Helen in Wonderland

Before she became the iconic Dr. Helen of The Night She Said Hatchet, she was just a curious grad student with a clipboard, a kombucha buzz… and a front-row seat to the strangest therapy session in the desert.Burning Man was never meant to be part of her dissertation—but when UCSF psych student Helen Sage found herself inside a tie-dye dome at sunset, flanked by a topless tea circle and a coconut penguin named Poppy, the research took a turn.Enter: Cactus Dan. A sunburnt, sandal-melting enigma with cracked aviators, a Viking alter ego, and a suspicious amount of confidence in his penguin piña coladas. What starts as a spontaneous hypnosis session quickly spirals into something deeper, dustier, and decidedly more personal."e;I set out to study altered states… I just didn't expect mine to be one of them."e;Is it a trance? Theatre? Or just Tuesday at Burning Man?This short story offers a hilarious and heartfelt glimpse into Dr. Helen's origin story—the moment the playa cracked her open and the seed of everything that came next was planted.A short story prequel to The Night She Said Hatchet.Before the murder mystery, Pico the three-legged-dog, and her eclectic tea collection—there was Cactus Dan and a penguin with googly eyes.A little bit philosophy, a little bit piña colada, and a whole lot of dust.Perfect for fans of Tom Robbins, Jenny Lawson, or anyone who's ever considered going to a festival just for the people-watching.