“Cassidy, please,” my father murmured. “We’re all stressed here. If you just say—”
I scratched the wood table. Saliva gathered at the corners of my mouth. “For the last time, my name … is not … Cassidy.”
“Cassidy, honey.” Tears sparkled in her eyes.
“My name’s not Cassidy!” I pounded my fist and the remaining puzzle pieces jumped. “My name’s not Cassidy. My name’s not Cassidy!” My shrieks filled the hushed room where other visitors’ heads swiveled to watch. “My name’s not Cassidy!” A young girl nearby squished her hands to her ears. “Not Cassidy!”
The woman that was my mother slumped into the man that was my father. An openmouthed o of alarm was pinned to his lips.
“Do you hear me?” I screamed at them with such force that they pulled back like I’d literally blown them there. “Do you hear what I’m saying? I’m not Cassidy! Stop calling me that!”
Out of nowhere orderlies arrived on either side of me, strapping my arms to the chair, unlocking the brakes, wheeling me backward.
“Marcy,” I muttered. “My name, I told you, is Marcy.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Dear Reader,
This book is about one character’s fictionalized response to an assault. There are as many ways to react to the aftermath of sexual assault and survivor trauma as there are victims. Although this is a horror novel, the true horror is that the inciting incidents contained in these pages are not far off from true-life events that are happening across high school and college campuses right now.
For support or for more information, please visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at www.rainn.org or call their hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
Sincerely,
Chandler Baker
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
SITTING DOWN TO write this book, I felt lucky to be able to return to the world of Hollow Pines. Thank you to the team at Feiwel and Friends who made it possible: Holly West and Jean Feiwel, you both pushed me to take this story in a difficult but more personal direction. Holly, you’ve been the champion of these books. Thank you for loving Cassidy, Marcy, and Lena along with me. Molly Brouillette and Kallam McKay, I appreciate your hard work in helping these books reach their audience. Veronica Ambrose and Melinda Ackell, you keep me from making embarrassing mistakes within these pages for which I’m particularly grateful. And Rich Deas, thank you for having a vision and for creating gorgeous books.
When writing a horror story, it’s nice to have people who can make the process a little less scary: A huge virtual hug goes out to Tony DiSanto. You’re always willing to throw your heart and support behind these books. And to the rest of the team at DiGa, especially Tommy Coriale, Michael Maniaci, and Hayley Brooks, it’s a thrill to be able to work with you.
Shirine Coburn DiSanto and Meghan Holston, you didn’t have to, but you’ve adopted this project as your own and continued to be so generous with your time. Thank you both.
To my agent, Dan Lazar, your career advice this year has been invaluable. I’m glad to have someone like you in my court. And to Torie, for chasing down everything that needs chasing down.
I had a number of smart readers and friends who offered thoughts and motivation. Jeff and Maggie Langevin for clutch brainstorming. To Lori Goldstein, Kelly Loy Gilbert, Shana Silver, and Lee Kelly, thank you for providing a community of writers that understand. Charlotte Huang, as you know, I strongly believe that our e-mails are a little bit magic.
To my book club—Emily O’Brien, Kelley Flores, Lisa McQueen, Wendy Pursch, Julia Teague, Amy Morehouse, Kristen Largent, Kandice Karla, Whitney Waters, Kate Stein, and Susan Hobbs—for your cheerleading but also for years’ worth of lively conversations about books I might never have picked up on my own. Also the wine.
Lastly, big thanks to my family. My parents, Coni and Mike, you understand my crazy schedule and love to pitch in. To my daughter, thank you for your patience in letting me finish this book prior to your arrival and then for your promptness immediately thereafter. To my husband, Rob, hell hath no fury like a woman who is nine months pregnant and on deadline. Thank you for your patience and for your supply of chocolate milk, peaches, and boxed mac ’n’ cheese, among other things.