Kristi Miller

**Kristi Miller** is a third-year medical student who got trapped in the mysterious Township, separating her from her fiancee. She is the de facto doctor for all the residents who are trapped with her, and manages the makeshift Clinic in Town.

## Biography

### Background

Kristi was a third-year medical student engaged to Marielle. On August 6, 2021, while traveling from Detroit to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kristi became trapped in the Township. Kristi became the de facto doctor for the other people who were similarly trapped.

After Bing-Qian Liu, who suffered from dementia, almost opened the door for the Creatures, he was moved to the makeshift Clinic that Kristi ran so he could be kept more securely.

### Season One

As the sun sets, Kristi informs Deputy Kenny Liu and his elderly father, Bing-Qian, that it is time for him to go to the basement. Bing-Qian gets agitated, but Kristi calms him, and Gina helps the old man downstairs. As he exits, Kenny compliments Kristi’s skill in calming his father. As he exits, Kenny compliments Kristi’s skill in calming his father. Kristi tells him that he should tell his mother to come more often, but Kenny says that she keeps saying Bing-Qian's dementia will get better, wryly remarking that denial is a major branch on his family tree. He awkwardly lingers, clearly enamored with Kristi, but she instructs him to get home before locking up.

After two new cars arrive in Town and crash in the Forest, Kenny brings one of the drivers, Tobey McCray, to the Clinic, and informs Kristi of what happened. Kristi hands Tobey off to Gina and rushes to the scene. Kenny, Kristi, Father Khatri and Ellis arrive to help the crash victims. Boyd successfully retrieves a panicked but otherwise unharmed Julie, while the others work on helping Jade and the trapped family members. Tabitha is successfully retrieved from the RV, but **Kristi** says that it will take at least an hour to safely remove the table leg from Ethan’s leg, while Kenny informs them that they have 40 minutes until dark. Boyd and Kristi decide to stay in the RV overnight with a talisman. Jim, Tabitha and Julie try to stay, but Boyd tells them that the woods are not safe after dark and pleads with them to head to town, but permits Jim to stay. While Kristi prepares to remove the table leg from Ethan, Boyd blocks all the windows and puts up a Talisman. As night falls, Ethan begins seizing, and Kristi has Jim hold him down.

In the RV, Jim asks Boyd and Kristi what the Creatures are. Boyd answers that he doesn’t know, only that the talismans prevent their entry into enclosed spaces. Ethan then wakes up, but Kristi quickly sedates him to keep him calm. A voice outside the RV says that they should have let them help. A scared Jim asks what happens if they get in but neither Boyd nor Kristi answer. Boyd calms him by reminding him that with the talisman up, they can’t get in. Kristi also begins to get rattled, but Boyd reminds her that the Creatures are just playing their usual tricks. They then hear footsteps on the roof, but Boyd tells them to focus on Ethan. She later leads Boyd and Jim in successfully pulling the table-leg out of Ethan’s leg.

As the night goes on, Jim notices that the saline is kept in a mason jar. Kristi explains they have little in the way of supplies, save for what they stripped from an ambulance a few years prior, but most of it is improvised. Jim asks if she is a doctor, and she explains that the was a third-year medical student, and asks him his profession. Jim explains that he helped build rollercoasters and theme parks, and Kristi wryly notes that he is still using the present tense. Ethan wakes up, and says he saw drawings on the wall. Kristi has a nightmare that the Creatures have broken in, but she wakes up to find that it is morning. Kenny, Khatri, and the Matthews women arrive in the van, and the family happily embraces. As the van pulls up to the Clinic, Kenny sees the open door and rushes inside, where he finds the corpses of Tobey, Gina and his father.

Kristi walks into the Diner and finds Kenny, who has been looking after Jade Herrera, a new arrival who believes that everything is an elaborate escape room set up by his friend Tobey. Kenny remarks to her that Jade is going to get himself killed. Kristi, seeing Tian Chen, asks how she’s doing, and Kenny repeats what he previously said about denial being a part of his family tree.

