Middle of the Night

Chapter 1 is set in the present and narrated from Ethan’s first-person perspective. Now an adult, he is haunted by a recurring nightmare that begins with a distinctive “scritch” sound. Ethan checks the clock by his bedside table and realizes that—once again—he has been unable to sleep through the night. Ethan has experienced this dream every night between midnight and two o’clock in the morning for the past 30 years.

However, he feels that two factors are making the nightmare worse: He has recently returned to his childhood bedroom, and the anniversary of Billy Barringer’s disappearance is coming soon. Ethan’s reflections on the past reveal that Billy was his childhood best friend and that he went missing during a backyard sleepover with Ethan in July 1994.

Ethan has struggled with crippling guilt and insomnia ever since, and he has avoided his childhood home for years. But now, he has moved back to his parents’ house, and he feels suffocated by his memories of Billy’s disappearance. Returning to the neighborhood where he grew up has also reminded him of the damage Billy’s disappearance caused in the community, thrusting a quiet and trusting neighborhood into a web of suspicion and mistrust.

Unable to sleep, Ethan observes the neighborhood and notices a strange flickering light. He watches as the light bounces from one neighbor’s door to another until, finally, it reaches his own home. Ethan races outside, preparing to confront an intruder, but is shocked to find that no one is there. Ethan feels stupid at first, and then frustrated, but his emotions give way to fear when he senses something he cannot explain.

Although he has no evidence or explanation to support this, Ethan believes that he can sense Billy’s presence—despite the fact that Billy has been missing for 30 years.

Chapter 2 continues to follow Ethan’s first-person perspective in the present. Unable to sleep, Ethan wanders through his dark and empty house, thinking about his loneliness and the fact that, for almost 30 years, despite attempting a multitude of remedies and consulting many doctors, he has struggled with insomnia. Although he is able to fall asleep, he can never stay asleep for long. He consistently wakes up between one o’clock and four o’clock in the morning, and then stays awake for the rest of the night. Knowing that his friend Billy disappeared between those hours, Ethan suspects that his insomnia stems from guilt.

Ever since Billy vanished during their backyard sleepover, Ethan has felt guilty for surviving when Billy was presumably abducted and murdered. Throughout his life, that lingering guilt has prevented Ethan from sleeping, forming friendships, or enjoying time with his family. His only respite came in the form of a chance meeting with a girl named Claudia when they attended the same college party. Ethan and Claudia married and built a life together, but Ethan’s reflections imply that they eventually separated.

Before he can talk himself out of it, Ethan sends Claudia a text message, telling her that he can’t sleep and that he misses her. The act makes him feel pathetic and prompts a new wave of reflection on his current state in life: 40 years old and living in his childhood home now that his parents have retired to Florida. Returning to the house he grew up in makes Ethan feel as if he exists in a liminal space, caught between his past and his future.

Aware that he will be unable to fall asleep for the rest of the night, Ethan peruses true-crime websites that discuss Billy’s abduction. Many of the sites—along with investigative television programs like Unsolved Mysteries—question how Billy could have been taken from a suburban backyard without anyone noticing.

In the aftermath of Billy’s abduction, various authorities, including local police and the FBI, investigated the case. They determined that between 11 o’clock at night on July 15 and 6:30 am on July 16, someone had created a 38-inch slice in the side of the tent where Billy and Ethan had been sleeping, then pulled Billy out. The police concluded that the cut was made with a newly sharpened kitchen knife, leading to a thorough search of every home on Hemlock Circle, including Ethan’s. Despite collecting multiple knives, none could be identified as the weapon used.

Ethan recalls the fear and uncertainty of that time, particularly during the exhaustive search of his family’s home and subsequent interviews with law enforcement. The neighborhood’s layout, with its large backyards and privacy hedges, made it difficult for anyone to have seen or heard anything suspicious.

Ethan’s reflections detail the various suspects considered over the years, starting with his own father, Fred Marsh. Despite initial suspicion due to the crime’s location, Fred was quickly ruled out as he had no motive and was confirmed to be with Ethan’s mother that night. The next suspect was Billy’s father, Blake Barringer, but he was in Boston at the time, with alibis proving his innocence. Investigations into other neighborhood residents also yielded no leads.

