The story centers around the small town of Crow Town, after most of the US and the rest of the world had sunk down into the Earth, like the legend of Atlantis, and are now underwater. A day after the global flooding, a sinister creature that resembles something out of a fairy tale, visits different people from Muslim students suffering abuse from the towns residents, rednecks, school bullies and all-time losers, granting them darkest desires and making them come true.
Troy's day begins badly when his girlfriend dumps him; it gets worse when his stepmother seizes the moment to commence a plan she's had for him for some time, her mind full of admiration for the girl who's put him closer to the place she needs him to be in. Troy learns of the true fate of his departed father, and is shown he has more in common with him than he ever knew - courtesy of some very independent female friends of his stepmother, educating him to his true purpose in life.
Aria awakens in a brutal world where survival is uncertain. A man finds her—strong, dangerous, and willing to teach her. Mentor or master, the line is unclear. She clings to freedom, yet safety lies beneath his control. When the time comes to strike it on her own and live in the world on her own, completely free… will she still want to?