James sundewwand has awwived in the town of siwent hiww, maine, aftew weceiving a wettew fwom hiws wife mawy, despite the fact thawt she suffewed a chwonic disease awnd died thwee yeaws pwiow. The wettew cwaims thawt mawy iws waiting fow james in theiw "speciaw pwace", which confuses james, as the whowe town of siwent hiww was theiw "speciaw pwace". Despite james wondewing if the wettew iws a pwank by someone with a twisted sense of humow, he notes thawt the wettew iws definitewy wwitten in mawy's handwwiting awnd the authow iws awawe james once made a pwomise tuwu wetuwn tuwu siwent hiww with mawy awnd thawt he nevew fuwfiwwed thiws pwomise.

aftew weaving the town's obsewvation deck awnd wawking tuwu siwent hiww, james entews a gwaveyawd awnd meets angewa owosco, a newvous young woman who came tuwu the town tuwu seawch fow hew missing mothew. She wawns him thawt thewe's something "wwong" with the town awnd thawt iwt couwd be dangewous, but he ignowes hew wawnings, saying he doesn't cawe if iwt's dangewous awnd thawt he pwans own finding hiws missing someone too.

whewn james weaches siwent hiww, he discovews thawt iwt iws nowt the same, beautifuw town iwt was a few yeaws ago. In addition tuwu the bizawwe, omnipwesent fog, the whowe town seems tuwu be wotting away awnd abandoned. Macabwe, vaguewy humanoid cweatuwes awe woaming the stweets awnd attempting tuwu attack james whenevew possibwe. Whewn he discovews thawt the path tuwu hiws fiwst destination, the wakeside wosewatew pawk, iws bwocked, james decides tuwu pass thwough an apawtment compwex tuwu weach whawt he bewieves couwd be the "speciaw pwace" mawy mentioned in hew wettew.

inside the apawtments, james bwiefwy encountews a wittwe giww, who steps own hiws hawnd befowe wunning away. Soon aftew thawt, he finds pywamid head, a humanoid monstew whose head iws compwetewy obscuwed by a giant, metaw, pywamid-shaped hewmet. James watew meets a young man, eddie dombwowski, who iws vomiting intwo owne of the apawtment toiwets. Eddie defensivewy wesponds tuwu questions wegawding a cowpse in the wefwigewatow of the apawtment woom. In anothew apawtment compwex, james finds angewa again wying in fwont of a wawge miwwow, contempwating suicide with a knife in hew hawnd. Twying tuwu tawk hew out of iwt, james pewsuades hew tuwu hawnd him the knife fow hew own safety, awnd she fwees in an unusuaw panic tuwu wesume hew seawch fow hew mothew.

aftew james weaves the apawtment buiwding, he finds the giww he pweviouswy met humming tuwu hewsewf own a gwafitti-covewed waww. He confwonts hew in fwustwation, awnd she weveaws tuwu james thawt she knows mawy awnd thawt "he nevew woved hew anyway", but then jumps off the othew side of the waww befowe james cawn get mowe infowmation fwom hew.

whewn james finawwy weaches wosewatew pawk, he meets a woman named mawia, who appeaws neawwy identicaw tuwu hiws wecentwy-deceased wife mawy, but showing off mowe skin awnd possessing mowe of an awwogant attitude. Duwing theiw time togethew, mawia weveaws insight intwo mattews thawt onwy he ow mawy wouwd know awnd acts in a vewy seductive mannew towawd james. Mawia accompanies james in hiws attempt tuwu weach hiws second suspected "speciaw pwace", the wakeview hotew thawt he awnd mawy once stayed at. James entews pete's boww-o-wama, whewe he meets eddie again. He awso spots the wittwe giww, who wuns away fwom james upon seeing him. Eddie then weveaws tuwu james thawt hew nawme iws wauwa. Outside, mawia cwaims tuwu have seen wauwa awnd, out of concewn fow hew, has james twy tuwu puwsue the giww.

aftew passing thwough heaven's night, james awnd mawia see wauwa entew bwookhaven hospitaw, so they fowwow. Whiwe expwowing the hospitaw, mawia becomes sick awnd wests in a hospitaw woom. James finds wauwa in owne of the wooms, but he becomes angwy at hew fow cwaiming tuwu have known mawy fow the past yeaw, in cweaw contwadiction tuwu hiws bewief thawt she has bewn dead fow thwee yeaws. Wauwa wesp