Chapter 5 (Chapter 2) Summary: Lucy’s Escape and the Road to Comber Bay
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Lucy has been driving for several hours on Monday, 11 February 2019, when her phone rings. She pulls over, hoping it is her sister Jess, but the caller is her friend Em. Em has already texted multiple times, worried because Lucy missed their morning lecture and because a friend named Nick told Em that Lucy attacked a classmate named Ben. Lucy wipes her eyes and composes herself, then recalls the events leading to her flight.
She and Ben slept together just before the summer holidays in December. Lucy felt the encounter meant more to her than to him, yet he texted her over the break, sending memes and discussing books. Buoyed by this attention, just before the new term began, Lucy asked Ben if he wanted a nude photograph. She had never done that before, but she believed he was safe. He replied eagerly. She took dozens of photos, adjusting the lighting to hide her skin condition (eczema or a chronic rash). Ben called her gorgeous, and Lucy felt hopeful.
But back at university, Ben avoided her, and classmates whispered. Em sent Lucy a TikTok video that featured the photo with a cruel “Monster Mash” soundtrack and a filter. The caption called her a “literal gorgon” and comments included “hideous” and “graveyard smash.” Lucy was devastated. She confronted Ben, who said he only shared the photo with a few friends on WhatsApp and never expected it to be posted publicly. He apologised, but the damage was done.
Lucy went to the student welfare officer to report the image sharing as a crime (intimate image without consent). The officer, a woman with multiple earrings, discouraged her from taking legal action, saying such a step could derail Ben’s life and that “everyone makes mistakes.” Lucy stormed out, furious that the university offered no support. She spent most of the week in her room, avoiding lectures, and felt the whole world had seen the image. The post was removed from TikTok, but she knew it circulated on other platforms. Her dreams of a journalism career, spurred by the university chancellor’s boast that all students would become future colleagues, now seemed impossible. She considered reporting to police but feared Ben’s father, an employment lawyer, would complicate things.
Then, on the morning of her drive, she found herself with her hands around Ben’s throat. She had been sleepwalking during a nightmare. Now she cannot go to police about the video because she has assaulted Ben.
Lucy decides to go to her sister Jess in Comber Bay, a coastal town she has never visited. She only has Jess’s address from a birthday postcard, which she kept brief and cold because their relationship has been strained. Lucy recalls a happy memory: a visit to Jess’s flat in Sydney in 2017. At first awkward, the evening transformed when Jess played Nick Cave’s The Good Son. They danced and sang, and Lucy felt the old bond return. Jess started calling weekly, then stopped abruptly, and at Christmas 2017 Jess barely spoke to her. Lucy felt rejected.
Still, Jess is the only person Lucy knows who sleepwalks. Lucy remembers witnessing it as a child: Jess stood rigid by the kitchen sink with vacant eyes. Their father later explained that some people walk in their sleep and told Lucy not to be frightened.
Now, halfway to Comber Bay, Lucy stops at a motel with a blinking “Vacancy” sign. The room smells stale, and the décor is worn. She buys chips and KitKats from a vending machine next to a mounted singing fish, which reminds her of her nightmare: brine, sharp hands, rock. She fears driving while tired, but she also fears falling asleep and harming someone again. To stay awake, she listens to a true crime podcast episode about Comber Bay, called “Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.” The episode details eight men who disappeared from the town between 1960 and 1997, with no trace found, and mentions a case of an abandoned baby named Baby Hope at Devil’s Lookout in 1982. Before getting into bed, Lucy locks the window, locks the door, and wedges a chair under the handle, hoping it will be enough to stop her from sleepwalking.
Key Events
- Lucy receives a call from Em while driving and recalls the backstory of her relationship with Ben.
- She sent Ben a nude photo; he shared it, leading to a viral TikTok video with cruel comments.
- The university welfare officer dissuades Lucy from reporting the non-consensual image sharing.