Ethan also ponders the numerous false confessions and sightings over the years, including seven men who falsely claimed to be Billy. The prevailing theory is that an outsider, possibly someone who had blended into the neighborhood unnoticed, was responsible for Billy’s disappearance. Although some residents claimed to see a strange man seen in camouflage near the area, no connections to known criminals or patterns have been established.

The chapter closes with Ethan contemplating the true-crime website’s portrayal of Billy’s last day, feeling it missed important nuances and foreshadowing. As he thinks back to the day of Billy’s disappearance, he observes that the day was characterized by an unsettling sense of foreboding, which he sensed as soon as he woke up that morning.

In this interlude, set on Friday, July 15, 1994, Ethan wakes up to a sense that something is amiss. Despite being excited by the smell of pancakes and bacon, which suggests a special breakfast, Ethan is puzzled because his mother only makes these foods on Saturdays. When he goes to the kitchen, he finds both his parents there, which is unusual for a weekday. His mother, who has recently started working and has been out of the house on weekdays, is unexpectedly home.

Ethan recalls that the night before, his mother had left for the office unexpectedly, which adds to his confusion. His parents’ unusual behavior heightens his anxiety, and he suspects that something significant is happening. His mother’s presence and the meal seem to suggest a change in their routine, and Ethan’s father’s presence behind the newspaper adds to the tension.

As breakfast begins, Ethan learns that his mother was let go from her job due to budget cuts. This revelation is upsetting to Ethan, who had adjusted to her new work schedule and was dreading losing his babysitter, Ashley. Ethan’s attempts to get more information about why his mother was let go are met with vague and evasive answers, adding to his anxiety.

When Ethan goes outside with his dog, Barkley, he notices Barkley growling at the edge of the woods. This behavior makes Ethan uneasy, especially since he remembers being told to stay away from the Hawthorne Institute, located in those woods. As Ethan tries to coax Barkley away from the woods, he finds a baseball in the grass, a signal from his neighbor, Billy, who wants to play. This small, familiar gesture offers Ethan a brief distraction from the troubling situation at home.

This chapter returns to the present as Ethan, now an adult, wakes up at 8 a.m. feeling disoriented and troubled by his recurring nightmare, which he simply refers to as “The Dream.” With every occurrence of the dream, he revisits the night Billy disappeared. Every time Ethan falls asleep, he sees a gash in the tent and hears a disturbing slashing noise, despite the fact that the tent is already torn. This repeated experience leaves Ethan questioning if he might have witnessed or heard something crucial that he has repressed or forgotten.

As Ethan begins his day, he reflects on his past attempts to understand the dream’s meaning. He recalls undergoing hypnosis and speaking with a dream analyst in hopes of uncovering any hidden memories related to Billy’s disappearance. However, these efforts yielded no new information. He remembers a particularly painful encounter with Mrs. Barringer, Billy’s mother, who had visited him in a desperate state, shaking him and pleading for any clue about her missing son. Despite her anguish, Ethan was unable to provide any useful information. He has felt guilty for this ever since.

The chapter then shifts to the present day, where Ethan is dealing with the routine of suburban life. He notices that the usual noise from lawn maintenance has stopped and answers the doorbell, finding a lawn care worker on his porch. The worker informs Ethan that his parents had pre-paid for the entire summer’s lawn service. The worker then presents Ethan with a baseball he found in the yard, which puzzles Ethan as he doesn’t have children and is unsure why the baseball would be there.

This discovery prompts Ethan to reflect on his past connection with Billy, given their frequent baseball games together. The baseball serves as a poignant reminder of his lost friend and the unresolved questions surrounding Billy’s disappearance.

