Alice from Sweden shares her "crazy" story about living in a creepy old house with her parents. The house, which used to belong to her grandmother, is filled with strange masks and knick-knacks from her grandmother's travels. Alice felt lonely and isolated as a child, and her parents were always busy working. She started giving ghost tours of the house to make some money, but her parents eventually found out and took away her earnings.
When Alice was 12, her parents adopted a boy named Damien, but Alice soon discovered that Damien was not what he seemed. He was mean and manipulative, and Alice began to suspect that he was behind a series of pranks and mishaps that her parents were blaming on her.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Damien is not a real person, but rather a figment of Alice's imagination. Alice's parents reveal that they had been playing along with the idea of Damien in order to help Alice cope with her feelings of loneliness and isolation. However, when Alice started to act out and blame Damien for her misbehavior, her parents realized that they needed to intervene.
In the end, Alice's parents sit her down and explain the truth about Damien. They tell her that she created him as an imaginary friend to deal with her feelings of loneliness, and that they had been playing along in order to support her. Alice is shocked and upset, but ultimately relieved to have the truth out in the open. She begins therapy sessions with her parents' support, and starts to work through her issues.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Alice, lives in a creepy old house with her parents.
2. The house used to belong to her grandma, who was a very odd woman and collected strange masks and knick-knacks.
3. Alice's parents are always working and don't have much time for her.
4. Alice starts giving ghost tours of the property to make money.
5. Alice's parents find out and are furious, taking away her money and grounding her.
6. Alice is lonely and wishes she had a sibling to play with.
7. One day, Alice meets a thin, pale boy named Damien who claims to be her brother.
8. Damien shows Alice some official-looking papers to prove he is her brother.
9. Alice's parents confirm that they adopted Damien, but don't explain why they didn't tell Alice about it.
10. Alice and Damien become friends, but Alice's parents eventually decide it's not a good idea and try to keep them apart.
11. Damien is sent away, but Alice is sad and feels unfair.
12. Alice's parents take her to see a doctor, who recommends homeschooling and warns about Alice's high blood pressure.
13. Alice returns to school and meets a new friend named Tara.
14. Tara is fascinated by Alice's house and its supposed ghostly inhabitants.
15. Damien returns to the house, but Alice's parents seem unaware of his presence.
16. Alice becomes convinced that Damien is out to get her and enlists Tara's help.
17. Tara doesn't see Damien, leading Alice to wonder if she's crazy.
18. Alice's parents reveal that they never adopted a boy named Damien and that Alice created him as an imaginary friend to cope with her feelings of loneliness.
19. Alice's parents and doctor explain that Damien's behavior is a manifestation of Alice's own feelings of low self-esteem.
20. Alice begins therapy sessions with her parents and doctor to address her issues.