Megan, Dan, and Nikki, their teenage daughter, pick up a hitchhiker during a blizzard. Brand, the new passenger, projects an eerie presence, and quickly attacks the emotional weak points of these good Samaritans. Megan has turned to religion after being mugged; Dan is dealing with feelings of inadequacy about his ability to protect his family; and Nikki has become sexually obsessed with Brand, fueling her parents' anxieties. Brand needles into each of them, rupturing the bond between each family member as he becomes a haunting, ever-present figure in their lives.

Megan, Dan, and Nikki, their teenage daughter, pick up a hitchhiker during a blizzard. Brand, the new passenger, projects an eerie presence, and quickly attacks the emotional weak points of these good Samaritans. Megan has turned to religion after being mugged; Dan is dealing with feelings of inadequacy about his ability to protect his family; and Nikki has become sexually obsessed with Brand, fueling her parents' anxieties. Brand needles into each of them, rupturing the bond between each family member as he becomes a haunting, ever-present figure in their lives.

Aelfric ("Fric") Manheim, aged 10, son of a Hollywood superstar, teams up with the head of security at his father's outrageously opulent estate, an ex-detective named Ethan Truman, to outwit a horrific supernatural villain.

On a remote planet with more water than solid land, the amphibious natives and humans--who live on floating islands--maintain a peaceful coexistence. But when some of the humans are set adrift after offending their hosts, they find themselves facing dangers for which they had no way to prepare--and hosts who are much more than they appear to be.