October, 1988: River Holloway and his closest friends are high-school seniors, living a charmed life, until in the build-up to their town's festive bicentennial celebration, their peaceful lives within the gated boundaries of Prosperity unravel as they uncover the frightening secrets of those they knew and trusted. An ancient entity, as old as the world itself, has provided a recipe for the unnatural blessings given to the people of Prosperity. For nearly two centuries, the mysterious potion has made possible the promise of long life free of disease, enhanced senses and skills, feelings of peace and general well-being, all offered to residents provided their gates are closed to outsiders, and their boundaries and secrets are protected. Braeger Locke, a reclusive man of unknown origins owns the land inside the Divide and the town within it. Charged with providing the Serum and enforcing the strict rules of the town, Locke rules from the shadows with his legion of deadly owls, and stands as a weary sentinel between the town, the wicked outside world, and the depths of Hell. But evil and corruption find their way inside perfection, latching onto the most vulnerable until what was once their exclusive American dream has become a nightmare of horrific killings, deceit, long-held grudges, and greed. In Prosperity, the cost of living is paid with blood, as though evil itself had been its true creator, and no one is safe from the terror that awaits them.