Lucian Rolfe believes himself to be an average seventeen year-old boy until he fishes a strange, golden key out of the local creek. Alluring and beautiful, he opts to keep it for himself. But to his horror he soon realizes that its surfacing coincides with many odd happenings around town. The appearance of a strange, hooded man has locals on edge, popping up unexpectedly and asking curious questions. But the revealing of the key draws much fouler attention to Lucian's village than that of a suspicious traveler's. Vicious, shadowy creatures begin to collect on the outskirts of town, stalking Lucian and hunting his new discovery. For as Lucian will learn, there is far more to this key than meets the eye, and even more to himself.