Kristi checks on Sara Myers after she has a seizure. Kristi says she should stay the night, and can have Nathan stay with her. Sara insists she is fine and it’s better not to trouble Nathan and to just tell him that she’s asleep. Kristi informs Boyd that she’s doing fine, but without an MRI there’s no way to know what’s going on but she’ll be kept overnight. Boyd asks if she’s ready for that, and Kristi promises she will not let the door to be opened again. Boyd then asks if Sara’s and Ethan’s seizures are physical reactions to the Town. Kristi says she would have thought almost everything that happens in town is impossible. Noticing the tremors that Boyd is trying to conceal in his hand, Kristi tells him to come by tomorrow. She then spots Nathan heading their way from the window, and tells Boyd that Sara wants to be left alone.

That night, Kristi finds Sara wandering, and she says she can’t sleep. Kristi admits the same, and offers her some tea. While they drink, Sara says Kristi and Kenny make a cute couple. Kristi insists that they are just friends, and Sara asks why, pointing out that he is sweet and clearly loves her. Kristi explains that it’s complicated because she had a fiancee at home named Marielle, and often thinks about what it must be like for her. Sara admits that she was with someone back home, but it’s better that he’s gone. Things were not good for her but Nathan saved her. Now, Nathan is all she has in the world. Sara then asks Kristi that were there were something that would allow her to see Marielle again and for everyone to go home, even if it was something bad, if she would do it. After ensuring that they are speaking hypothetically, Kristi says she would do anything to see her again, and if everyone else got to go home, it’s a lot of good for one bad thing. The next morning, Sara leaves, thanking Kristi, adding that she enjoyed their “girls night,” which Kristi says she’d love to repeat, medical emergency or not. Nathan then arrives, and the two walk away together.

After Sara accidentally slashes Nathan's throat while trying to kill Ethan Matthews, Kristi rushes to the scene but cannot save Nathan. Afterwards, Boyd finds Kristi struggling to Cope with the situation. She explains that Sara had asked questions such as what she would do to go home. Boyd assures Kristi that this is not her fault. Kristi explains that it was so nice spending the night with her, but Sara took the scalpel from the Clinic, asking if it’s not her fault, whose is it. Boyd tells her that she did not bring them to Town, did not put any thoughts in Sara’s head, and reminds her that she saved Ethan’s life, and tells her to cut herself some slack. As the tabletop jukebox begins playing, Boyd declares that he just received his sign.

Boyd visits Kristi at the Clinic and asks her how Kenny is doing. Kristi admits that he has been having a hard time since his father’s death, and is trying hard to be a person that he thinks people need him to be because he is Boyd’s deputy and doesn’t want to fail him. Boyd admits he hasn’t been trying to push him too hard but Kenny needs to be ready to lead. Kristi bluntly tells Boyd that she understands Boyd wants to prepare him for the worst and to be his successor, but at the moment Kenny is in pain and needs a father, not a sheriff. Boyd realizes that she is right, and thanks her as he leaves. Kristi eyes the room where Bing-Qian died, and shuts the door.

The morning after the Colony House attack, Kristi sets Ellis’s arm in the Clinic. Fatima asks if she can help, and Kristi tells her to make sure Ellis does not leave the bed until Kristi can do a final checkup. Kenny arrives and asks if he can help Kristi, and she asks if he can help secure the building. Kenny adds that he finished chapter 6 of the book, and says things are getting interesting. Kristi replies that she doesn’t think she’ll be able to read much tonight, but kisses him on the cheek and thanks him for his help.

As Kenny exits the Diner, Kristi arrives and returns his book, saying that she finished chapter 6. The two talk about the book, and Kenny asks if she thinks it will have a happy ending. Kristi does not know, but looks forward to finding out. Later as the sun sets, Kenny walks through Town ringing the warning bell to get everyone inside. As he finishes, he finds a despondent Kristi sitting on the stoop of the Sheriff’s Office. She explains that Eric was her friend. He had celiac disease, so he was a frequent visitor at the Clinic. Kristi fondly remembers how she always told him to stop eating bread, but Eric would make jokes, and how he made her adjustment to the Town easier when she first arrived. Kristi makes Kenny promise that if the radio tower does not work and he falls apart, he will go to her and let her help. Kenny promises her and hugs her, telling her it will be okay.

