Invisible Monsters

After crossing the Canadian border, Shannon sits in the back seat while Brandy sits up front with Manus driving. Manus talks about how television is a metaphor for life. Ever since Shannon began sneaking artificial female hormones into Manus’s food and drinks, he has become introspective and emotional. Shannon hopes the overdose of hormones will cause his liver to fail. At the same time, Brandy is reading an autobiography she found in one of the houses where they stole drugs about a woman who overcame a rough childhood to become a movie star. Inspired by the actress’s candor, Brandy asks Shannon to open up and tell a dark story about her past.

As they continue their drive to Seattle, Shannon reflects on the last Thanksgiving she spent with her parents before her accident. There was a new tablecloth that was not her mother’s usual taste, so Shannon asked about it. Her parents explained they bought a piece of cloth to decorate so they could have it added to the AIDS Memorial Quilt in Shane’s honor, but they could not settle on a design, so made the tablecloth instead. Shannon is embarrassed by the conversation and angry with Shane.