The light of my life
Carla begins to tell her story to Amanda by saying that David was a light of her life when he was born. This statement provides a direct contrast to how she feels about her son now. Like everything else in the novella, this simple sentence of Carla’s has a lingering, eerie sense that only intensifies the horror aspect of it.
The invisible thread
Amanda calls the connection to her daughter and the rescue distance to her the invisible thread that allows her to sense her daughter’s presence or lack thereof. This invisible thread represents a mother’s fear and paranoia that bad things are inevitably going to happen to their child.
Moving deeper into a cave
Amanda remembers her first night vacationing at the village with her daughter and how her fear pushed her into inspecting every corner of their surroundings to be prepared for danger. She describes the feeling of the moment as moving deeper into a cave.
A man who has lost his horses
In her final moments, David pushes Amanda to listen to his father Omar. He understands her confusion and explains he seems simple to her because he is a man who has lost his horses. His father’s simplicity lies in losing something precious to him, but the answer lies with him.
