The United States of America is gone. The state of Michigan is no more. Following mass nuclear terrorism, North America has fractured into dozens of independent countries. Citizens of the Great Lakes Commonwealth are shocked by news that their leader has been assassinated in the capital city of Detroit. A new president with a new vision takes office and bans the private possession of firearms, forcing the God-fearing rural population of West Michigan to struggle for their rights against overwhelming odds. Principled regional rulers are transformed into reluctant rebels as West Michigan...

It's fall time in West Michigan. As the days grow short, colorful leaves blanket the ground, and a chill permeates the air. Lifelong city-dwellers Wyatt Sheffield and his teenage daughter Amanda are the newest residents of the village of Corning. While adapting to their new rural environment, the Sheffields notice something odd about their neighbor. Widower Jack Verhooven, owner of the "locally famous" pumpkin patch, is hiding a dark secret beneath his prize-winning pumpkins. With the aid of a well-informed stranger, Wyatt learns the terrible truth about the evil next door.