Jake Epping is a divorced English teacher. He is reading themes written by the students in his Adult English class. A theme written by janitor Harry Dunning is about the Halloween night in 1958 when his father murdered Harry’s mother and three siblings and severely wounded him. Jake cries, even though his ex-wife Christy accused him of being incapable of significant emotion.

Two years later, Al Templeton, the owner of Al’s Diner, wants Jake to visit him at his restaurant. When Jake arrives, he is surprised to see how different Al looks. Overnight he has lost 30 pounds and lost several teeth, and his hair has gone completely white. Al tells Jake he has lung cancer. Jake is confused because he saw Al just the night before and he looked fine. Al says something odd happened not long after he set up his “Aluminaire” (27), the trailer in which his diner resides. Jake asks what he means, but Al insists it will be easier to show him.

Al takes Jake to the pantry of the diner. He asks Jake to take his cellphone, wallet, money, and coins out of his pockets. He gives him a stack of bills that Jake studies and realizes are old.