The Gateway

The Gateway is divided into two main parts. Part One: Takes place primarily in the town of Evergreen. Sarah DeWinter is a young, athletic college student just finishing up her last year of college and is looking forward to her summer job working as an assistant manager in a bookstore. There is to be great excitement this summer because Walter O'Bannon, past resident of Evergreen college, is finishing up his American book tour at the very book store Sarah has worked in since high school. O'Bannon is a highly popular, incredibly eccentric, and peculiarly mysterious fantasy writer. He has reached cult status among high school and young college readers. O'Bannon's publisher, Valiant Quest, kicks off the book tour with the usual press coverage all to showcase O'Bannon's newest epic novel. The book tour is tied into VQuest's Renaissance Festivals and sponsored theatrical productions - all financially lucrative endeavors to VQuest. To heighten the release of the book, a type of lottery is marketed. Wax sealed scrolls with random numbers inscribed are sent prior to each bookstore/festival and theater box office scheduled in O'Bannon's tour. The prize to the holder of the winning scroll is a coveted leather bound copy of O'Bannon's book. There is also a mystery surrounding the book tour: the strange disappearances of young people nearly every where O'Bannon makes an appearance. O'Bannon finally arrives in Evergreen. He is intent and insistent on visiting the city park. The object he is adamant about is the "Evergreen henge"; the focal point of the park. The henge is a stone oddity - prized by some as art and despised by others who label it an eyesore. Devoted fans flock to the book store with hopes of receiving the special edition novel. The tour ends on an anti-climatic note and Sarah is rather relieved. Yet there is still something not right, something that still disturbs Sarah. That evening Sarah is in the park and is pursued by unknown stalkers.