University Honors

Silent at Last is a psychological horror novella, blending the supernatural with emotional realism, drawing loosely from concepts of cognitive dissonance in order to investigate trauma, guilt, repression, and distorted perception. The narrative follows fifty-four year old Matthew Wilson who relocated from Los Angeles, California, to Govan, Washington, seeking peace following a divorce. However, Govan proves to be unsettling, filled with eerie occurrences. As Matthew struggles with his paranoia, he is convinced that his ex-wife is connected with all of the disturbances, forcing him to confront deeper truths tied to his past. Rather than relying on psychological horrorsí typical external factors, Silent at Last centers emotional isolation and psychological distortion to have fear confront internal conflict. With a limited, single perspective that remains unreliable, it blurs reality with what is not. Silent at Last explores the fragility or reality and effects of unresolved emotional trauma, combining psychological and supernatural horror. This project reflects my love for storytelling by using horror as spectacle as well as a tool to inspect the complexities of identity, human behavior, and perception.