The prologue describes the setting of Charon County, Virginia, from the perspective of an omniscient third-person narrator with historical and folkloric knowledge of the place. According to folklore, the county’s founders did not intend to name it Charon and may not have understood the reference to the mythological Charon from ancient Greek mythology, the ferryman who escorted dead souls across the River Styx to Hades, the underworld. However, the name that the founders wanted was already taken, so they picked the next available alphabetical option listed. As it happens, the name of Charon suits the place well because it has a long history of violence and bloodshed. For example, the white settlers of the Charon County area destroyed Indigenous communities and enslaved people for centuries. Although Charon might seem relatively peaceful in the present day, the county’s current sheriff, Titus Crown, feels that violence is still alive and well in this place.

The third-person narration focuses on Titus, whose experiences inform the majority of the narrative. As the story begins, he is currently living with his father, Albert, who has had some medical issues.