Reporter Jake Fischer arrives in Bright Falls and surveys the local late-night culture at the Oh Deer Diner while preparing for his interview with Dr. Hartman. On the way to his motel, he runs into a very strange deer.
After a sleepless night, Jake returns to the Oh Deer Diner for an awkward meeting with Ellen, his former flame. At Dr. Hartman's lodge, things go south when during his interview, Jake blacks out, loses time and has a disturbing vision.
Jake wakes up after another blackout, covered in dirt in the woods. Turning to Ellen for help, she warns that he should leave town. Meanwhile, Sam the motel owner discovers that someone's breaking his lights and decides to fix the problem.
Beset by delays preventing his departure, Jake witnesses a rabid local woman attempt to break a streetlight then attack Deputy Mulligan. Going into another blackout, Jake discovers evidence that he was somehow involved in Sam's abduction.
In bad shape, Jake seeks guidance from Dr. Hartman, but is abnormally affected by the doc's penlight and flees. Desperate to prevent another patch of lost time, Jake binds himself to his fridge, recording the events that follow.
In the wake of his alter ego's latest destruction, Jake is paid a visit from Deputy Mulligan, who lets him off the hook, just barely. Distrusting his own ability to flee, Jake enlists the help of Ellen, leading to a disturbing conclusion.