Burnout

Abstract

This project consists of the introduction to an unfinished novel called "Burnout." It follows the entry of thirty-year-old caretaker Charlie Small into a complicated new job. She is tasked by Peter Hawthorne to keep his niece company through her transition from living with her recently deceased mother in America to staying with her uncle in England. Only Mariella Hawthorne suffers from delusional disorder. Through a series of unfortunately timed events, Mariella has come to believe that her true name is Paige Maranowski and her uncle is the psychotic man who stalked and kidnapped her. Charlie is thrust into the heart of this messy family dynamic knowing she is unqualified to help someone with Mariella's severe mental illness. As she comes to know Peter and Mariella better, Charlie begins to doubt her employer. Is Peter who he claims to be or is something dark happening beneath the surface?