David Drayton is a commercial artist who lives in the small community of Brighton, Maine where he lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their five-year-old son, Billy. David is confident in his home, his neighbors, his community, and his place within it. He is also the narrator of the story and, as such, gives away his thoughts and fears, his insecurities and his determination to prevail. Once the original storm has hit full force, David has a premonition of danger to his wife and son which includes the picture window shattering inward and cutting them up. So when the window is broken, David's subsequent dream of God walking around the lake destroying the area leaves him with a forsworn quality.