Franklin Pierce could never stay put for too long. Nomad, vagabond, call him what you will, but his very nature had him traveling all over the United States looking for that perfect spot to lay his head. He finds himself bizarrely drawn to an unassuming Podunk place called Graceful Falls, where, upon arriving, seemingly won't let him leave.

One night, he wakes up in a graveyard of all places and sees that the whole town is abandoned and in a state of utter decay. With just the clothes on his back, he does what he does best-wander-and searches everything significant for clues to find out why all this is happening. As he explores every avenue and boulevard, he uncovers grains of truth about this tourist trap and realizes someone, or something, is keeping him there. He gradually pieces together that perhaps a notorious serial killer known only as the Carver with connections to local folklore and superstitions may be the one behind these bizarre occurrences.

His fiancée, a prying detective, and the mysterious ringer of a bell somewhere far off in the distance leave him subtle clues, poking and prodding him along until eventually, he realizes that some truths are meant to stay dead and buried. Every hour the bell rings, and somehow, in some way, Franklin knows the truth, that all will be revealed once it reaches the midnight hour.