In the aftermath of sparing Abby's life, Ellie grapples with the burdens of her past while facing isolation and ostracism in the Jackson community due to her immunity to the cordyceps infection. Her world has turned upside down and complicated until...
Ellie sat in her living room, clutching a small leather-bound diary. She hadn't slept all night, the image of the enigmatic girl she encountered at the cemetery haunting her thoughts. The sunlight streamed through the curtains, warming her as she debated whether to uncover the diary's secrets.
"Damn it, Ellie, what are you getting yourself into?" she muttered under her breath. "Is it even a good idea to mess with this? What if it's just bullshit? Or maybe it holds truths I'm not ready to handle?" She rubbed her temples, frustration bubbling inside her. "Screw it, I have to know. Sitting here second-guessing myself isn't going to help. Come on, girl, you've faced worse shit than this".
Gathering her courage, she steeled herself to dive in. "Alright, here goes nothing," she said quietly. "Let's see what kind of secrets you've got in here".
Opening the diary, Ellie was shocked to see the name "Joyce Moon" scrawled on the first page. "Oh my god," she murmured, her heart pounding. "This is Joyce's diary? No fucking way. I can't believe it. After all this time, she's been out there, writing all of this down".
Her mind raced frantically, remembering how she and Cat had grieved for Joyce after hearing the news of her presumed death. "Goddammit, what the hell happened to you, Joyce?" she mumbled to herself, her fingers trembling as she turned the pages. "Why'd you up and disappear? And what the fuck is in here?"
As she read, Ellie was immediately drawn in by the elegant script on the yellowed pages. "Man, Joyce had some fancy handwriting," she remarked. "Each word looks like it belongs in a damn book. How'd she keep it so neat? It's like she took her time with every single letter".
The diary overflowed with Joyce's raw emotions. One entry described the loss of her adoptive sister, Rhea:
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Another entry revealed Joyce's burning rage towards Cat, whom she held fully responsible for Rhea's death:
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On the next page of the diary, Joyce's isolation was palpable:
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