Tell Me What You Did

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussions of stalking, substance abuse, and overdose.

Since her mother’s murder, Poe has been plagued by nightmares and visions of horrific things happening to her and her loved ones. She has had only one pleasant dream in the 17 years since Margaret’s death. In it, she walked through a sunny field before coming to rest beneath an old oak tree. Poe awoke from that dream and felt briefly happy.

Poe’s visions reflect her anxieties, which stem from her grief and trauma. After having her mother brutally taken from her, Poe lives in constant fear that a similar act of violence could befall her or her loved ones. Hindley’s stalking and harassment worsen her anxieties, causing her to experience paranoia and waking nightmares.

Poe’s nightmares only begin to abate once she makes peace with her past, a complex process that involves being honest with the people in her life and gaining closure about her mother’s murder. The novel ends with Poe, imprisoned but content, falling asleep. When she experiences the dream of the field and oak tree for the second time, she realizes that “this is all I need” (403). The recurrence of the dream illustrates that Poe has found a sense of inner peace and happiness and is ready to move forward with her life.