Chapter summary
Chapter 1
Jet arrives at the Halloween Fair in Woodstock, Vermont, wearing a gris‑gray zombie mask that she removes after a few minutes in a funhouse mirror. She spots her ex‑boyfriend JJ Lim, now in a ridiculous red wig and overalls, trying to apologize for scaring her. JJ follows her through the crowd while Jet tries to avoid conversation, citing a fundraiser booth as an excuse. A small vampire child shouts “Trick‑or‑treat!” and Jet mutters contempt.
Luke, Jet’s brother, intervenes when JJ drops his wig, retrieving it and leaving the scene. Sophia, Luke’s wife and mother of baby Cameron (dressed as an unhappy pumpkin), joins them, dressed as Catwoman. The family banters brutally: Luke boasts about Mason Construction, Sophia makes crude jokes, and Jet launches sarcastic remarks about Luke’s career and her own “law‑school dropout” status. Sophia repeatedly asks Jet not to swear around the baby; Jet apologizes half‑heartedly.
The conversation drifts to Jet’s abandoned screenplay and a potential dog‑walking app; Luke mocks her lack of follow‑through. The siblings argue over ambition, with Luke claiming he always sees projects through, while Jet retorts with bitter humor about her past spelling‑bee win. The fair winds down; a giant cat costume (Gerry Clay in a half‑cat outfit) approaches with Chief Lou Jankowski and Sergeant Jack Finney. Jack greets Jet and mentions a missing “Billy” who is looking for her.
Billy Finney, Jack’s teenage son, finds Jet, invites her to a bar gig where he will play guitar, but Jet declines, citing being busy. A drunken clown, Andrew Smith, wanders toward them demanding to speak to Luke. A brief scuffle ensues: Andrew attempts to punch Billy, Jack intervenes, and Chief Lou subdues Andrew, promising him a night in jail.
After the chaos, Jet flees the fair, feeling exhausted and alienated. She walks home down College Hill Road, passing Halloween decorations and a skeleton outside the Romanos’ house. Reaching her own large, newly expanded family home (number 10), she greets her red‑furred Cocker Spaniel, Reggie, and enters. Inside, she finds a plate of cookies baked by Sophia, eats a bat‑shaped one, then a pumpkin‑shaped one while scrolling Instagram on her phone, reflecting on her stalled life and future plans.
While she’s eating, a sudden blow to the back of her head knocks her down, shattering her skull. Her phone falls, the dog whines, and a scream is heard. An unseen assailant delivers another explosion‑like impact, and Jet lies motionless, bleeding.
The scene cuts to a 911 call log captured from Woodstock Police Department on 10/31/2025 at 11:09 p.m. A panicked male caller, identified as Billy Finney, reports that Jet has been attacked at 10 College Hill Road, describing copious blood, possible death, and pleading for an ambulance while the dog wails. Dispatcher Debbie attempts to keep him calm and confirms emergency services are en route.