girl appears frightened. Then, breaking a decade of silence, Gabriella whispers that Eden is not her mother. This shocks Eden and deepens the mystery around her erased identity and the strange connection to Spyglass.
Who Appears
- Eeden FoxBreaks into The Manor at night to see Gabriella and find proof of her identity; discovers Spyglass paintings; identity is challenged.
- Gabriella WoolfEden’s daughter, mute for ten years; has painted Spyglass despite never visiting; speaks to deny Eden is her mother.
- Night staff womanWeary, all in white; reluctantly admits Eden and escorts her to Gabriella’s room, unlocking the door.