Black Water pop. 199 A quaint small town like many others dotting the Midwest; those who drive through are none the wiser to the dark pact on which the town was founded. Christian "Crow" Park is used to the slow pace of life in Black Water. He shrugs off the cryptic ways the elders speak, puts off the marriage that was arranged for him, and works hard to please his parents. He works in the cornfield every year and can only dream of ever escaping. Everything seems normal, even the chronic depression he endures. Then a stranger moves in next door. Crow soon realizes just how strange his town really is. People vanish and turn up dead. Freak weather events wreak havoc. The elders speak of sacrifices. Fingers are pointed at the stranger. Has Crow found the love that can bring meaning to his life? Or is this stranger the cause of all the suffering and death?