He peered into the pitch-black abyss where the miniature tempest had been. Something zoomed out, missing his head and landing a few feet behind where he was kneeling. What was it? Teenage Stevie and his friends play with the gadget that Stevie found at the decaying train station in Detroit. It baffles them as to what it is. They spend weekends in the neighborhood candy store/ice cream parlor playing with and discussing what it might be. The candy store becomes the hub for the teens as little by little they discover different aspects of the device and start to realize that the device which they have named the Crystal Apple, can be something extraordinary and may open a window into the future. Two of their fathers take turns at helping the teens with their dilemma . . . to their detriment. Tom, the owner of the candy store discovers that his livelihood is in jeopardy. Harry discovers a personal catastrophic event that will shake the nation and residents of Detroit for years to come. The men quickly realize that the Crystal Apple is not a toy and they warn the teens that information on the device could be harmful, if not deadly. As the teens discover pictures and stories of the future of familiar things in their lives, they begin to realize that peering into the future can not only be a gift, but it can also be a curse! The teens find that an intriguing attractive young girl's image has been appearing every time they open the Crystal Apple. It becomes an icon for all the secrets that are being revealed; a portrait of what will be a chance meeting 40 years in the future at the place where the story began.