The House in the Pines

It’s the middle of the night and 25-year-old Maya is struggling to sleep, a symptom of Klonopin withdrawal. Seven years ago, Maya’s psychiatrist prescribed Klonopin—a sedative used to treat anxiety and panic disorders—for sleep issues, without informing her that Klonopin is addictive. Maya had been buying Klonopin from her friend Wendy after aging out of her health insurance coverage. However, Maya recently lost contact with Wendy and was forced to abruptly stop taking Klonopin. Withdrawal symptoms include “Insomnia, anxiety, tremors, muscle spasms, paranoia, agitation [and] the possibility of hallucinations” (6). After three restless nights, Maya tries gin and NyQuil to bring about sleep.

Maya’s boyfriend Dan, a 25-year-old law student in the middle of exams, wakes and checks to see if Maya is okay. Dan and Maya have been together for two and a half years; they moved in together earlier in the month. Maya has been working in a service role at Kelly’s Garden Center since graduation. She dreams of being a writer, but can’t bring herself to work on her writing. Maya has never told Dan that she was taking Klonopin and doesn’t know how to tell him she is now going through withdrawal.

Maya goes back to sleep and has a vivid dream about Frank, a man from her past, and a strange cabin in the woods. The cabin is mesmerizing and seductive, though Maya can sense “Danger in its coziness, its warmth” (12). She feels Frank’s presence everywhere. Maya wakes covered in sweat, then checks the clock—it’s only 5:49am.

With sleep continuing to escape her, Maya distracts herself by watching videos on her phone. She comes across a video titled “Girl Dies on Camera” (14) from her hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Maya watches as a woman named Cristina Lewis and a familiar man walk into a diner and have a seemingly normal interaction, until suddenly the woman falls over onto the table, inexplicably dead. The man in the video is Frank Bellamy, easily recognizable with his “easy walk and disheveled hair” (15). The video leaves Maya distressed—she has seen this happen before.

Maya’s connection with Frank dates back to the summer after high school, when Maya and Frank dated for a short time. This is the same summer Maya witnessed the sudden and unexplained death of her best friend Aubrey West, while Aubrey was talking with Frank.

Maya and Aubrey met in their ninth grade English class and quickly bonded. Both loved poetry and were outsiders. Aubrey was used to moving around and being the new girl at school, so had little experience maintaining friendships. Maya’s Guatemalan father died before she was born, so Maya was solely raised by her white mother. As a result, Maya felt out of place with both the Hispanic and white communities in Pittsfield. Though Maya didn’t know much about her family in Guatemala, Maya loved books and aspired to be a writer like her father.

Maya was convinced Frank was responsible for Aubrey’s death, which felt like a “magic trick” to Maya (20), though there was no logical explanation for how Frank could’ve killed Aubrey: “There was no weapon, no poison, no contact of any kind […] but [Maya] insisted that he had deceived them all somehow” (20). The police questioned Frank, but found nothing that concerned them. They warned Maya to stop accusing Frank since “she could ruin a man’s life that way” (21).

Concerned about Maya’s mental health—especially due to a family history of mental health challenges—Maya’s mother, Brenda Edwards, found Maya a psychiatrist. Dr. Fred Barry diagnosed Maya with “brief psychotic disorder” (21) and prescribed antipsychotics, followed by Klonopin once Maya showed improvement. The drugs, along with alcohol, helped Maya escape fearful thoughts about Frank. Maya began attending Boston University in the fall, where her substance use was high enough that she blacked out most nights.

Maya met Dan a little over a year after graduating BU. The two connected over a shared love for Greek myth. Dan wasn’t much of a drinker, inspiring Maya to drink less alcohol. She began relying more on Klonopin instead, taking higher doses as she built up tolerance. Maya has been able to keep her anxious thoughts about Frank at bay, until the video brings them back.

