Remain: A Supernatural Love Story

The novel’s deuteragonist, Wren, is a 29-year-old woman whose spirit haunts the house on the bluff after her murder. As a ghost, she’s a complex, round character whose existence is fractured by her unresolved death. This fragmentation manifests in two distinct forms: a conscious, personable “daytime” self and a tormented, non-sentient “nighttime” self. Her daytime identity is intelligent, witty, and deeply empathetic, retaining the personality she had in life. However, she’s caught in a time loop, unaware that she has died, and experiences her reality as a series of confusing memory gaps and unsettling moments in which she feels like she’s “in a fog” (217). This version of her represents her soul, striving for connection and normalcy even as her spiritual existence becomes increasingly unstable, as her intermittent flickering and fading symbolize.

In stark contrast, her nighttime self is a pure embodiment of her trauma, trapped in a horrific loop of reliving her own murder. This version is noncommunicative in a traditional sense, appearing as a terrifying figure who reenacts her violent death. This duality is a literal thematic interpretation of The Haunting Nature of Unresolved Trauma, showing how a painful past can become a prison, preventing one from finding spiritual peace. Wren’s daytime confusion and nighttime reenactments are both driven by the same need: for the truth of her death to be brought to light. Her interactions with Tate, particularly her pleas for help in her nighttime form, are a desperate cry for justice that she can’t articulate in her daytime state.

In life, Wren experienced numerous betrayals by the men she trusted, including her ex-husband (Griffin), her business partner (Nash), and her stalker (Dax). These relationships highlight her vulnerability and the painful deceptions hidden within the small town. However, her spirit demonstrates immense resilience and a nurturing capacity. She immediately recognizes Tate’s grief and creates a safe space for him, observing that “[s]ometimes it’s easier to talk about things with strangers than with someone you know” (56). Their connection, built on emotional intimacy, transcends the physical and allows both characters to begin healing. Wren isn’t a passive victim; she actively guides Tate toward the truth, enabling her to find spiritual peace and, in the process, saving his life.

The novel’s primary antagonists, Louise and Reece, are villains whose commonplace appearance conceals their murderous actions. As the caretakers of the rental property, they initially present themselves as a sturdy, helpful, and unremarkable couple. However, they thematically embody The Deception Beneath Small-Town Charm because their seemingly simple existence masks greed that motivates them to murder Wren for financial gain. The poorly drafted property trust names Reece, Wren’s cousin, as a beneficiary, giving them a significant motive to eliminate Wren before she inherits the estate outright. They’re static characters, as their core motivations and malevolent nature don’t change during the story.

The novel reveals their villainy in stages, beginning with their attempts to gaslight Tate and dismiss his encounters with Wren’s ghost. Their shock and anger when Tate mentions Wren’s name is the first indication of their guilt. Their deception culminates in the violent climax, in which Reece attacks Tate in the cellar and sets fire to the house to destroy evidence, while Louise attempts to run down Oscar with their truck and later tries to kill Tate with a crowbar. Louise’s possession of Wren’s heart-shaped locket, a detail that Tate notices early on, is a key piece of evidence that ultimately exposes her. Together, Louise and Reece’s actions exemplify the dark, criminal underbelly beneath Heatherington’s tranquil facade.

Tate’s best friend, Oscar, is a key supporting character who is both a confidant and a foil. He’s a round, static character whose loyalty and pragmatism ground the supernatural narrative. As a foil, Oscar’s gregarious, family-oriented personality contrasts sharply with Tate’s initial isolation and grief. Oscar is emotionally astute, recognizing that Tate has severe depression and taking decisive action to get him professional help. Though he’s a practical and successful businessman, Oscar remains open-minded and trusts Tate’s experiences, eventually becoming an active partner in the investigation into Wren’s death. He helps connect Tate to the real world, using his local contacts to gather information and providing a necessary sounding board for Tate’s increasingly incredible theories. His unwavering support and willingness to help, even when faced with the unbelievable, demonstrate the strength of their friendship and play a crucial role in solving the mystery.

Tate’s sister, Sylvia, is a pivotal character who, despite being deceased, is a posthumous mentor and catalyzes the entire plot. Presented through Tate’s memories and the video messages she recorded before her death, she’s a static character whose influence is apparent throughout the novel. Sylvia is spiritually open and deeply empathetic, having cultivated a sense of wonder about the world despite a life constrained by a chronic heart condition. Her belief in “the existence of ghosts and the afterlife” (18) and her spiritual “gift,” which she passes to Tate, enable his connection with Wren. Sylvia’s video messages encourage Tate to overcome his emotional isolation and embrace love, introducing one of the story’s central themes. Sylvia represents the enduring power of love to transcend death and guide the living toward healing.

Wren’s manipulative ex-husband, Griffin, is a minor antagonist and a significant red herring in the murder mystery. His public persona as the charismatic organizer of the Mask and Music Festival conceals a private history of alcohol abuse, rage, and emotional cruelty. He exemplifies the hidden realities prevalent in Heatherington, thematically connecting to The Deception Beneath Small-Town Charm. Motivated by a sense of entitlement, he drags out his divorce from Wren in the hope of claiming half of her valuable inheritance. Though his violent tendencies and financial motive make him a plausible suspect in her murder, his alibi during the festival clears him of the crime, but not of the abuse he inflicted on her.

Nash, Wren’s business partner at the toy store, is another red herring in the mystery and a minor antagonist. He projects the image of a friendly, upstanding local businessman, but he betrayed Wren by embezzling funds from their shared business. This act of deception, which took place while Wren was at her most vulnerable, contributed to the emotional turmoil she experienced during the final year of her life. When Tate and Oscar confront Nash, his affable facade crumbles into anger and denial. Though his financial crimes give him a reason to want Wren silenced, he’s proven to have been at the festival during her murder, absolving him of that crime.