December 23

College sophomore Darby Thorne drives up a Colorado mountain in the snow, upset as her car struggles in the bad weather. She is returning to her Utah hometown because she has recently learned that her mother has late-stage pancreatic cancer. She worries that the accumulating snow will soon leave her stranded without phone service. After skidding on ice, her car’s loose windshield wiper snaps off, reducing her visibility. She is relieved to see a rest station.

She pulls into the rest stop, realizing the delay will cause her to miss her mother’s surgery, which inspires guilt and worry. Inside the rest station, Darby cannot connect to the expensive Wi-Fi, which worsens her mood. Inside are two men, an older one, Ed, and a younger one, Ashley. Ashley advises her that he got a cell signal outside and shows her where, the two joking about how “Ashley” is traditionally a feminine name while “Darby” is traditionally masculine. The building is next to a sheer cliff, the drop disguised by the snow. Darby searches for a signal by a set of statues, which Ashley has referred to as the “Nightmare Children.” Darby remembers all the cruel things that she has ever said to her mother.