The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer

The Rose Red project kicks off on the forty-acre woodland site as a Tudor neo-Gothic mansion rises. Early on, three construction workers die during the build, and a foreman is murdered by a coworker, signaling that the house may be more than just stone and timber. The foreboding atmosphere lingers as the project proceeds.

Oil magnate John Rimbauer funds the mansion as a lavish wedding gift for his shy wife Ellen. Ellen begins to feel dazzled by wealth, yet the shadow of John grows heavier as she cautiously observes his past and controlling nature. The dynamic seeds a tension that will color their years in Rose Red.

Ellen starts keeping a diary to process her anxieties about John, her evolving sexuality, and the creeping nightmare of living under his influence. The diary becomes a thread through the mansion's unfolding strange events. It documents the growing sense of unease that accompanies the house's rise.

Ellen gives birth to Adam, who briefly anchors her to a life she once hoped for. The child brings a fragile sense of normalcy amid the mansion's creeping dread. His arrival marks a lull before the house's mysteries intensify.

Ellen also gives birth to April, a daughter born with a withered arm that marks a brutal reminder of the house's costs. The family life is shadowed by the mansion's looming power. The presence of the children deepens Ellen's sense of responsibility and fear.

Ellen uncovers troubling facts about John's past, deepening the rift in their uneasy dynamic. The revelations feed fear and suspicion, turning wealth into a trap. The couple's trust frays as the house watches from the shadows.

The mansion's hauntings intensify with voices, apparitions, and unexplained phenomena that seem to presage harm. The house appears to grow, extending hallways and rooms as if it has a life of its own. Rose Red becomes a living character in Ellen's fear.

Ellen finds grounding in Sukeena, her confidant and maid, who offers steadiness amid escalating dread. Sukeena's presence anchors Ellen as the circle around her thins and the mystery deepens. The bond offers a rare anchor in the mansion's shifting realities.

Deanna Petrie, a famous actress friend of Ellen, disappears under mysterious circumstances, amplifying Rose Red's legend. Rumors swirl about the fate of those who cross the house's threshold. The vanishings feed the aura of danger surrounding the estate.

John dies, leaving Ellen to confront the mansion alone. Rather than slowing, Rose Red continues to expand, as if the house itself commands more space to imprison a fate she cannot escape. Ellen's struggle to control or appease the mansion intensifies.

Ellen spends nearly all her inherited fortune to keep Rose Red growing, hoping to imprison the fate she fears. The mansion consumes wealth and time, becoming a fortress that stands between her and oblivion. The project becomes her lifelong, solitary vigil.

The supernatural pressure does not abate; more disappearances haunt the inhabitants as Rose Red grows unwieldy. Ellen remains determined, even as allies vanish or drift away. The mansion's grip remains unyielding, feeding its legend.

In 1950, Ellen vanishes without a trace, sealing Rose Red's legend and the mansion's enigma for good. The house's grasp seems to outlast the people who dared to live within it. Rose Red becomes an enduring symbol of haunted ambition and unresolved fate.