Abstract: My Feral Heart recounts the story of Luke, a young man with Down syndrome. He lives with his elderly mother, both as a son and as her caretaker. When she dies, Luke is forced into a care home, where he struggles to adapt to the restrictive environment. The plot revolves around Luke’s integration into the care home’s community, especially with Eve (a caregiver), Pete (a hunt saboteur), and a feral animal personified as a young girl.

Details: The story starts with a montage of a typical day in Luke’s life. He is seen bathing, shaving, preparing breakfast for his mother, and washing her. She is in severe need of care due to her old age and frailty. Luke seems to be leading a happy and autonomous life as a self-reliant adult without the support of others. The household seems well organized. This status quo changes when his mother suddenly dies. The social welfare office forces Luke into a care home for disabled people, where Luke does not fit in. The home mandates forms of assistance Luke is not used to, and the care home feels like a prison. Luke is also diagnosed with a heart condition. Slowly, Luke integrates into his new community. Eve recognizes Luke’s intelligence and humility and grows fond of him. They become friends. One day, Luke strolls into an old barn and finds a sick young girl who seems to hide or squat inside the shack. He visits her every now and then, giving her water, clothes, a wash, and taking care of her just like he took care of his mother. Luke meets Pete, an animal liberation activist who tries to sabotage hunting. It is implied that Pete got copped during one of his direct actions and is forced to do community service at the home. Pete and Luke talk, joke, and grow closer. When Pete takes Luke and Eve to his house to offer Eve hand-me-downs for the home, his father sees them and makes vile remarks about Pete and the others. Shortly after, Luke is on his way to visit the girl and runs into Pete, who plans to interrupt a traditional hunt with a group of fellow animal rights activists. Luke wants to join them. Pete hesitates but eventually agrees. They run into the hunters, and a brawl breaks out. Luke manages to flee, running to the barn where he works to scare away the hunter’s dogs. He is clutching his heart, implying that he is having a heart attack. Entering the shack, he finds the girl who seems to be dead. Luke carries her to a field close to the home, where he breaks down. Meanwhile, the care home is alarmed since Luke has been gone for several hours. Eve and Pete, who returned from the action, fight to pin the responsibility of losing Luke on the other. They suddenly hear the screams of a girl and run towards the field. She is alive and scared for Luke. Pete and Eve finally stumble upon him and jump into rescue mode. They immediately administer first aid. The scene closes with three people without revealing if Luke died of the heart attack or if he survived.