The Last Word

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of mental health conditions, suicidal ideation, child death, and substance use disorder.

Emma Carpenter reads an eBook by H.G. Kane titled Murder Mountain. As the title suggests, the story is about two female college students who are killed on a mountain. Emma refers to them using their majors—prelaw and psych. The book is written from the killer’s perspective and in the past tense. Emma hates the book and leaves a scathing review on Amazon. She then takes her dog, Laika, for a walk, and when she returns to the house, the author, H.G. Kane, has replied to her review, asking her to remove it. Again, she hesitates before posting a reply, but she eventually argues with Kane in a series of messages. The communication ends when the author threatens her.

Emma wakes up in the middle of the night and sees a man in the bedroom, but when she turns on the light, he is gone, and she questions whether she really saw him. She goes through all the rooms in the house, including the basement, but finds no one.