The night when six strange lights appear in the sky and the moon disappears, the world as they know it ceases to exsist. Most people are gone--reduced to dust and bones. Only small groups of children and a few adults remain, but their lives soon become a living hell as they are forced to run and hide, pursued by a monster and its army of creatures whose very exsistance depends on finds those that are left. Daniel Bryant, a medical doctor is touring America's heartland when all hell breaks loose. An unknown enity and its monsters have invaded the earth leaving distruction in its wake. "They are killing machines" --annihilating, or capturing humans to provide a blood supply to ensure their survival. While searching for a safe place, Daniel encounters several young children--Emma, whose family has been slaughtered and Ethan, who has been grievously wounded. While searching for shelter and food, Daniel Emma, and Ethan encounter other lost children and a young adult, Samantha Spencer. Together they form a family. Soon all of the "family" members begin experiencing nightmares. They see things that seem real, but what seemed real isn't--or is it? It seems that on tragedy after another is walking right beside them. The family finally realizes that there's a traitor among them. A traitor who who appears to be nothing more than a normal boy, but in reality he's a dead entity whose sole purpose is to locate other groups of children and supply much needed food for a monster know as "the Beast." Pretending to be innocent, the boy, Ethan plots to destroy the family, systematically eliminating those who cannot be used. Despite their difficult circumstances, Daniel and Sam fall in love and devote themselves to their makeshift family, and to keeping all of them out of the reach of the Beast. Much to Ethan's delight, Sam becomes pregnant. One of the traitor's missions has been accomplished--the "breeders" (Daniel and Samantha) have fulfiled their purpose--propagtion of the speies. Run and hide, seek and destory--who will win this life and death struggle for survival?