The Intruder

The narrative flashes back to Ella’s timeline. Ella works odd jobs cleaning homes for cash. She needs the money for food and laundry. One day, she stops at the neighbor Mrs. Fleming’s to do her chores. Mrs. Fleming accuses her of stealing from her and kicks her out. A devastated Ella trudges back to her filthy house. The space smells so bad that she starts bagging up trash. She wishes she could escape and imagines her mom’s death, but she also fears being put into foster care. Desiree returns home early and berates Ella for throwing out her valuables. She announces she’s going on a date. Ella panics, as she knows what this means.

The narrative continues in Ella’s past timeline. Ella begs Desiree not to lock her in the closet like she used to when she went on dates. Desiree ignores her pleas and shoves her into the tiny cupboard, locking the door. In the dark alone, Ella is met with an overpowering odor. She realizes the closet is filled with rotten peaches Desiree bought on sale months ago. She screams and bangs on the door but no one answers.