As the Townspeople gather materials for the Radio Tower, Kenny finds Kristi stripping the ambulance of wire. She asks about the lamp, and he explains that it was his desk lamp in college and although it didn’t work, it was nice to have something from home. He adds that the globe actually opens up, and he used it as a secret hiding spot from his kleptomaniac roommate. Kristi asks what he keeps in it now, and he says that he often thinks about which countries he’d like to visit should he escape, and wrote them down. Kristi goes through the list, and reveals that she hardly traveled beyond Grand Rapids. Kenny asks if she wants to travel with him if they escape. Kristi tells Kenny that she likes him a lot, but reminds him that she was engaged prior to her arrival. Kenny apologizes and leaves with the wire. Kristi later finds Kenny in the Colony House kitchen, and returns his globe lamp. Kenny apologizes if he made things weird but Kristi stops him. She admits that she does not know what to do and it freaks her out because part of her wants to return to her fiancee and pick up where they left off, but the other part wants to go to Iceland with Kenny. Kenny asks her what she is going to do, and she answers that she doesn’t know as she holds his hand.

After the tower is successfully erected on the roof, Jim Matthews turns it on and announces they have a signal. Jim and Ethan operate the radio, and Jim tries to broadcast a mayday as the storm draws closer. Donna warns that they have ten minutes before the wind blows the tower off the roof. Jim sends Ethan inside and Donna takes his place changing the frequency. As the storm draws closer, most people go inside, and Jim soon takes off running. Donna goes inside, and Julie asks why he is leaving. Before she can answer, the lightbulbs of the lamps powering the radio tower explode, sending shards of glass everywhere and causing chaos.

### Season Two

After the lights stop exploding, Kristi tends to Clara, who was hit in the eye by shards of glass. Kristi then goes into Town to help the bus passengers shortly after the Matthews' house collapses. Randall emerges unscathed from the rubble and is examined by Kristi. She continues to examine Randall for any injuries, while Marielle and Kenny tend to Elgin. Kristi and Marielle spot each other and are shocked, Marielle being the fiancee Kristi had mentioned. The two cry and embrace. Bakta, the bus driver, tries to get everyone back on the bus. With sunset fast approaching, Donna, struggling to maintain order between the busload of newcomers and trying to free the people trapped in the rubble, fires a shotgun into the front wheel of the bus. Kenny and Matthias help her corral most of the passengers inside the Diner, although several run away in fear. Kristi follows them inside, while the trapped men are left to fend for themselves.

That night, Kristi finds Marielle in the back of the Diner, and she asks Kristi how she could have left, reminding her that they were supposed to have lunch when Kristi disappeared. Marielle says it has been six months and she and Kristi’s parents went to the police, and the entire time she was two hours away in what appears to be a cult. Mari tries to leave, but a crying Kristi bars her way and says she understands she is hurt, but needs her to listen. Kristi begins to explain their predicament. Later, Kenny makes tea and offers Marielle some tea as she passes. Kristi finds him and asks what he is doing. He explains that his mother says food cures all ails, so he is making tea. Kristi asks if he is doing alright, and he says it is a hard question to answer right now. He asks how she is, and if that is really her fiancee, and she answers yes. After taking it in, Kenny tells her to stay with Marielle, saying that they have a long time before sunrise and Marielle will need her. The next morning, Julie Matthews rushes outside and findsTom's corpse, but her father survived the night.

The next morning at the Clinic, Kristi patches up Jim as his family watches. Jim tries to rise to leave, but the pain prevents him, and Kristi tells him that he has cracked ribs and likely a bruised lung, and needs to rest. Kristi asks Tabitha how she is doing, and she says she is fine. Noticing Marielle has entered, Kristi leaves to go talk to her. Later, she finds Marielle in her bedroom holding a painted rock, and Kristi says it got faded by how much she carried it when she first arrived. Kristi tells her that she knows this is a lot, but promises that they will get through it together. Marielle has difficult adjusting, and says she needs time for things to get back to normal between them. Kenny then arrives shouting for Kristi saying they need her help. Kristi tells Marielle she loves her and leaves with Kenny.

Kenny brings Kristi to the Forest to see Kelly, a bus passenger whose head was pinned to a tree by the Creatureswith a metal rod, but was somehow still alive. Kelly asks her if it’s bad, and begins panicking. Kristi tells her to hold her hand while she looks at her wound. Kristi tells Kenny and Ellis that even if they were in a hospital, it would be a 15 hour operation. Ellis wants to try and free her, but Kristi think their only option is to mercy-kill her by pulling out the rod. Ellis asks if it will be peaceful, and Kristi says she doesn’t know. Kenny offers to shoot her, but Kristi does not want her final moments to be with a gun to her head. Kelly realizes that she is not going to be ok, and Kristi tells her that she is going to die. Kelly asks for Ellis and Kenny.

