The Power Of Staying Awake: A Storytelling Twist

Don't Go to Sleep is the title of several works, including a 1982 horror film, a 2017 horror film, and a 2022 historical fiction novel.

The 1982 film, directed by Richard Lang, follows a family of four who move into a new home with their grandmother, Bernice, following the death of their daughter, Jennifer, in a car crash. The family is haunted by Jennifer's ghost, who seeks revenge for her death, which was caused by her siblings playing a prank on her. The film ends with the mother, Laura, being terrorised by Jennifer's ghost.

The 2017 film, written and directed by Rick Bieber, follows Zach, a young man who is haunted by his past. He is married and has moved into a new house with his wife, Shawn. However, he starts to see his childhood double and is haunted by images of a man being tortured on his laptop. The film has a twist ending that suggests that Zach is not solely responsible for his actions.

The 2022 novel, written by Bryce Moore, is set in 1918 New Orleans and follows a 17-year-old girl, Gianna, who goes up against a notorious axe murderer known as the Axeman. Gianna enlists the help of her friend, Enzo, to investigate the killings, and she discovers a connection between herself and the Axeman. The novel includes supernatural elements and is based on the true story of the Axeman of New Orleans.

The ghost of Jennifer appears to Mary

Mary's bed catches fire, and she is blamed for the accident. Her parents think she is hallucinating due to the trauma of losing her sister, but Mary knows that she is being haunted by Jennifer's ghost. The ghost appears to Mary numerous times in secret, ultimately communicating her desire for revenge.

Mary is sent to a mental institution, where she experiences a flashback about Jennifer's death. In the flashback, Mary and her brother Kevin are seen tying Jennifer's shoelaces together while riding home from their grandmother's house. They are jealous of their parents' favouritism towards Jennifer and are fed up with her constant bullying. When their car collides with a van, everyone except Jennifer escapes. She is trapped and screams for help, but the car bursts into flames before anyone can rescue her.

Back in the present, Mary claims that she is Jennifer and that the deceased sister has possessed her. She screams for Jennifer not to leave, pleading that she "loved her".

Mary is blamed for the deaths

The ending of the 1982 horror-thriller *Don't Go to Sleep* sees Mary placed in a mental institution, blamed for the deaths of her family members.

The film follows a family of four, including parents Phillip and Laura, son Kevin, and daughter Mary, who move to a new home in northern California. They are accompanied by Grandma Bernice, who is disliked by the rest of the family. The family is mourning the death of their eldest daughter, Jennifer, who perished in a car crash, and they are looking to start a new life.

Mary begins to see and hear the ghost of her late sister, who communicates her desire to kill the entire family, except for Mary, as an act of revenge. Following this revelation, the family members suffer a series of tragic fates: Grandma Bernice suffers a fatal heart attack after Kevin's pet iguana appears in her bed; Kevin falls to his death while trying to retrieve a Frisbee from the roof; and Phillip is electrocuted while listening to the radio in the bath. Laura, the mother, barely escapes with an injured arm.

Based on the belief that she committed the murders, Mary is institutionalized. However, she soon experiences a flashback that reveals the truth about Jennifer's death. It is discovered that while riding home from their grandmother's house, Kevin and Mary played a prank on Jennifer by tying her shoelaces together. The children were jealous of their parents' favoritism toward Jennifer and were fed up with her constant bullying. During the prank, a van collides with their car, and Jennifer is trapped inside as the vehicle bursts into flames. In the present, Mary claims that she is actually Jennifer, and that the deceased sister has possessed her.

The film ends with Laura, the sole surviving family member, awakening in her bedroom to the ghost of Jennifer, who greets her with a chilling "Hi, Mommy."

The family's new home

The new home is intended to be a place of healing and a way to forget the past. However, the seclusion of the country house and the presence of the crotchety Grandma Bernice create a tense atmosphere. Philip, the father, starts relying more on alcohol, and the children, Kevin and Mary, clearly dislike their grandmother, who they often argue with. Laura, the mother, struggles to maintain a sense of normalcy and happiness in the family.

Mary, the daughter, starts experiencing disturbing events in the new home. She hears voices calling her name from under her bed and sees her dead sister, Jennifer, appearing to her. Mary is terrified and screams, but at first, her parents attribute her behaviour to night terrors. However, as the events escalate, they realise that Mary may be severely troubled and in need of psychiatric help.

As the family members suffer tragic fates, the truth about Jennifer's death is gradually revealed. It is discovered that while riding home from their grandmother's house, Kevin and Mary played a prank on Jennifer by tying her shoelaces together. Jealous of their parents' favouritism towards Jennifer and fed up with her constant bullying, they harboured resentment towards her. When a van collided with their car, everyone except Jennifer managed to escape, and she perished in the burning vehicle.

Grandma Bernice's presence

Grandma Bernice is a central character in the 1982 horror film 'Don't Go to Sleep'. She is the mother of Laura and the grandmother of Mary, Kevin, and the deceased Jennifer. She moves into the family home, much to the chagrin of Philip and the children, who dislike her. She is described as "crotchety", "cantankerous", and "bratty", and she smokes in the house, which is seen as particularly callous given Mary's fear of something being under her bed.

Grandma Bernice is also the first family member to die at the hands of Jennifer's ghost. She suffers a fatal heart attack when Kevin's pet iguana is put in her bed, a prank which the ghost uses to get revenge on the family for Jennifer's death.

The family's dysfunction

The family in D.T. Max's book, *The Family That Couldn't Sleep*, is a real Italian family that has suffered from fatal familial insomnia for over 200 years. The disease is a rare genetic disorder caused by misfolded proteins called prions, which create a domino effect of abnormal proteins that kill brain cells. The disease typically hits in middle age and results in death within months.

The family, who prefer not to use their surname, had kept the disease a secret for generations, with doctors listing causes of death as "nervous exhaustion", encephalitis, and even schizophrenia. However, in 1984, Silvano, a 53-year-old member of the family, decided to break the silence surrounding the disease. He approached researchers at the University of Bologna, who documented his final months. Silvano died in July 1984, and his brain tissue was studied, leading to a better understanding of fatal familial insomnia.

The impact of the disease on the family's dynamics and functioning is evident, with members likely experiencing a range of emotions, including fear, anxiety, and grief. The family's dysfunction is a result of the chaos, abuse, and neglect caused by the disease, as well as the emotional turmoil and communication problems that arise in the face of such a devastating illness.

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