Contents
Chapter 3
Overview
As the severe storm nears, Casey methodically secures her property and prepares the cabin for power loss. Her isolation and preference for solitude are underscored while she fortifies windows and sets candles. The chapter ends with a chilling turn: Casey sees a pale face at her bedroom window, signaling imminent danger.
Summary
Casey returns inside, listens to urgent radio warnings about an imminent storm, and confirms Rudy has left. Determined to mitigate damage, she surveys the darkening sky and secures loose items, moving branches and her lawn mower into the rickety toolshed despite its poor condition.
She assesses the cabin’s vulnerability, especially the old roof, as wind and first raindrops arrive. Accepting that repairs won’t happen before the storm, she locks up and focuses on practical defenses.
Inside, Casey tapes Xs over the windows for support, then prepares for the expected power outage by placing numerous candles throughout the cabin, favoring cedar-scented ones. She distributes them strategically in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom to avoid moving them later in the dark.
In her bedroom, Casey reflects on seven months of solitude and her disinterest in company, recalling rebuffed advances and valuing her privacy and space. She positions the last candle on the windowsill.
As she reaches for the spot by the window, the calm is shattered: a pale face appears outside the glass, abruptly transforming storm preparation into a direct, personal threat.
Who Appears
- CaseyProtagonist; prepares the cabin for a severe storm, secures yard and windows, sets candles, and is startled by a pale face at her window.
- Unknown intruderA pale face suddenly appears outside Casey’s bedroom window, signaling a potential threat.
- RudyNegligent landlord; his truck is gone as Casey prepares for the storm, lingering source of unresolved repairs.