The Witch Elm

The car ride to Ivy House overstimulates Toby, irritating his brain injury. In anticipation of the move, he asks his doctor to prescribe him more pain medication and Xanax, which he ingests before leaving his apartment. He recalls happier memories from his childhood at Ivy House. Toby and his cousins, Susanna and Leon Hennessy, spent holidays and summers playing on the vast property and creating forts in the house’s attic. He recognizes how distant and surreal his childhood memories now feel after the attack.

Susanna greets Toby and Melissa when they arrive, expressing surprise and delight at their presence. Toby and Melissa quickly realize that their arrival coincides with the family’s weekly Sunday lunch, a tradition Toby skipped for several years. He feels overwhelmed by the bombardment of multiple family members greeting and speaking with him all at once, especially when he notices his mother looking at him with concern. Toby leaves to visit Hugo in the kitchen. Hugo compares his brain tumor to Toby’s brain injury, relating to Toby’s dislocated feelings brought about by trauma. Toby enjoys his uncle’s company and respects his