Kelly tells them that they are very nice, and asks for her phone so she can call her mother. Kristi tells her the phones don’t work, but offers to write a message down for her. Kelly suffices with that, and tells Kristi to tell her mother that she loves her, and apologize for not giving her a hug. Kelly explains that she was mad over something stupid so she left without giving her one. Kelly then begins screaming in pain, and they struggle to decide over who should pull the rod out to kill her when Boyd arrives. Boyd tells them that it’s his job to do it. While Kristi holds her hands, Boyd pulls the rod out, killing her. Kristi returns to the Clinic extremely shaken, and tearfully tells Marielle that she needs her to stay. Marielle holds Kristi as she cries.

Kristi checks on Boyd, who insists that he is simply tired. Boyd asks about spider bites, which Kristi examines. Kristi notices the gash on his arm, and he says it was a scratch from a tree branch. Kristi instructs him to keep it clean, and asks if his tremors have worsened. Boyd answers that they come and go, but he is dealing with it. Kristi asks if he has experienced any other symptoms, such as visual impairment, muscle stiffness or depression. Boyd quips that everyone in Town is depressed, but suffers from none of the other symptoms. Boyd recalls that his father’s mind started to be affected towards the end. Kristi says that cognitive impairment doesn’t happen until far further down the line, but gets worried and asks why he is bringing it up. Boyd insists that he is fine, but Kristi tells him that he needs to rest, and cannot afford any extra stress. Boyd laughs bitterly about how anyone in Town could avoid extra stress. Boyd tries to rise, but falls back down on the bed, and Kristi tells him to stay put.

Kristi brings Marielle a box of pastries that Tian-Chen makes. Mari says she has a surprise for Kristi, and tells her to close her eyes. Mari then gives her a Gerhardt Trucking t-shirt, delighting her. Kristi is amazed that Mari has it, and Mari explains that she doesn’t go anywhere without it since Kristi disappeared, and that she still remembers the last time she saw Kristi wearing it. Kristi’s face turns somber, and upon Mari’s asking, she explains that she worries whether or not she is still the same person she was before after all she has seen and done. Mari assures her that they are still themselves, and will figure the rest out together. The two then begin kissing. Later, Mari gives **Kristi** a haircut. Tillie then arrives, and gives Kristi a bottle of liquid morphine for safekeeping. Kristi asks why she is carrying that around, and then realizes that Tillie has cancer and asks when she was diagnosed. Tillie answers a month ago, and by the time she needs the morphine, she won’t be in any shape to administer it. Tillie then admonishes herself for ruining their afternoon, and leaves them alone. Tillie adds that they are better off staying in the Clinic anyway, given the hubbub surrounding Sara’s return to Town. This shocks Kristi, who runs outside with Mari on her heels. Mari stops her and ask her to explain, and Kristi explains that Sara tried to kill Ethan, and that she feels responsible because she told Sara it was worth doing something bad to go home. Mari calms her down and brings her back inside. That night, Kristi dons the shirt Mari had given her.

As night falls, Kristi looks for a hair clip in Mari’s bag and finds a rehab brochure. When Mari arrives, Kristi confronts her, reminding her that Mari told her that she was on her way to see her aunt when she arrived in Town. Mari insists that it isn’t a big deal and that it is all under control. Kristi points out that she was on her way to rehab and is now stuck here, therefore nothing is under control. Kristi asks when she relapsed, and blames herself for causing Mari’s relapse. Mari tries to say that she was going to tell Kristi, who rushes to the drug cabinet to secure its contents. Mari tries to insist that it isn’t a big deal and tells Kristi to stop treating her like a junkie. Kristi says that their drug supply is limited and vital, and asks if Mari took anything. Mari admits that she took a bit of morphine to even herself out. Mari gets angry and tries to storm out, but Kristi warns her that it will be dark outside soon. After Boyd Stevens falls and behaves strangely, Kenny brings him to the Clinic. Boyd tries to explain what happened with Martin in the dungeon and the worms. Boyd continues to say the worms had been feeding on Martin for years but they would not let him die. **Kristi** is disturbed, and Boyd asks her that if she can’t believe him, for her to promise to end his misery if things get too bad for him, leaving her shocked. Kristi exits and talks with Kenny about Boyd’s condition. Kenny worries that Boyd’s mental state is declining, much like his father’s did. Kristi tells Kenny that dementia usually only happens later, but Kenny points out that it does happen.