Maya shows Dan the “Girl Dies on Camera” video and tells him the details of Aubrey’s death, including Maya’s suspicion that Frank is responsible for both deaths. Dan sympathizes, but struggles to believe Frank could be responsible, given the lack of plausible evidence or logical explanation. Maya continues to keep her Klonopin withdrawal a secret from Dan, concerned that telling him will further minimize her credibility.

Dan’s parents invite Dan and Maya to their house for dinner to celebrate Dan’s mother’s birthday. Maya makes a cake, thinking about her mother Brenda, who used to stress-bake to cope with Brenda’s older sister Lisa. Lisa and Brenda were close. However, at age 15, Lisa began showing signs of mental illness. Lisa was concerned about toxic fumes from nearby Silver Lake, which had a long history of contamination from factories and PCBs. These thoughts quickly became obsessive. Lisa turned to alcohol and drugs to self-medicate; she died at age 21. Brenda’s guilt and their family’s lack of support propelled her to seek psychiatric help the instant Maya showed signs of anxious thoughts. Maya still hasn’t forgiven Brenda for making her take the antipsychotic medicine Dr. Barry prescribed.

Maya wants to impress Dan’s parents; this pressure, combined with the stress of the video, drives her to drink a lot of gin before leaving the house. Maya continues to drink that night at dinner with Dan’s parents, growing more comfortable as the evening goes on and conversation flows naturally. However, when the alcohol suddenly hits Maya, she runs for the bathroom and vomits. Memories of Aubrey’s death and Cristina’s death in the video swirl through her mind.

The book flashes back to the summer after Maya and Aubrey graduated high school.

Maya and Aubrey drive to a popular swimming spot with a waterfall. Aubrey is wearing a favorite amulet with magic words “Sim Sala Bim” (45), the Swedish equivalent of “abracadabra.” Aubrey is a fan of magic, although she doesn’t truly believe in it.

In the car, Maya and Aubrey sing along to Tender Wallpaper, one of their favorite bands. Aubrey, who is staying in Pittsfield to attend community college in the fall, has been acting strange as Maya prepares to leave for Boston University. Aubrey has even started knitting a scarf and won’t tell Maya who it’s for, making Maya feel like Aubrey is keeping secrets.

Aubrey challenges Maya to jump from the waterfall. Maya is scared, but Aubrey’s support encourages her. The friends hold hands and jump together.

In the present, Maya wakes in the middle of the night with a hangover. She remembers throwing up and telling Dan’s parents she has a stomach bug—though Greta seemed to see through this small lie. Maya’s mind races with guilt over Aubrey and Cristina’s deaths and her inability to prove that Frank is a murderer. Maya buys a bus ticket back to Pittsfield in the hopes of showing that Frank is guilty and stopping him from killing anyone else. She packs and wakes Dan to tell him she’s visiting her mom for a few days and will call in sick to work. She promises to be back in time for their appointment at a pet adoption center.

On the bus ride, Maya researches Frank on her phone. She can’t find anything, so she researches Cristina, who was a talented artist. Through a memorial Facebook page, Maya finds Steven Lang, a friend of Cristina’s. Maya reaches out to meet and talk about Frank.

In another flashback, Maya and Aubrey take LSD. When Brenda comes home early and catches them, she stays calm and looks after the girls through their LSD trip. The three watch the movie The Dark Crystal together.

Once the LSD wears off, Brenda expresses her disapproval. Brenda works as an EMT and has seen many drug trips go wrong. Brenda is further concerned since drugs and alcohol worsened her sister Lisa’s mental state—meaning Maya might also be at risk for substance use disorder and other mental health conditions.

In the present, Brenda picks Maya up from the bus station. Things have changed since Maya moved out of the house: Brenda now works as a sous chef and baker, a job she finds less stressful as she ages. Brenda has also turned Maya’s old room into an Airbnb, decorated to satisfy tourists.

When Maya confesses to Brenda about her Klonopin withdrawal, Brenda decides to monitor Maya’s withdrawal symptoms. Maya worries Brenda’s watchful eye will hinder Maya’s quest to prove that Frank murdered Aubrey and Cristina.