After she becomes pregnant with twins, Olivia Bauer is haunted by ghostly dreams of dead soldiers. Her husband Michael passes them off as nothing more than the result of indigestion. He doesn't believe in ghosts.

When Olivia holds Griffin, her newborn baby boy, a strange feeling of dread comes over her. When she holds Teddy, his fraternal twin, she feels nothing but joy.

As the boys grow, their dissimilarity in looks and behavior becomes increasingly apparent. Griffin keeps to himself, playing alone with Mr. Budge, the ventriloquist dummy his grandmother gave him for Christmas. He grows fat and jealous of his brother, who's athletic and popular with schoolmates.

After Teddy dies from a mysterious fall while hiking with Griffin, Olivia and Michael move to an area next to an abandoned military base. Griffin has left home to live with a relative.

As Olivia explores the ruins of old Fort Ord, her recurring nightmare is about to become a reality.

Karen Truesdell Riehl's published works include a memoir of her secret life with the actor George C.Scott, Love and Madness, and two novels, Saturday Night Dance Club and 666 Coven Road.