Later that night, Elgin and Fatima arrive with Ellis, who has been stabbed and is bleeding badly. Kristi lets them inside and begins tending to Ellis. Marielle tries to help, and Kristi is resistant but tells her where the saline is. Kristi figures out that there is blood in his chest cavity and makes an incision in his side to drain the blood. Kristi informs everyone she was able to relieve the pressure in his chest, but due to the blood loss he needs a transfusion. Boyd says Ellis’ blood type is O negative, and Kristi says they will use Boyd for a transfusion, but Boyd, fearing that whatever is inside of him will then transfer to his son. Boyd insists he is not crazy, but Fatima tries to tell him it can’t be worse than dying, but Boyd is adamantly against it. Kenny then points a gun at Boyd and tries to force him to provide his blood. Boyd then begins writhing in pain, and Marielle sees the worms and alerts the others to their presence. Fatima begs them to do something. Kenny retrieves a knife and tells Boyd to transfer the worms to him so he can do the transfusion, and they can figure out the rest later. Boyd refuses, explaining that there is a nightmare happening under his skin which is getting stronger and is not willing to risk passing it onto Kenny.

Boyd then has an idea and runs outside. Kristi and the other watch from the windows as Boyd cuts his palm and calls the Creatures to him. The Smiley Creature approaches, and Boyd cuts his throat and presses his own wound to the Creatures, transferring the worms and killing the Creature. He then returns inside, where Kristi is able to perform the transfusion. After the successful transfusion, Kristi tells Boyd to lie down, but he promises that he is ok. Fatima watches over a recuperating Ellis, and **Kristi** asks how he’s breathing is. Ellis replies that he is fine, and Kristi promises to fetch new sheets. Ellis jokingly asks Fatima if she is still and at him, and the two kiss. Fatima then leaves, promising to return. She steps out into the hallway and begins crying. Kristi tries to comfort her as Fatima says she almost lost Ellis and is frightened by the worms under Boyd’s skin. Fatima says she needs to ask Kristi something she cannot tell anyone else, and asks for a pregnancy test.

The next morning, **Kristi** confirms to Fatima that she is pregnant, and asks if she has told Ellis yet. When Fatima answers no, Kristi says that although they are not in ideal conditions, women have been giving birth for thousands of years, and Fatima has the added benefit of having a third-year medical student at her disposal. Fatima does not want to tell Ellis yet, but before they can talk further Kenny summons them upstairs. Once everyone is gathered, Boyd and Kenny lead everyone in inspecting the dead body of Smiley. Kristi marvels at the fact that Boyd actually killed one of them, and Fatima asks what they should do with the body. Kenny says they should burn it, but Boyd and Kristi want to bring it inside and perform an autopsy to learn more about the Creatures. Kenny points out that they do not even know if it is safe to touch the Creature, and Boyd says that it’s Kristi’s call. Kristi decides to study it, and Mari offers to get a sheet so they can drag it inside. Boyd then tells Ellis to get back to Colony House to avoid having a crowd descend on the Clinic to check on him while they’re doing the autopsy. Kristi gives Ellis and Fatima the go ahead, telling them to return if he has any trouble breathing. Boyd then notices Elgin looking downcast and asks if he is ok, and Elgin says he is fine. Ellis tells his father to be careful as he leaves, while Boyd, Kristi and Mari prepare to bring the Creature into the Clinic. Kenny repeats his objections, but Kristi says that they may never get another chance to do this.

After moving Smiley’s body into the Clinic, they prepare to perform an autopsy. Kenny worries that cutting open the Creatures will release the worms from Boyd’s arm. Mari runs outside the room and vomits, and Kristi explains that she is going through withdrawal. Boyd asks if they can do anything to help, but Kristi just wants to get the autopsy over with, and Kenny leaves to get her gloves and a saw. Meanwhile, Marielle’s withdrawal gets worse. **Kristi** gets her in bed and gives her some water. She then exits, leaving Mari to sleep, and helps Boyd bandage his palm. Boyd assures her that Mari will be ok because she has Kristi. Kristi explains that Mari had been sober for a year when they met, but relapsed when she disappeared. Boyd tells her that this is not her fault, but Kristi continues to blame herself for not noticing the withdrawal symptoms. Kristi then worries about what Kenny said about Smiley’s body, and both admit that they are scared.

