In the aftermath of a terrible storm, the town of Stillwater, Maryland tries to recover what it has lost. From flooded roads and houses, to ruined businesses the residents of the town begin to clean up and return to normal. In the midst of the clean up, people begin to see things. Matthew Crawly spies his father in the woodlands above the Narrows, but that cannot be possible; Maggie Quedentock nearly hits a child with her car, only to find an empty road lying before her; and in the middle of it all, Sergeant Ben Journell is thrust into an impossible investigation. Animals are being slaughtered, their brains systematically removed from their bodies. Something is happening to the town of Stillwater something dark and ancient and evil has its grip on everyone. The saying goes, still waters run deep, but no one in Stillwater is prepared for just how deep they run, and no one can possibly be ready for what they might find waiting for them in the dark.