Black Woods, Blue Sky

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death, substance use, and cursing. 

Arthur comes to the lodge daily, and Birdie continues flirting with him. She asks him why he speaks in the present tense. Arthur explains that time isn’t a straight line but a circle and that he experiences the past, present, and future simultaneously. He says that he can see that she will come to live with him on the mountain. Emaleen is at Grandma Jo’s, so Birdie invites Arthur back to the cabin. Birdie leads him to the bed and undresses herself, but Arthur stands frozen. When she kisses him, he doesn’t reciprocate and then suddenly pins her to the bed and breathes on her neck. Arthur is too large and heavy for the bed, so Birdie moves to the floor and tries to take off his pants, but Arthur grabs her ankles and presses his face to her thigh. Without a word, he abruptly fixes his clothes and leaves the cabin as Birdie chases him.

Della sees Birdie wrapped in her bedclothes and escorts her home. She explains to Birdie that she should stay away from Arthur and tells her the story of her former employee, Sarah, whom Arthur’s parents hired as a house sitter while Arthur’s mother was receiving cancer treatment.