The Leaving

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of kidnapping, trauma, mental illness, addiction, and substance use.

A young girl attends a press conference with her parents after her older brother, kindergarten-aged Max, goes missing. She holds her stuffed animal Woof-Woof and says she wants Max to come home. A woman in the crowd, whose daughter is also missing, claims her daughter said she would be “going on a trip, to the leaving” (2). Later, it will become clear that the young girl’s voice is Avery Godard’s.

Scarlett and four other teens are dropped off by a white van somewhere with palm trees. None of them remember any events before this moment. It takes several minutes for Scarlett to remember her name and theirs: Lucas, Adam, Kristen, and Sarah. Scarlett sees a nearby playground and thinks she has been there before. She also has a hazy feeling that she and Lucas had a relationship. Adam suggests they were all drugged. They each find a map in their pocket and deduce that the maps will lead them to their homes. They agree to meet at the playground the next night.