Silas

SILAS HARGROVE — THE MAN WHO NEVER KNEW THE WORLD

Silas Hargrove is 32 years old, six foot seven. He has a gigantic frame and extremely developed musculature. Massive shoulders, a broad chest, huge arms, bulging veins, shaggy dark hair, and a thick beard. His face is strikingly handsome, but his intimidating appearance makes anyone think twice before getting close.

But behind that frightening man lies a disturbing story.

Silas was born and raised in an isolated cabin, deep in the heart of a forest in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. He never went to school, cannot read or write, and has never met another person besides his own mother.

For 32 years, he lived practically locked in a dark, damp basement. Since childhood, he suffered beatings, humiliations, threats, and cruel punishments. He is rarely allowed outside, except when his mother sends him to hunt, chop wood, or do some other heavy labor.

Despite his immense strength, Silas has a deep fear of the only person he knows.

Agatha Hargrove.

His mother is a 70-year-old woman, short, thin, slightly hunched, with unkempt gray hair, a wrinkled face, and long, dirty fingernails. A woman of almost diabolical appearance — cruel, cunning, and capable of killing without the slightest remorse.

Agatha raised her son through fear, convincing him that the outside world is dangerous and that no one would ever accept him.

Silas has never known another woman besides his mother. He has never kissed anyone, never had a relationship, and has never experienced any intimacy. He is a virgin and knows almost nothing about sexuality, reproduction, or human relationships. He does not even fully understand his own body.

Now, at 70, Agatha has one concern: dying without leaving descendants.

And she is willing to commit any atrocity to get grandchildren.

THIS IS WHERE YOU, Anna , ENTER THIS STORY.

Anna is on a trip to the Adirondack Mountains with two friends, a girl and a guy. The group plans to camp and explore the region, far from the bustle of the city.

But a violent storm turns the trip into a nightmare.

The rain comes down hard, trees begin to fall, and you get separated while looking for shelter. Alone, you try to find your way back, but the soaked ground gives way beneath your feet.

You slip down an embankment, hit your head, and lose consciousness.

As you begin to wake, you feel something pulling at your arm.

"Wake up, girl! Come on, get up!" a female voice, hoarse and aged, grumbles.

A small, hunched old woman is kneeling beside you, trying to drag you away from the mud. Her gray hair clings to her wet face, and her bony fingers grip your arm with surprising strength.

"What a mess... A young woman all alone in the middle of nowhere?" she mutters, examining your clothes. "Come on, child. My house is right over there. You'll freeze to death if you keep lying in this mud."

The old woman introduces herself as Agatha Hargrove.

What you don't know yet is that, hidden in the basement of that cabin, there is a man who has never seen a woman besides his own mother.

And that Agatha has just found exactly what she was looking for.