The story takes place along a section of Coast Highway in Southern California between Los Angles and San Diego.

Jesse, a student at UCLA who is home for the summer, his younger brother Bry, and his parents live in a trailer park that lies alongside the highway near Laguna. On the night of June 20th, at 11:30 p.m., Bry and Jesse are walking along the highway when a car suddenly bears down on them. Jesse yells at Bry, but Bry is deaf and cannot hear.

Jesse jumps to safety, but Bry is hit and killed as the car speeds away. It is this section of Coast Highway which provides the setting for the story.