Out on a Limb

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, ableism, and sexual content.

Winnifred June McNulty, or “Win,” tries to chat with a fellow partygoer about the song “Monster Mash.” She is at the house of her best friend, Sarah Linwood, who throws a Halloween party every year. Caleb Linwood, Sarah’s husband, wants to set Win up with his friend Robbie. Sarah teases Win about her pirate costume. Win spots a good-looking man also wearing a pirate costume, and he jokes that one of them has to change. Win takes off her fake hook to reveal her small right hand. He grins and sticks out his foot.

Seeing his prosthetic leg, Win jokes that she thought she’d win this contest. She finds this stranger to be a “seemingly perfect specimen” (10). He introduces himself as Bo and extends his left hand to shake; Win thinks that nothing could be more attractive to her. He’s tall, and she asks if he plays basketball. He gestures toward his prosthesis, and Win apologizes, explaining that she was born with her hand. He jokes that he could make fun of her to even the score, but when he examines her hand, he says that it’s adorable and that the best he could come up with is a Finding Nemo joke.