The Butterfly Garden

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, kidnapping, sexual violence and harassment, and suicidal ideation.

The first time the Gardener leaves Desmond alone with Inara, he shares his doubts with her that his father has told him the complete truth about the Garden and its residents. Inara tries to gauge how he would react to the full truth, asking him what he would do if he learned his father had done something “inappropriate.” Desmond hedges, wanting to hear details; he suspects his father is “cheating” on his mother with the girls, but Inara, not trusting him, refuses to tell him more, despite his pleading. Inara feels that Desmond, who longs for his father’s respect, is too “scared” to ask him hard questions about the Garden, and that he might not go to the police even if he learned the truth. All the same, she ponders whether Desmond can aid in the Butterflies’ escape.

Inara backtracks to her arrival at the Garden, describing a pair of twins, Magdalene and Magdalena, who are quite different from each other. Maggie, the older twin, has a host of “allergies” and phobias; Lena, the more cheerful, stable one, constantly tries to keep her sister out of trouble with the Gardener, running interference however she can.