The Painted Lady

Five year old Charlie arrives home from school one afternoon to find her mother, Fay, in the throes of another one of her moods.

Charlie leaves her alone, but later that night Fay goes too far. Overcome by a delusional paranoia, she forces Charlie to run away with her. The next day Fay disappears, and Charlie is discovered by police who take her to a children’s home. In her visits to the hospital Charlie observes her mother’s gradual decline into psychosis. Charlie understands that she is alone and must learn to fend for herself.