After ninety one years of life, Nathan Ember makes the decision to reveal the violent history of his family to the Pinelands County Sheriff's Office. He knows that his betrayal of his family's love and trust will destroy not only his relationship with the living descendants of the Ember family, but will also result in their humiliation and possibly his arrest. For countless years, Nathan has been trying to deal with the recurring nightmares caused by the ruthless actions of his father and grandfather, but to no avail. Being a small boy at the time, Nathan did not understand the severity of the crimes they were perpetrating; he only thought of his involvement as a normal way of life in the 1920's. But as the years have passed, he has come to realize that what he and his family did to survive some 80 years ago was painfully wrong. From robbery and simple thievery to multiple murders; as a young boy, Nathan Ember was a regular participant in all manner of crime. Now, close to death, he has come to the rationalization that he must do whatever he can to make things right and end his unbearable burden of guilt. To bring the truth to light, Nathan must lead the Sheriff's Office to a piece of property his father used to call Unclaimed Ground.