The Writing Retreat

Alex stays calm, even in the face of more death. She and Wren are hiding in Roza’s wardrobe. Alex feels compelled to confess that she did push Wren off the stairs on her birthday. Wren admits that what happened between them meant something to her, too, but that she was also confused. She also tells Alex that her fiancé broke up with her before the retreat.

They decide to check Taylor’s room (her real room as Roza’s partner, not her writing-retreat room) to see if they can find more guns. It is a complete mess, and they do not find guns. However, Alex spots the vial of wolfsbane and secrets it away in her bra. Taylor catches them and threatens to kill them both—though Alex knows better. Roza has asked that they finish their books, so Taylor cannot shoot them. Alex wonders aloud why Taylor and Roza have not fled, since Keira has surely reached the police by now. Taylor shows them a picture on her cell phone: It is of Keira’s body, slumped in the snow.

Lamia has now possessed Abigail. Daphne is in serious danger. Lamia has already eviscerated Horace and now she is after Daphne. Daphne realizes she has no choice but to escape to the attic, which she has always hated.

Roza admits her surprise that Alex returned to rescue Wren. She goads her by asking whether Wren would have done the same for her. Alex does not know, but says that she does not really care. Roza notes that “it’s a good twist” (272). Alex assumes she is speaking of current circumstances. However, Roza is talking about Alex’s book, in which Lamia turns out to be the villain. Roza offers Alex a deal: Alex will be able to publish her book after she survives a fire that will kill everyone else at Blackbriar. Roza will need leverage so that Alex keeps quiet about events. With this deal, Alex can get revenge on Wren (by killing her) while also enjoying a book deal. Meanwhile, Roza will disappear. Roza gives her a day to consider. The books should be complete by then.

Alex gives the proposal thought. She cannot imagine killing Wren. She does wonder, though, if Wren would make the same sacrifice for her. She also understands that Roza is offering her everything that she has always wanted, especially the fame and fortune that would accompany a lucrative book deal.

Still, Alex has two surprises up her sleeve. For one thing, Roza does not know that Alex has the vial of wolfsbane. More importantly, Roza does not know how Alex will end her book.

The ghost of Grace, Daphne’s long-deceased younger sister, has returned to help Daphne. She urges Daphne to kill Lamia, to remember Lamia’s weaknesses. But all Daphne can think of is Lamia’s strength. Lamia is stronger than she is. Lamia intones that Daphne herself is the key to Lamia’s return. Lamia intends for Daphne to be devoured and reborn in service of Lamia.

Taylor takes Wren and Alex to the dining room, where they will eat dinner with Roza. Since the two remain handcuffed, Taylor and Chitra feed them. Roza makes a speech about how the two of them are alike: Their childhoods were painful, so they have become survivors. Because they are too much alike, one of them must die for the other to thrive. She demonstrates how the will to survive inevitably overpowers tender emotions by pitting Chitra and Taylor against one another: Taylor slits Chitra’s throat, and another body is added to the count. Roza announces that the time has come for their last game.

Roza instructs them to write their final pages, then to print them. They will then decide which manuscript wins by destroying the other. Alex at last realizes that Roza intends that either Alex or Wren will take Taylor’s place, but she is unsure whether Taylor herself understands that she is part of Roza’s cruel game. Alex decides to take matters into her own hands. She asks for a wine from the decanter, pours herself a glass, then slips the wolfsbane into what is left of the wine. Roza announces that they have two hours in which to complete their manuscripts.

Daphne finally realizes what Lamia’s weakness is: Lamia believes herself to be invincible. Daphne herself finally realizes that she is a survivor.

Alex reflects on her writing, on the absurd fact that she is writing under threat of death. She considers her past struggles and insecurities. She understands that strength does not always equal power, much less justice. She decides, again, to take control. She tells Roza she is finished with her book, then throws the pages of the manuscript into the fire. Roza instructs Taylor, “Kill her” (290).

Alex proposes a toast to the end of the standoff, prompting Roza, Taylor, and Wren to pour themselves glasses of wine from the poisoned decanter. She gives Wren a signal: Do not drink. But Taylor and Roza do drink, though probably not enough to kill them. Alex catches a glimpse of Daphne in the room, sneaking up behind the couch. She picks up a vase and smashes it into Taylor’s head. Taylor falls to the floor, likely dead. Alex cannot believe her eyes: It is not Daphne she has seen; it is Keira, very much alive. Roza runs, and the three pursue her.

Roza absconds to the attic. Alex laughs at how her story continues to spring to life. They follow her up, but Roza manages to grab Wren and holds a knife to her neck. Upon questioning, Roza discovers that Chitra had been taking care of Keira since she was shot. Roza promises to release Wren if they hand over the gun to her. She will lock them in the house while she makes her escape. Reluctantly, they acquiesce. For some reason, Alex knows that Roza will not kill them. She asks Alex for a last conversation, away from the others. Roza praises Alex for her writing skills and for her survival instincts.

Alex wonders if she would have given her book to Roza, had events unfolded differently during the retreat. Alex allows herself a brief daydream in which she and Roza embark on a trip together, heading off for “our new life together” (298).

Six months after the end of the retreat, Alex is reading an excerpt of her recently published novel, The Great Commission. Daphne survives her final encounter with Lamia, and she surveys the burned body of Abigail. She will begin a new life with her new name, Elizabeth.

Alex has stipulated that she will answer no questions during her book tour. She knows that questions about Roza and her retreat will inevitably arise, but she is uninterested in answering these. Ursula approaches her and asks if the three survivors of the retreat will be collaborating on a book about their experiences. Alex says no, and adds that she wants no association with the film rights that might be negotiated. She knows that nobody else can truly tell the story correctly. Roza has not been found, though the police assume her body will show up in the spring.

Alex readjusts to life after the retreat. She has decided to move to LA. She and Wren have talked several times since the traumatic incident, but they have both moved on. Alex had stayed with her parents for a while. Once she got the book deal, she was able to quit her job and make the move. She is excited about the prospect of dating but wants to settle in first.

She receives a text, expecting it to be from Keira. Instead, it opens with the familiar “Hi darling,” and Alex knows immediately who it is really from. Roza has reached out to congratulate her on the book and to encourage Alex to nurture the “wildness” that exists inside her (308). Roza cautions that she cannot be found, but wants Alex to know that she will follow her burgeoning career. Alex cannot help herself: Despite everything, Roza is her muse. She became a writer because of Roza, and she will continue to write because of Roza. She opens a blank document and begins to type.