After five years in prison, Eric Mollineaux is headed home. Eric's mother is thrilled. She believes her son never should have been arrested to begin with. His so-called "violent crime" was the result of a misunderstanding and nothing more. Dawn, Eric's sister, is less enthusiastic. She remembers her brother as a brooding and unstable teenager with anger issues. What has he become in the last five years? Given that her four-year-old daughter spends time in the Mollineaux household, Eric's release has her deeply concerned. Set against the backdrop of a parched summer in the farming communities of central Illinois, this novel of suspense tracks a troubled young parolee who aspires to overcome the mistakes of the past. Standing in his way is the very thing he believes will save him-an unnatural ability to recognize and control his dreams. During the day, Eric locks down the rage and frustration he feels over his unfortunate past and bleak prospects for the future. But at night, in the privacy of his dreams, he releases those demons to play. It is a harmless way-in his eyes-to cope with the stresses of life. Never have those stresses been stronger than they are now: Adapting to life outside prison, looking for work with a felony record, living again in his childhood home-the pressure is almost unbearable. Eric retreats further into his dreams than ever before, and what were once harmless fantasies evolve into something else. Soon, everyone Eric knows and loves will become engulfed in an authentic and deadly nightmare-including his precious niece, Mary. Reality is one thing; dreams are another. Eric Mollineaux has forgotten how to tell the difference....