Kristi, Boyd and Kenny begin the autopsy on Smiley. As she makes the first incision across the chest, the body twitches, startling all of them. Kenny begins to freak out and repeats his opposition to this. Kenny storms out, followed by Kristi, who tries to calm him down. Kenny explains that he isn’t worried about the monster, the most frightening thing he’s ever seen, but about the things that killed it. Kristi explains that’s why they have to do the autopsy, to learn what killed the monsters and see if they can use it to fight back. Kenny worries that whatever is inside the Creature could harm them. Kristi is willing to take that risk now that they finally have a way of fighting the Creatures and admits she is terrified, which is why she needs Kenny in there with her, reminding him that they are supposed to be in this together. Kenny says they aren’t anymore, causing Kristi to scoff. Kenny regrets what he said, and explains that he is happy Marielle is here. Kenny tells Kristi that he loves her and all he wants is for her to be happy, but he is unwilling to watch her put herself in danger. Kenny apologizes, but a hurt Kristi goes back inside, leaving a regretful Kenny. Kristi continues the autopsy with Boyd’s help. Kenny returns to help and helps them remove the sternum. Kristi is shocked to see that the Creature has the same anatomy as a human, but shriveled and desiccated, with no fluids to speak of. Kristi is dismayed by the absence of blood, recalling Boyd’s description of the worms. She digs in the body looking for some fluid but begins to break down and begins stabbing at the body randomly. Kenny notices an orange liquid, and Kristi says it’s bile leaking out of the gallbladder. Boyd and Kenny are encouraged by this, and they work to gather it. Afterwards, , Kristi climbs into bed with Marielle, who is still ailing. Mari asks how it went, and Kristi answers that they’ll have to wait and see before asking Mari how she is. Mari says she had a nightmare where Smiley came alive and there was a music box, grimly remarking that Boyd is giving him her nightmares. Mari says she is fine and Kristi does not need to worry, but Kristi continues to hold her.

Boyd and Kenny head to the Clinic, where they find Kristi tending to a worsening Mari. They tell Boyd and Kenny that sounds were coming from the boiler room where Smiley’s body is being kept. Boyd and Kenny go down to investigate, telling Kristi and Mari to run if things go bad. They carefully advance on the door and find hundreds of cicadas crawling all over Smiley’s corpse. Kenny explains that in his dream, he heard the exact same buzzing and saw a pot full of them. Kristi then recalls that Elgin dreamt about drowning and awoke spitting up water. Kenny adds that when the music box started playing, one jumped out and burned his arm. Marielle is frightened by the idea that their dreams can harm them now. Donna arrives asking for Kristi, and noticing their expressions, asks what ice going on. Boyd tells Donna about what happened with Smiley, and Donna is irate that he failed to tell her about this earlier. Boyd apologizes and Donna asks about the bile, and Boyd says they are not certain but it is worth trying. When he shows her the body, the cicadas are gone. Donna is shocked by the body, while Boyd is worried about the disappearance of the cicadas. Donna says they probably scattered, and that they need to burn the body. Boyd and Kenny cart the body away, and Donna tells them to burn the body far away so people don’t get curious. As for the dreams, Boyd suggests they have people sleep in shifts. He says he’ll have Sara put up in the Sheriff’s Office, and tells Kristi and Mari to join her, warning Kristi that he has seen withdrawal before and it is going to get worse. Kristi refuses to be under the same roof as Sara but agrees to go to Colony House.