This section revisits the past and is narrated from Billy’s third-person perspective. On the morning of July 15, 1994, Billy, now 10 years old, is crouched behind the hedge that separates his yard from Ethan’s. He’s holding a battered baseball, its once-white leather now gray and scuffed with dirt and grass stains. The ball bears teeth marks from when Ethan’s beagle, Barkley, had occasionally found it before Ethan did. Billy is engaged in one of his favorite summer routines—playing a game with Ethan, but in his own unique way.

Billy relishes the secrecy of his game. While most boys would simply walk over to Ethan’s house, Billy prefers to stay hidden behind the hedge, waiting for the perfect moment to toss the ball into Ethan’s yard. He’s excited about the “secret code” he invented using the baseball, which he first introduced on the first day of summer vacation. His goal was for Ethan to come over whenever he discovered the ball in his yard, as a kind of secret message.

Ethan had been puzzled but intrigued by the idea, although he didn’t quite understand it. Billy admits to himself that he often feels out of place and different from other kids, so he was especially relieved that Ethan didn’t mock him and simply went along with his game. Billy’s uniqueness often makes him feel isolated, but Ethan’s acceptance has become a comforting constant in his life.

Today, Billy is eager to continue his game. He waits for the right moment, watching as Ethan is preoccupied with Barkley, who is growling at something in the woods. Sensing it’s the perfect time, Billy throws the baseball over the hedge and retreats to his own house, running up to his bedroom where he waits for Ethan to discover the ball and come find him.

After accepting the ball from the lawn care worker, Ethan places it on the kitchen counter and stares at it in shock. Although it seems like an ordinary find, it triggers a series of reflections and uncertainties about his past and present. His initial suspicion is that the ball must belong to a neighbor’s child, despite his knowledge that the only young child in the immediate vicinity is too young for such a ball. The neighborhood has changed, with new faces and old houses now vacant, creating an eerie sense of the familiar mingling with the unknown.

Determined to solve the mystery, Ethan heads next door to the Chens’ house, where he encounters Russ, another childhood friend. Their reunion is pleasant but tinged with nostalgia. Russ has transformed from an awkward kid into a confident, successful adult, married with a young son. As they talk, Russ offers Ethan coffee and Ethan shows him the baseball, assuming it might belong to Russ’s son. But Russ and his wife Jennifer introduce Ethan to Benji, who is just a toddler, and Benji’s clumsy attempt to grasp the baseball proves that it isn’t his.

Russ and Jennifer’s casual, pleasant family dynamics highlight a stark contrast between Ethan’s own life choices and regrets. After his meeting with the Chens, Ethan passes by the Van de Veers’ house, where he encounters Fritz and Alice Van de Veer. Despite their friendly demeanor, Ethan senses something off about Fritz’s behavior. Ethan’s journey through the neighborhood reveals how much has changed over the years and highlights his own lingering unease about the past. As he continues to search for the owner of the baseball, he is haunted by memories of his childhood and the unsolved mystery of Billy’s disappearance.

In this interlude, narrated from Joyce Marsh’s perspective on July 15, 1994, Joyce grapples with the fallout from losing her job and her complicated feelings about her role as a homemaker. The chapter opens with Joyce having a brief argument with her husband Fred, which prompts her to seek solace outside. She decides to rejoin the informal daily gatherings of the neighborhood women, which Fred derisively calls the “Gaggle.” Joyce is drawn to these gatherings as a way to regain some normalcy and avoid confronting the deeper issues related to her job loss and the disconnection she feels from her family.

Joyce reflects on her recent job loss with mixed emotions. She had worked at her job for only two months, but the experience had become an important part of her routine. Now, being outside with the Gaggle, she feels a sense of failure and disappointment, especially as she witnesses her neighbors who don’t work outside the home. The conversation among the women turns to a potential security concern in the neighborhood—a stranger seen walking between Hemlock Circle and Willow Court.

As the women disperse, Joyce feels overwhelmed by the enormity of her house and doubts her place in the affluent neighborhood of Hemlock Circle. She’s uncomfortable with the role of homemaker that seems expected of her and wishes she could contribute more meaningfully to her household and community. When Joyce is about to enter her house, her neighbor Mary Ellen Barringer approaches, expressing concern about Billy and Ethan camping out in the Marsh’s backyard given the recent suspicious sightings. Joyce reassures Mary Ellen that the boys will be safe, dismissing her concerns as overblown. Despite this reassurance, Joyce’s own anxiety about the situation lingers.

