I Start Counting

Wynne spies on George in the bathroom and notices several scratches on his back. She finds a jumper she made for him discarded in the rubbish, stained with blood, which makes her suspect he is the serial killer preying on local teens. Her fear and fascination fuse into a dangerous obsession as she watches him closely.

Despite the danger, Wynne's crush remains intense and she dreams of marrying George when she comes of age. She keeps returning to the house where she and George once lived with their adoptive family, clinging to fading memories. The line between fantasy and reality blurs as she obsesses over him.

Wynne tries to search the back of George's van for clues but is forced to hide when he drives off. She follows on foot, watching as he heads toward a house where more secrets might be revealed. The pursuit marks a turning point in her investigation and her relationship with him.

Wynne discovers that George is involved with a mentally unstable woman, whose blood stains the jumper. The jumper's origin is tied to the woman who slit her wrists, reframing the blood-soaked clue as not a teen-killer's token but a tragedy connected to George's affair. Wynne's suspicion deepens but she is conflicted by her feelings for him.

During a family picnic, Corinne flirts with George, provoking his anger. He pins her down roughly in front of Wynne, who watches in horror and confusion. Corinne runs off, and Wynne's worry about both her friend and George grows.

Corinne phones Wynne to say she will stay out all night with an unnamed boy. Wynne is anxious for Corinne's safety and resolves to search for her when her friend doesn't return. The concern pushes Wynne to confront the dangers surrounding George and Corinne.

Wynne goes to Corinne's former home and discovers her dead body. The grim discovery confirms that a killer is active in their circle and raises the stakes of Wynne's suspicions about George. The tragedy also intensifies Wynne's sense of imminent danger.

As Wynne tries to leave the house, the bus conductor who Wynne and Corinne often meet on the bus traps her inside. He confesses to having killed the girls, and Wynne realizes the danger has reached a personal contact. She struggles to escape as the truth unfolds.

Wynne attempts to flee but is chased by the killer. She falls into a pond and fights to pull herself out as he looms closer. The moment is tense, with the environment turning into a trap that could seal her fate.

The police arrive just as Wynne is cornered, and the killer's composure collapses under the combined weight of fear and guilt. Wynne is saved from imminent harm, and the immediate threat ends. The killer's breakdown provides a emotional reckoning to the ordeal.

In the final scene, Wynne and George watch the old family house be demolished, symbolizing the destruction of their past and a fragile step toward normalcy. The image emphasizes distance between desire and reality as they move forward separately. The ending leaves Wynne's future ambiguous but safer.

The events leave Wynne scarred and still obsessive, yet there is a hint of cautious hope for rebuilding a life with George within safer boundaries. The narrative closes on a note of uneasy resolution, acknowledging the complexities of desire and danger.