Out Loud

Thrust into the country environs of the pacific northwest, Klein, an introverted and poetic fourteen-year-old, is confronted with her abusive past for the first time when a repressed memory emerges. Shaken, she realized she can no longer hide from her secret. Soon she becomes perversely drawn to a classmate and neighbor, Ed Boons, after discovering they have a shared bond: both are/were victims of abuse. They form an odd alliance, but life becomes increasingly complicated as Klein learns more about Ed's escalating abusive family life and the subsequent CPS investigation of his home. Klein wants to transport herself from her haunting memories and find a way to be unfettered. Yet, the more embroiled she becomes in Ed's life, the more she's forced to remember her own past. As she navigates through distracted parents, isolation, and bullies, a semblance of clarity surfaces and an unformed, subconscious idea arises: Can she save herself by saving Ed first?