Andrew Retrieves and Loads the Pistol from the SUV

Andrew Retrieves and Loads the Pistol from the SUV is a brief but consequential action at the family’s attempted departure from the cabin: faced with an unusable vehicle and uncertain danger ahead, Andrew reloads his handgun and takes it with him, even as he says he intends to get rid of it when the crisis is over.

The Disabled SUV

At the gravel driveway, Andrew finds that the passenger-side rear door of his SUV is open, its tires ruined and the vehicle no longer drivable. The family cannot use it to leave, so he opens the rear hatch instead. Inside are loose bullets left from his earlier struggle with Sabrina. Their presence makes the vehicle a reminder of the violence already encountered, as well as the immediate source of what he needs next.

Reloading the Handgun

Eric asks what Andrew is doing. Andrew gathers the bullets before he can change his mind, loads all five chambers of the handgun, and puts it in his back pocket. He explains that he is keeping it in case Sabrina or someone else presents another threat. He also puts the knife in the trunk beside the biometric gun safe, rather than carrying it onward.

Protection and Reluctance

Andrew says that once they are safe, he wants to throw the handgun away, naming the woods or the lake as possible places. Eric offers to help, but recognizes that his eagerness makes the reassurance feel sentimental and possibly false. The exchange holds together two opposed impulses: Andrew treats the loaded weapon as necessary protection now, while imagining a future in which he can be rid of it. After the gun is reloaded, Eric adjusts Wen in his arms and continues down the driveway toward Sabrina, who remains motionless.