The Prologue takes place after the events of the novel. On her way home after her last trip through time, our protagonist, Dana, lost her left arm, so she is now in the hospital. She must convince the police that her husband, Kevin, is not responsible for her injury, but they have trouble believing her. Only she and Kevin know the truth: that when she time traveled home, her arm became stuck in a wall, and they had to amputate it above the elbow. Still, Dana and Kevin do not know exactly how or why this happened.

The first chapter reveals the first time Dana time travels to Rufus in June 1976. Dana has just turned 26 years old and is moving into a new home with her husband Kevin, who is white. Both are writers, although Kevin acknowledges that he is suffering from writer’s block.

As Dana unpacks, she begins to feel dizzy, her vision becomes unfocused, and the present room fades away before Kevin can reach her. Suddenly, she is outside near a river where a young boy is drowning. Despite her confusion, Dana rushes in to save him, and when she pulls him to shore, she finds his mother hysterical.