An anonymous third-person narrator (later revealed as Landon West) provides journalistic-style facts about Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina. Tourism structures the small town’s economy as it sits adjacent to an Appalachian Trail entrance. The disappearance of six adults over the past 25 years causes outsiders to label Cutter’s Pass as “the most dangerous town in the state” (1). However, permanent residents of Cutter’s Pass reassure visitors that the area is safe. The Prologue ends mid-sentence as the narrator references a truth about Cutter’s Pass.

Prior to the start of Chapter 1, details about Landon West’s disappearance are supplied in a fact sheet. Landon went missing on April 2, 2022, four months before the narrative’s opening. His last known location is The Passage Inn in Cutter’s Pass.

The narrative switches to Abby Lovett’s first-person perspective. Abby works as a manager at the Passage Inn. She receives a late, unexpected guest on a particularly rainy evening. Abby knows Celeste, Abby’s aunt and owner of the inn, would disapprove of her accommodating this visitor, especially since he carries no identification. A widow, Celeste hardly handles any of the inn’s business while she enjoys early retirement.