Pines

The opening epigraph features quotes from Time magazine and Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. The Time quote concerns the unpredictability of evolution. The Catch 22 quote captures the novel’s unique take on paranoia: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you” (vii).

A man wakes with a crushing headache and aching ribs, his left eye swollen shut. He is lying next to a river, across from which a large cliff looms, pine trees running along the top. He stands to find he is in a field adjacent to a small town nestled in a valley, surrounded by mountains. Checking the pockets of his black suit, he finds no identification, keys, or phone, just a Swiss army knife.

The man doesn’t know who he is, and as he walks into town, he wonders if one of the houses is his. The houses all feature unnaturally vivid, lush gardens. He keeps walking, in search of a hospital—beyond the enormous bruise on his left side, his injuries seem superficial, indicating he’s been in an accident of some kind. He decides to wait before going to the police, wondering if he’s committed a crime.