Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Essence McKree feels older than any seventeen-year-old she knows. Lately it's been up to Essa to care for her nine-year-old sister, Puck. When Essa meets Oliver she is cautious at first, but Puck is charmed and pushes Essa toward him. Oliver agrees to accompany Essa on a three-day survival game in the Rocky Mountains, but Essa discovers that Puck has stowed away and followed them into the wilderness. Now Essa must rely on her newfound spiritual strength if she is to save her sister's life, and ultimately her own.