Castle Rock, Maine has seen strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there's one story that's never been told... until now.

There are three ways to get up to Castle View from Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and Suicide Stairs. In the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson runs up the stairs every single day to start a new life and escape the bullying of her schoolmates. One day she meets a stranger, the man is sitting on a bench reading in black jeans, a black suit jacket, a white shirt, and an elegant little black hat. One day, however, the stranger addresses the girl and hands her a special box. And Gwendy's life will change forever, because she has to decide the fate of the world every single day, but the time will also come when she will have nightmares about that black hat...