The year is 1979. A small New York town prepares to welcome the fall season in all the expected ways: young children bicker and boast over Halloween costumes, secret lovers meet in clandestine corners, and a tortured soul plots wicked deeds. All the while, hidden just out of view, patient and hungry... an ancient evil lurks. Welcome to Garrett Grove, an unassuming community nestled within the foothills of the Watchung Mountains. The very definition of "Everytown, USA", it is a largely self-contained municipality, most of the residents on a first-name basis. An almost postcard-perfect location. For ten-year-old Troy Fischer, eagerly awaiting the thrills of Halloween, autumn is his favorite time of year. This spooky season looks to be the best one yet - he has caught the eye of the new girl at school, and the haunted attraction he built in his garage, called Scream in the Dark, is guaranteed to have all of his classmates talking. But something is happening to the children of Garrett Grove. A mysterious outbreak threatens the community, leaving a handful of doctors and the town's sheriff desperate to find the source of the contagion before it is too late.