At her Aunt Elaine’s cabin, Vivienne Jones mourns her recent breakup with Rhys Penhallow by soaking in the bathtub and drinking cocktails. Steadily becoming more intoxicated, Vivi agrees to help her cousin Gwyn put a “pretend” hex on Rhys, ignoring Elaine’s advice: “Never mix vodka and witchcraft” (1). Placing a Bath and Body Works candle in the center of a salt circle, they jokingly curse Rhys, but when the candle flares and the lights flicker, they quickly stop their ritual. While their backs are turned, the candle flares again.

Nine years later, Rhys returns to his home village, Dweniniaid, in Wales. He owns a travel agency and was just in New Zealand. As he walks down High Street to the pub, people cross to the other side of the road to avoid him. His brother Llewellyn owns the pub and is their father’s favorite. Their other brother, Bowen, “fucked off to the mountains of Snowdonia” years ago and has not visited since. Llewellyn says the bad weather over the village is the result of their father’s latest bad mood. As Rhys walks to their family home, Penhaven Manor, he recalls the many storms provoked by his father’s near-constant irritation with him.