The chapter ends with Joyce noticing Fritz Van de Veer staring at her from across the street. This interaction hints at a deeper, undisclosed issue involving Fritz and suggests a broader, more sinister undercurrent in the seemingly tranquil neighborhood.

In this chapter, narrated from Ethan Marsh’s first-person perspective in the present, Ethan visits the Wallace house, believing that the baseball likely belongs to 10-year-old Henry Wallace. Henry answers the door with a serious demeanor, and Ethan tries to return the baseball but is met with Henry’s blunt disinterest. Ashley Wallace, Henry’s mother and Ethan’s former babysitter, appears in the doorway behind Henry. Ethan notes how Ashley has changed over the years but remains fondly familiar.

Ashley briefly updates Ethan on her life, mentioning that she and Henry moved back to the area due to her father Vance’s declining health. As they speak, Vance comes to the door. His deteriorating condition is apparent, though he still retains some of his old, pugnacious demeanor. He tells Ethan that he saw Billy in his backyard the previous night, and this deeply unsettles Ethan. After saying goodbye to the Wallaces, Ethan heads home, driven by the need to investigate further.

Once at home, Ethan quickly turns to his father’s study and searches online for information about Billy. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Ethan calls Detective Ragesh Patel, who had been involved in Billy’s case. The conversation reveals that human remains matching Billy’s description have been found recently.

Ragesh Patel gathers Ethan, Russ, and Ashley together and explains that Billy’s remains have been found at the base of the falls at the Hawthorne Institute, only two miles from Ethan’s home. This proximity intensifies Ethan’s sense of helplessness, knowing Billy had been so close all these years. The remains, identified through dental records, were found by environmental scientists who dredged the lake after discovering a bone fragment during routine sampling. The condition of Billy’s remains suggests foul play.

The discovery triggers a cascade of memories and emotions in Ethan. He recalls the day before Billy disappeared when they had visited the falls together. Despite Ragesh’s reassurances that their visit to the falls isn’t connected to Billy’s abduction, Ethan remains uneasy. He reflects on how none of them had mentioned this detail to the police back then, driven by guilt and fear. This realization prompts Ethan to question the thoroughness of the investigation and the possible connections between that day and Billy’s death.

The chapter begins with Ethan calling Claudia, his ex-wife, to tell her about Billy’s remains being found and the suspicion of murder. Ethan reaches her voicemail and leaves a detailed message, then tells himself that he should stop calling her. Next, he FaceTimes his parents, who recently moved to Florida. Ethan refrains from mentioning Billy, fearing the news might spread through their local connections. The call ends when Russ arrives with a bottle of bourbon, declaring they should get drunk and toast Billy.

Ethan and Russ discuss Billy’s murder while drinking. Russ suggests that Billy might have seen something at the Hawthorne Institute, which could explain his disappearance. Ethan considers this possibility but is unsure if the police share the same view. They also reflect on their friendship with Billy, realizing it might not have lasted even if he hadn’t disappeared. The conversation then shifts to Johnny, Russ’s brother, who also died, with Russ admitting that he has been so focused on his brother’s death that he barely remembers Billy. Ethan acknowledges the different ways they each process grief.

The chapter shifts to a flashback of Russ in 1994, a year after his brother Johnny’s death. Russ reflects on how Johnny’s presence had made their house feel larger; now that he’s dead, the house seems cramped. He sneaks into Johnny’s preserved bedroom, feeling guilty but seeking comfort in his brother’s things. Russ tries to emulate Johnny, hoping to fill the void left by his death. He discovers fitness magazines under Johnny’s mattress and starts doing push-ups, feeling a sense of accomplishment and strength. Inspired, Russ resolves to make friends with Ethan, hoping to normalize his life and gain his mother’s approval by becoming stronger and more confident.