Contents
Chapter 26
Overview
During a blackout, Casey and Eleanor light candles, revealing Eleanor’s preparedness and heightening Casey’s unease. Casey offers Eleanor her bed, while Eleanor clings to a bloodstained backpack. After starting a fire, Casey finds a rain-smudged drawing likely from Eleanor, whose contents shock her, escalating suspicion and danger.
Summary
As the power cuts out during the storm, Casey faces the darkness with Eleanor, whom Casey suspects may be involved in recent violence. Eleanor produces a flashlight and lighter, and together they light candles, easing the immediate fear but underscoring Eleanor’s readiness and Casey’s anxiety about potential danger.
Seeking calm, Casey suggests resuming their game, but Eleanor asks to sleep. Casey offers her own bed, choosing apparent trust to defuse tension, while Eleanor keeps her backpack close, its bloodstain still troubling Casey. The guarded bag reinforces Casey’s fear that it may contain incriminating or dangerous items.
While Eleanor is in the bathroom and then the bedroom, Casey starts a fire, recalling old lessons as she tries to stabilize the situation and the cabin’s warmth. During this, Casey spots a scrap of lined, rain-smudged paper on the floor that must have fallen from Eleanor’s pocket.
Casey grabs the paper and discovers it is a drawing, likely by Eleanor. Whatever the image depicts, it horrifies Casey, convincing her that the situation is far worse than she had imagined and intensifying the stakes of sheltering Eleanor in her home.
Who Appears
- CaseyNarrator; manages the blackout, offers Eleanor her bed, worries about the bloodstained backpack, finds a disturbing drawing.
- EleanorBurned teen guest; uses a flashlight and lighter, clings to her backpack, accepts Casey’s bed, drops a shocking drawing.