Genesis - Anna Mercury

A girl awakens in a bathtub in the woods.

Miles away, Emily Carson's life has fractured. Her marriage to her husband, Tom, is slowly fading, her life in New York City feels devoid of meaning, and the grief over the loss of her unborn daughter, Julia, has pushed her to the brink of suicide. One evening, as Emily attempts to end her life in her bathtub, something shifts.

Emily and Tom leave the city for the quiet, uneasy upstate town of Asphodel Park, hoping a fresh start will help Emily heal. Instead, the woods behind their new home begin to call to her.

One morning, while walking in the woods, Emily encounters a naked teenage girl who seems to belong to the forest-one who can speak directly into Emily's mind and lives in fear of dark beasts patrolling the borders of her world. Emily names the girl "Julia" and attempts to bridge the gap between their worlds.

As Emily's marriage unravels and her grip on reality loosens, her bond with the girl grows stranger and more dangerous, blurring the line between protection and obsession, family and fantasy. Emily must decide which world she belongs to-and what she is willing to sacrifice to stay.

Genesis is a lyrical, haunting story about loss, healing, and what still lives within us when we believe nothing is left.