As another summer rolls around, Lainey Moore finds herself thinking back to a time when her life was completely turned upside down. That unimaginable string of events that brought her into the center of the hubbub surrounding those August Girls, leaving her no longer carefree. Naïve. Normal. No, despite how hard she tries to suppress what happened all those years ago, the warm, sticky air always brings her back to that chaos. That anxiety. That Girl.

Pushing past it, though, Lainey throws herself into her work as a physical therapy assistant. Whether at the hospital or visiting homes around the city of Philadelphia, there is plenty to distract her, even if those old thoughts keep trying to bubble up. Then, as the clock ticks, she’s consumed by something else. Something unexpected. Something eerie.

There’s that one patient she just can’t shake. An initially quiet, compliant man who further clings to her with every visit. The more he shares his past, the deeper their connection grows—but at what cost? Each time she steps into his barren house, a heavier weight falls onto her shoulders. She can feel a darkness trying to burst out, like glass beginning to crack. Still, his desperation keeps drawing her closer. She can’t help but think that she’s supposed to be within those walls, and she’ll understand it all when the time is right.

Content Warnings: Addiction, Anxiety, General Violence, Missing Persons