Here’s how the key relationships evolve in Sometimes I Scare Myself across its three stories:
Never Kill the Medium
- Erica & Chad: Erica starts by planning a flawless 30th birthday dinner; Chad’s secretive phone use and later revealed affair with Beckie gradually erode Erica’s trust. She moves from seeing Chad as reliable partner to recognizing betrayal and denying him forgiveness. - Erica & Beckie: Old friends with underlying tension; Beckie flirts with Chad, and when their affair is exposed, Erica distances herself completely. At the end Erica refuses Beckie’s attempt at apology, solidifying their estrangement. - Erica & Zach: Zach’s gift of hiring a medium initially seems caring but later feels manipulative when it exposes Chad's affair; their relationship becomes more adversarial (or at least complex) as Erica wrestles with whether his actions were for her or for his own motives. - Erica & Liv: Liv becomes a kind of ally when she shares her own medium experience, giving Erica someone who believes supernatural possibilities are real; but as the night spins out of control, misunderstandings and fear strain that alliance, especially after Liv accidentally shoots Derek in panic.
The Nightmare House
- Kristin & her family (Jeremy, Hailey, Henry): They move to Tillington hopeful, but Kristin’s fears (and perceptions) grow while her husband, Jeremy, and son Riley (and baby Henry) are hesitant or dismissive. Her isolation intensifies as she tries to protect them even when they don’t believe her. - Kristin & the Neighbors (especially Judi Vee): Neighbors initially seem friendly, even helpful, but their behavior becomes invasive, then threatening. Judi Vee, in particular, moves from overbearing local to outright antagonist—threatening to call CPS, locking them in, and contributing to escalating paranoia. Their relationship is one of distrust and horror rather than community.
All Curses Are Final
- Blair & Jake: Friends caught in the curse’s spiraling consequences—a dynamic of blame, disappearance, and tragedy. Jake becomes secluded, perhaps unreachable. By the end, Blair accepts that she must act (return the cursed item) even after Jake dies; her grief is mixed with guilt and resolve. - Blair & the Group of Friends: Initially bonded and mocking, their relationships fracture under suspicion, betrayal, and supernatural horror. As deaths mount, they turn on one another—paranoia pushes them apart. - Blair & the Curse/Accountability: The relationship is symbolic but central—Blair evolves from ignoring or dismissing the curse to seeing it as something she must correct, treating it like a moral debt rather than something to exorcize or escape.
Across all stories, relationships shift from perceived safety and trust toward betrayal, isolation, or moral reckoning. Secrets—whether romantic, emotional, or supernatural—drive the cracks, forcing characters to choose sides, face fears, and deal with guilt when trust breaks.
Summary Table
| Relationship | Beginning | Change or Reveal | Outcome | |---------------|-----------|------------------|---------| | Erica & Chad | Romantic, stable | Secret affair, deception | Trust broken, relationship irreparable | | Friends & Group in Story 1 | Celebration, unity | Secrets exposed, supernatural chaos | Group fractures | | Kristin & Neighbors | Polite, supportive | Surveillance, threat, hostility | Community becomes enemy | | Blair & Jake / Blair & Curse | Friendship; dismissal | Fraudulence, accusations, deaths | Blair accepts responsibility, suffers losses |