Content Warning: This section explores violent, abusive, sexual, and occult subject matter. It also replicates Bartz’s use of the controversial adjective “queer” when analyzing her depiction of female sexuality.

Alex attends a book-release party for her friend Ursula. She brings a work colleague, Pete, as a buffer: She suspects her ex-best friend, Wren, will also attend the event. Alex does not want to endure a confrontation.

Alex and Wren met while working at an educational publishing company and bonded over their mutual love for writing and authors. In particular, they shared a mutual fondness for feminist horror maven Roza Vallo. Wren had asked Alex to join the writing group she ran with Ursula. After years of friendship, however, an incident at Wren’s birthday party ended their relationship with a sudden finality. Most of their mutual friends had remained loyal to Wren, with Ursula being the exception.

After Alex catches Wren’s eye at the book-release event, she is saddened to see that Wren looks at her with “revulsion” (9). Alex asks Pete to leave with her.