Reggie arrives at Colony House and explains to everyone what happened to Paula and searches for Donna. Fatima says that she isn’t inside, and Kristi adds that she last saw her at the Clinic hours ago, and she was supposed to go to the house after. Reggie worries that they are all going to die, and Fatima steps up and tells him to relay Boyd’s instructions. Reggie says that no one can go to sleep, and Fatima steps up and says they will focus on following instructions while Boyd and Donna get themselves sorted. Fatima takes Reggie to change his clothes and tells everyone to partner up to make sure they don’t fall asleep. Bakta asks how long, and Fatima answers that they will figure that out later. Ellis, noticing Marielle’s worsening condition, asks Kristi if they are ok, and Kristi asks for a room, and he helps them upstairs. Ellis leads to Kristi and Mari to an empty bedroom. After Mari notices the braces on the bed, Ellis explains that it’s for people who freak out on their first night. Kristi and Ellis leave to get supplies for the night, and he asks whether not sleeping will affect his and Fatima’s baby. Kristi promises him that Fatima is not far enough along for that to be a concern. Ellis remarks how ordinarily this would be amazing, but he is constantly afraid because of the Township that something awful will happen. Kristi tells him that pregnancy is beautiful and weird wherever they are, they are simply used to it because they see it every day, much like the magic ball of fire. Kristi explains that it is an analogy from medical school to explain how even though they think they know much about the world, it’s still a mystery floating through space surrounding a ball of magic fire that keeps them warm from a million miles away. It’s weird, but they are used to it.

Later, a seemingly delusional Marielle begins trying to break out of the room. Kristi rushes in and stops her as Mari insists that there is something in the room with them. Kristi reminds Mari that when she first went through withdrawal she hallucinated, and all of the monsters are outside the house. Mari then blames Kristi for causing her relapse and continues to tear apart the room before breaking down in tears and apologizing. Kristi says they are fine, but Mari says they are not and apologizes again. Kristi hugs Mari and is able to calm her, assuring her that she is there for her. Mari then asks to be restrained to the bed. Kristi tends to Mari, and gets her some water at her request. After Kristi leaves, Mari notices a rustling noise in the walls, and soon cicadas fill the room and swarm her just as they did Randall as she shouts in terror. Kristi returns but cannot see the cicadas and tries to calm Mari. She calls for help, and Boyd arrives, having safely returned from the Forest. Mari goes catatonic while her eyes glaze over. Kristi begins to break down but Boyd calms her and tells her that Mari needs a doctor, not a fiancee. Kristi points out that there is nothing medically that she can do, but Boyd tells her to help by holding on.

The next morning, Kristi and Kenny arrive at the Lius;, and Boyd directs them upstairs, where Julie lies comatose. Kristi assures Tabitha and Jim that Julie is breathing alright. When Kristi moves to check Julie’s eyes, Julie begins screaming in pain. As the day goes on, Kristi watches over Marielle and is visited by Kenny. Kristi asks Kenny if this is how it all ends, and says that she allowed herself to believe there a was a plan to everything after Marielle walked off the bus, but has no come to terms with the fact that they will all have died for nothing. Kenny tells her that her father used to say “it’s hard to see the sweater when you’re only just a thread.” Kenny says that maybe they are not the ones who get to go home, but what they did in the Township will make it easier for the next group of people, and they will turn out to be the reason they go home. Kenny says that just because they are a thread does not mean they don’t matter. Boyd is eventually able to save everyone and at least temporarily defeat The Musicbox Monster.

## Appearances

### Season One

* Long Day's Journey Into Night
* The Way Things Are Now
* Choosing Day
* Silhouettes
* Book 74
* Broken Windows, Open Doors
* Into The Woods
* Oh, the Places We'll Go

### Season Two

* Strangers in a Strange Land
* The Kindness of Strangers
* Tether
* This Way Gone
* Lullaby
* Pas de Deux
* Belly of the Beast
* Forest for the Trees
* Ball of Magic Fire
* Once Upon a Time?

## References

1. ↑ Wanted posters tweet
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 This Way Gone
3. ↑ Long Day's Journey Into Night
4. ↑ The Way Things Are Now
5. ↑ Choosing Day
6. ↑ Silhouettes
7. ↑ Book 74
8. ↑ Broken Windows, Open Doors
9. ↑ Into The Woods
10. ↑ Oh, the Places We'll Go
11. ↑ Strangers in a Strange Land
12. ↑ The Kindness of Strangers
13. ↑ Tether
14. ↑ Lullaby
15. ↑ Pas de Deux
16. ↑ Belly of the Beast
17. ↑ Forest for the Trees
18. ↑ Ball of Magic Fire
19. ↑ Once Upon a Time?