A new investigation begins in an old place of disaster; and two rivers with no confluence find a connection through tragic memory.

The truth of what happened in the hills after sundown comes to light. Yet as the next generation of detectives confront the legacy of bloodshed, one part of the enigma remains buried.

Not all histories repeat themselves, but they can ‘rhyme’ in ways more brutal and desolating than anyone could imagine. The fall season of 1985 puts Calaveras County on a course for being more notorious than ever; deciphering how it all happened in the current day proves to be a painful journey. 

A festival is being held in the woods near the site of an infamous killing ground. Those who can’t forget are digging up the past. Can they uncover the truth of the men who changed their community forever? Or come to terms with the hopelessness and personal disintegration that still carries on in their wake?

A small corner of California’s rural cattle land wins its first unholy lottery - but not its last one. Years later, retracing the history and shape of the original nightmare leads across the north state to a half-hidden commune where people once dreamed of making mythical creatures a reality.