A Room Full of Nothing

Barry receives a scathing review of his performance on the closing night of a low-budget play, which dampens the party mood. At the wrap party, his co-star insists that all problems can be solved with manifesting and the law of attraction, undermining his confidence. Phyllis watches the scene, already wary about her artistic path as their relationship strains.

At the gallery opening where Phyllis's art is on display, a pompous fan questions the meaning of her work, sowing her doubts about pursuing art. The encounter highlights the insecurity and external pressure she faces as an artist. She leaves the gallery unsettled, second-guessing her career choice.

Phyllis overhears a heated exchange where her boss praises her earlier work to another patron, then harshly criticizes it. The volatile feedback makes her question the value of the praise she’s received. She storms out and removes her art from the gallery wall.

Phyllis storms out with her art, discarding the wall display in defiance. The act marks a break from the art world’s judgments and a pledge to define her own path. The immediate consequence is a sense of uncertain freedom shared with Barry.

That night, Barry and Phyllis joke about manifesting a world where no one exists except the two of them. They drink whiskey together as they test the idea, half laughing and half hoping for a larger escape. The ritual marks the beginnings of a dangerous experiment with reality.

The next morning, Barry checks for his newspaper and finds nothing; he drives to the store but discovers it closed and the streets empty. They realize that their manifesting may have worked and that the city is deserted. They set out to see if the rest of civilization has truly vanished.

Barry discovers a hidden stream behind their house that leads to a grotto and a swimming hole, a strange natural relic in an empty world. Phyllis's sense of safety dissolves as the novelty wears off and the reality of their isolation sinks in. They gradually adapt to the absence of others, at least for a time.

Phyllis wakes to find Barry missing and fears he has vanished again; Barry returns home later, and she scolds him for leaving during their isolation. They hug and argue about their precarious bond and what to do next. The episode intensifies their dependency on each other.

Over the next several days, Phyllis immerses herself in painting while Barry becomes increasingly restless and questions the meaning of their exile. A power outage plunges them into heat, expanding their sense of confinement. They decide to escape into the nearby woods to define a new rhythm for their days.

On a night back in the woods, they get lost and spend the night beneath a cliff. Barry has an epiphany that they should manifest a return to civilization, and he urges Phyllis to join him in a fresh attempt. Phyllis makes a half-hearted effort to manifest civilization, but the attempt seems to falter and no rapid change occurs.

At dawn they wake to find the forest gone and a barren desert stretched before them. They try to cope with the new reality by playing make-believe of a vacation by a coast, while Phyllis declares she got exactly what she wanted—to be with Barry. Barry recognizes that Phyllis may have engineered their fate, though he keeps silent about it.

Barry confronts Phyllis about her manipulation of their reality; she denies selfish intent, insisting she only sought happiness. He runs from her in despair, loses his footing, and falls, dying after striking his head on driftwood. Phyllis mourns over his lifeless body and realizes the irreversible damage of her choices as her conscience seems to fade away; she must live the rest of her days alone.