A Kind of Spark

Ms. Murphy takes Addie to her office and accuses her of being lazy and of cheating on the math test. She then goes on to accuse Addie’s parents of being lax in their discipline and of using Addie’s autism to excuse her behavior. Ms. Murphy then declares that neither Addie nor Keedie should ever have attended the school. She continues to spew verbal abuse, and when Addie protests, Ms. Murphy tells her to shut up. Addie finds herself riddled with remorse and self-loathing.

Nina arrives with Keedie, whom Ms. Murphy isn’t happy to see. Ms. Murphy says that Addie is facing suspension. She then accuses Addie of attacking Emily unprovoked. Nina is shocked, and Keedie asks Addie what happened. Ms. Murphy insists that Addie is in the wrong. Keedie insists on asking Addie again, but due to autistic overwhelm, Addie has become temporarily nonverbal.

Keedie accuses Ms. Murphy of being a bully and an ableist “coward.” Nina begs her to stop. Keedie asks Addie what happened just as Mr. Allison and Audrey arrive at the office and explain the full truth of the situation. Keedie states that Ms. Murphy intentionally left out the parts of the story detailing Emily’s provocation. Addie apologizes but says that something inside her snapped. Nina grows enraged at Ms. Murphy for misleading her. Ms. Murphy tells them to set up another meeting that includes both Emily and the principal.

Nina, Addie, and Keedie walk home, and Addie apologizes profusely. Nina and Keedie reassure her, telling her that they understand. Nina asks to speak to Addie alone and then asks if Ms. Murphy has always treated her this way. Addie says that she has. Nina acknowledges that Ms. Murphy is a bully and apologizes for making the video of Addie. She admits that she has always felt left out of Addie and Keedie’s strong bond. Addie says that she sometimes feels left out of the rest of the world.

Nina doesn’t want Addie to have the same experiences that Keedie had in school; she admits to being mean to Keedie when the two twins were younger. During their 14th birthday party, the only person to turn up for Keedie was Bonnie, and everyone there made fun of Bonnie. Nina said nothing, but Keedie stuck up for Bonnie.

Back home, Nina and Addie find Keedie on the floor of her room, experiencing autistic burnout, a situation in which she becomes so overwhelmed by sensory and emotional stimuli that she shuts down entirely and no longer responds to other people or to her environment. Addie asks if this can happen to her as well, and Nina says that she doesn’t know. They move Keedie to the bed, and Keedie asks for Addie to stay.

Keedie explains that masking at university has been difficult and that she probably shouldn’t have shouted at Ms. Murphy, but the incident was a breaking point for her. Keedie reaches under the bed and gives Addie an encyclopedia that she bought as a gift. She tells Addie that when she was a child, she had difficult time finding support for her autism. She finds it difficult to tell Addie what her experience was like. She wants Addie to go to the town hall and convince everyone to build the memorial. The sisters both admit that they are best friends, and then they fall asleep together.

Addie is sitting in a field, working on her speech. She talks to the cows as she writes. Suddenly, Jenna comes by and interrupts her, apologizing for the incident at school. Addie says that she doesn’t care what the other students think anymore. She tells Jenna that if someone had tried to take something that belonged to her, she would have stopped them, like Audrey would have. Jenna calls Audrey “weird.” Addie defends Audrey and dismisses Jenna.

Keedie has recovered from her period of burnout. Mum and Dad have filed a complaint about Ms. Murphy, and Addie is no longer in her class. Mum also expresses concern over the malicious intent behind Emily’s actions. Addie tells them that she saw Emily and her father in the bookshop and that Emily has trouble reading. Addie also reveals that Emily has bullied her in the past. Mum advises her to tell an adult when people are mean to her, whether that person is a student or an adult. Addie reflects on how she has been treated and on how she acts outside of school. She imagines herself pushing all these bad feelings into the Old Witch Tree.

Addie waits for the town hall meeting to begin. Mr. Macintosh brings the meeting to order and introduces Addie’s proposal. Addie introduces herself and explains that she has autism. She says that during the times of the Scottish witch trials, someone with her condition would have been at risk of being persecuted as a witch. At the end of the meeting, the motion goes to a vote.

Addie and Keedie wait outside for the vote to finish. Keedie reveals that she is taking a week off from her studies to visit Bonnie. Audrey arrives and congratulates Addie and then gives her a Scottish thesaurus. Audrey also says that she likes sharks now. Addie declares Audrey her best friend.

The memorial plaque for accused witches is revealed in October, and the whole village comes out to see it. Miriam Jensen has paid for its completion in full. Addie lets go of the memory of the trials and works on her Halloween costume. She plans to dress as a witch.