- Lucy finds herself attacking Ben while sleepwalking, forcing her to flee.
- She drives to her sister Jess’s home in Comber Bay, reflecting on their strained relationship.
- On the road, she stops at a motel and listens to a true crime podcast about unsolved disappearances in Comber Bay.
- She barricades the motel room door to prevent sleepwalking.
Character Development
Lucy is revealed as deeply vulnerable and ashamed. She struggles with a skin condition that makes her feel ugly, and her trust in Ben was misplaced. Her humiliation after the photo leak is compounded by the university’s indifference. The sleepwalking attack on Ben terrifies her because she has no conscious control. She is determined to reach Jess, despite their rift, showing a need for family connection. Her love of true crime podcasts and journalism ambition is highlighted, but her career hopes are now in doubt.
Jess appears only in flashback but is painted as a loving yet distant sister. She shares a musical bond with Lucy (Nick Cave) and also sleepwalks, making her the only person Lucy believes can help. Her sudden withdrawal after their good weekend suggests hidden troubles.
Ben is portrayed as thoughtless and cowardly: he shared the photo, apologised weakly, and his classmate group seems to have perpetuated the humiliation.
Student Welfare Officer represents institutional failure: she prioritises the perpetrator’s future over the victim’s pain, discouraging Lucy from legal action.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Sleepwalking as Loss of Control – Lucy’s unconscious assault on Ben reflects how trauma and shame can erupt without warning. Her need to barricade the door literalises her fear of her own body.
The Body as Spectacle – The leaked photo reduces Lucy’s body to a public freak show. The “Monster Mash” song and “gorgon” label dehumanise her, linking to the myth of Medusa, whose gaze turned men to stone. Here, Lucy is the one turned into a monster.
Institutional Betrayal – The university’s refusal to support Lucy echoes broader failures in handling image-based abuse. The welfare officer’s words (“everyone makes mistakes”) blame the victim.
True Crime as Escape and Irony – Lucy listens to a podcast about Comber Bay’s missing men while fleeing her own crime. The podcast’s fascination with unsolved mysteries mirrors Lucy’s desire to solve her own life: she wants to understand why she sleepwalks and how to stop.
Water and Drowning Imagery – The motel’s singing fish and Lucy’s nightmare of brine and sharp rock evoke drowning, fitting for a coastal setting and foreshadowing possible danger.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter cements Lucy as a sympathetic yet troubled protagonist. It provides the inciting incident (the photo leak and her attack on Ben) that forces her journey to Comber Bay. It deepens the mystery of the sleepwalking condition, tying it to Jess. The introduction of Comber Bay’s unsolved disappearances via the podcast sets up the novel’s central enigma. The chapter also critiques campus culture and victim-blaming, giving Lucy a clear motivation for seeking refuge with her sister.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Lucy decide not to report Ben to the police for sharing the photo?
Lucy is discouraged by the student welfare officer, who implies that prosecuting will ruin Ben’s life. She also fears Ben’s father, a powerful employment lawyer, and doubts the police will take her seriously after she has assaulted Ben (even unintentionally). The university’s failure to support her erodes her faith in institutional justice.
2. What does Lucy’s memory of dancing with Jess to Nick Cave reveal about their relationship?
The memory shows a deep, joyful bond from Lucy’s childhood. Music and singing connect them, and the moment rekindles Lucy’s hope for closeness. Yet Jess’s subsequent withdrawal and minimal contact indicate unresolved tension or pain on Jess’s side, which Lucy does not fully understand.
3. How does the true crime podcast episode about Comber Bay function in the chapter?
The podcast provides background on the town’s mysterious disappearances, linking to the novel’s plot. For Lucy, it is a distraction from her fear of falling asleep. The podcast’s focus on unsolved cases mirrors Lucy’s own need to solve the puzzle of her sleepwalking. It also foreshadows that Comber Bay may be a place where people vanish.