The Hills Have Older Names

A remote Appalachian community has gone silent. Not abandoned — the people are still there, going about their routines — but no communication has left the valley in three months. No calls, no letters, no signals. Bureau agent Josie Thorne is sent to make contact and determine what, if anything, has gone wrong.

What she finds is a community in thrall to something ancient — a presence in the hills that pre-dates not just settlement, but perhaps the hills themselves. The residents aren't afraid. They're devoted. And they have a message for Josie: stay. The hills don't let people leave anymore. Not since the old church burned down, and whatever it was keeping out finally walked in.