“Once upon a time,” King begins Cujo, “not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine” (3). The monster wasn’t a supernatural beast but a man named Frank Dodd, who killed a string of people in the 1970s before taking his own life. However, Castle Rock witnesses the return of the monster in the summer of 1980. One night in May, four-year-old Tad Trenton wakes up to see a growling creature in his closet and screams in fright. His parents, Vic and Donna, rush in to comfort him, assuring him that the monster isn’t real—but after they leave, Tad sees the creature in his closet once again. The creature watches him all night. In the morning, Donna remarks to Vic that Tad’s closet smells strange and objects have been moved around. Vic dismisses Donna’s concerns.

That morning, when George Meara delivers mail to Evelyn Chambers (Aunt Evvie), the town’s oldest resident, she warns him that this summer of 1980 will be hot and deadly. Meara rushes to leave, unsettled by her comments. A year earlier, Meara told Vic Trenton about Joe Camber’s Garage when Vic had car problems.