Today story begins in december of eighteen. Forty seven when the fox family moves to the rural community of hides new york the plan to build their own home in the new town but the winter is pretty brutal so the construction comes to a stop in the meantime. John and margaret fox rent a modest house near the town centre and move in with their two young daughters. Fourteen year old maggie and eleven year old kate. This rental house is small like the four of them have to share a single bedroom. The parents asleep in one bed in maggie in kate and another and while it's kind of tight the fox's are relatively happy. John is a reformed alcoholic with a new outlook on life. Margaret is a super sweet mother who lives for her children as for maggie and kate. They're pretty much glued at the hip so they're never bored. Most nights in the new house are pretty unremarkable. After doing some chores and blowing out the candle they slip into their beds and fall asleep to the peaceful sounds of the river nearby. Of course there are other sounds too you know. The standard creepy sounds that come with living in a tiny shack in the middle of the woods. The wind howling the creaking of old trees. The pitter-patter of creatures scuttling through the night but on a cold march night. The fox's wake up to something different something other worldly. There's a sudden wrapping on the walls thumping on the ceilings and vibrations all around them naturally. Everyone's a little alarmed so they re light the candle and investigate this sound has to have a source an open window rattling an animal trapped inside a woodpecker on the roof. It could be any number of things but after checking every corner of the room and popping their heads outside. They don't find anything out of the ordinary. Which is a little weird sure. But it's the middle of the night in everyone's tired. So john margaret maggie and kate all go back to bed hoping that the sounds will just go away on their own. But that's wishful thinking.