Nightwatching

Content Warning: Both the source material and this guide contain descriptions of traumatic experiences, emotional and physical abuse towards women, bullying of a person with a skin condition, and violent death.

The unnamed mother is in her son’s room in the middle of the night. She hears strange sounds and thinks that her daughter must be using the restroom or sleepwalking, but then remembers that her daughter is locked in her room to prevent her from accidentally falling down the stairs. When the mother looks at the security camera monitor that her husband installed, she sees a strange man ascending the stairs. The mother cycles through a flurry of emotions, from panic to denial, and wonders if she is dreaming. She even feels guilty, believing that she is somehow responsible for the home invasion. A snowstorm has brought two feet of snow to the area, but the intruder is wearing sneakers, and the mother sees this as a sign of a planned attack since he should be wearing snow boots. Frozen with terror and concern for her children, the mother watches the man on the screen, evaluating his body language and discerning what he might do next.