Jennifer McMahon - Dismantled

DISMANTLEMENT EQUALS FREEDOM.

WHEN TESSS WATER BROKE, she was staring into the long-forgotten

To Understand the Nature of a Thing, it Must be Taken Apart

THE MOOSE, OR RATHER, the left eye, ear, antlers, and

LOOK, DADDY, IM A frog!"

HER RHYTHM IS OFF. Her concentration, gone. Spencer is dead.

THEYRE ON THEIR WAY home from the supermarket, Henry at

WHAT IS A GHOST? Danner says its not always the

TESS HAS WORKED LATE into the night to finish the

LAST SPRING, JUST DAYS after Henry moved into the barn,

We Oppose Technology, Hierarchy, Rules and Laws, and All Forms of Government

ITS A FORTY-MINUTE DRIVE from Henrys office to Alden. Route

DONT GO OUT OF sight. Stay where I can see

YOURE LATE, TESS ANNOUNCES when he walks in the door.

DRIVING HOME FROM HER appointment with Julia, owner of the

DID YOU GIVE THIS to her?

TESSS HAND IS TREMBLING so hard she cant get the

THEY SIT IN THE kitchen drinking the coffee Henry made

HENRY LEFT THE KITCHEN to go work on his canoe.

HENRY FINDS A ROLL of black plastic, cuts off a

SHE PICKS UP THE phone after the first ring.

EMMA OPENS HER EYES. Danner is standing above her, holding

DRIVING OUT TO THE lake, Henry remembers helping Suz stretch

TWO A.M. EMMAS ASLEEP, her belly full of cocoa. Henrys

HENRY STAGGERS DOWN THE path. Trips on tree roots. He

THIS IS HOW IT began. A series of seemingly random

SHE LOWERED THE RAZOR blade, traced the surface of her

WHERE THE HELL HAVE you been?

The Universe Was Created Inchaos, and the Only True Creative Force is Chaos

DADDY! EMMA CRIES WHEN he enters the kitchen the next

IM GOING OUT TO the garden, she tells her dad.

AFTER TESS LEFT THIS morning, Henry found the Swedish vodka

DO YOU MIND IF I smoke?

DRIFTING IN AND OUT. Clouds in the sky. Clouds in

PASSION?

HENRY DOES NOT NEED stitches. Winnie was able to revive

THERE WAS A FACE down there at the bottom of

IT LOOKS WORSE THAN it is, Henry promises.

WINNIES NEARLY TO THE cabin when she realizes she left

TESS CAN STILL TASTE the sweet floral smoke of Claire

ITS NEARLY MIDNIGHT. THE main house is dark and Henrys

SHES COLD. SCARED. EMMAS been watching her fathers barn all

TESS HEARS HENRY DRIVE off, and slips out of the

HENRY TAKES A STEP toward her, staggers a little. Hes

I WAS ABOUT TO call the police, Tess says as

Dismantlement is an Act of Compassion as Well as an Act of Revolution

SUZ IS KISSING HER.

HES SWIMMING OUT TO the center of the lake, his

IT MAY BE TIME to call off Operation Reunite, Mel

CLAIRE HAS LOADED HER mesh shoulder bag with sourdough bread,

IT LOOKS LIKE THE same wig, Henry tells her. He

IVE NEVER TOLD ANYONE this before, Tess says, her face

I DONT BELIEVE THIS, Tess says. Twice in one week

SHE BOBS AND WEAVES. Practices her footwork. Side step, side

IM SORRY ABOUT THE window, Emma whispers into the phone.

TESS IS STANDING IN line at the supermarket, casting an

July 14Cabin by the lake

TESS WAKES UP DISORIENTED and in complete darkness. Shes naked.

HENRY FREEZES IN THE doorway of Emmas room. Emma and

IM NOT SURE THEY liked you, Emma whispers, curling up

WHERE THE HELL DID she get that wig? Tess asks.

July 21Cabin by the lake

TWO A.M. AND TESS lies in bed, tossing and turning,

THE CLOCK ON THE dashboard says 10:21 A.M. as Winnie

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR hand? Erin LaBlanc asks. Vanessa Sanchez

WHAT WAS SPENCERS ROLE in the group? Bill asks.

HES FINGERING THE THICK shards of broken lightbulb on the

EMMA IS ON HER hands and knees, dabbing a Q-tip

TESS ISNT SURE THE Volvo will make it up the

WHAT? MEL SNAPS INTO the phone.

June 17Cabin by the lake

NEARLY MIDNIGHT. TESS HAS worked out, showered, watched the evening

THE HOUSE IS TOO quiet. He settles in on the

TELL ME YOUR BIGGEST secret, Claire says. The one thing

HE WAKES UP GASPING, drenched in sweat, his heart thudding

Dismantlement = Freedom

HENRY GLANCES OUT THE window toward the Blazer as he

EMMA HAS MADE A sculpture of herself this time, a

RUNNING LATE, HENRY HEADS for his workshop to grab the

WINNIES SITTING AT THE table in the cabin, wearing the

PARKED ON THE BEACH, Henry stares out at the water

EMMA CRAWLS OUT FROM under the tarp, lowers herself over

PUSHING OFF IS EASIER than he thought it would be.

THERE WAS A LOUD rapping at the cabin door, and

WHEN TESS WAKES UP, the first thing she thinks is

SUZ? HES SQUINTING AT her, not quite believing. This isnt

EMMAS MOVING FAST THROUGH the water, her cadence perfect. Shes

WHEN SUZ DIVES OFF the front, it makes the canoe

I WAS SO CLOSE to piecing everything together, Bill Lunde

Look in the Mirror to See What You Saw

HENRYS ON THE FLOOR of his workshop, amid the sawdust

TESSS EYES ARE MOVING from wall to canvas as she

WINNIE ROLLS OVER. THE train is rattling along on its

IN ORDER TO TRULY understand something, you have to take