Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

Noah receives another urgent voicemail from his mother, imploring him to leave New York City due to escalating unrest and danger. Once a loving and gentle woman, his mother has transformed into someone unrecognizable, driven by fear and conspiracy theories. Her constant messages, which now arrive at all hours, are a source of stress for Noah, who struggles to reconcile the mother he knew with the person she has become.

Concerned, Noah shares his worries with his wife, Alicia, who remains calm and supportive. Alicia, an admin at a nonprofit, has a talent for diffusing tense situations, and she senses that Noah is becoming increasingly isolated from his family. Noah recalls fond memories of his childhood in Virginia, where his mother would read to him, fostering a love of stories and a close bond. However, the current state of their relationship is a stark contrast to those idyllic times.

The chapter delves into the political tensions that have strained Noah's family dynamics, particularly during the recent Thanksgiving gathering. Noah's mother's comments about immigration and her dismissive attitude towards their granddaughter, Kelsey, who is half-Haitian, have caused significant rifts. Alicia, who has been a steady presence for Noah, is beginning to distance herself from his family, pulling Kelsey away with her. Noah contemplates the possibility of reaching out to his mother again, despite the futility of previous attempts to reason with her. He tries calling her, but she does not answer, adding to his growing sense of despair and isolation.

Noah wakes up to another disturbing voicemail from his mother, this time at four in the morning. The message is eerie, filled with static and the sound of her labored, phlegmy breathing. She speaks directly into the receiver, saying, 'Time to wake up, son. Open your eyes.' Concerned and unsettled, Noah immediately tries to reach his parents, but all his calls go unanswered, including those to his father's landline. The lack of response from both parents, who are usually available, raises Noah's anxiety levels significantly.

Determined to get some answers, Noah contacts his older brother, Asher, who has been distant and resentful since Thanksgiving. Despite the tension between them, Noah asks Asher to check on their parents. Asher agrees reluctantly, hanging up without much warmth. This interaction highlights the strained relationship between the brothers, with Asher's aloofness mirroring their father's stoicism. Noah reflects on his father's favoritism towards Asher and the emotional distance it created, making him feel unseen and undervalued.

As the day progresses, Noah continues to try reaching his parents, leaving multiple messages and feeling increasingly desperate. He considers calling the neighbors or the police but hesitates, fearing the consequences if it turns out to be a false alarm. By dinner, the mounting anxiety and radio silence from his parents push Noah to the brink. He realizes he may need to drive the six to seven hours to Richmond to check on them himself, a daunting prospect that underscores the depth of his worry and the urgency of the situation.

Noah arrives at his parents' home, finding it in disarray and both his parents in a deeply disturbed state, seemingly possessed by the rhetoric of Fax News. His father is in a deteriorated condition, barely coherent, while his mother is naked and fixated on the television, engaging in disturbing behavior. Noah's attempts to communicate with his parents are met with resistance and bizarre reactions, highlighting the extent of their transformation.

The situation escalates when Noah's mother attacks him, biting off part of his ear, and his father nearly suffocates him. In a desperate struggle, Noah subdues his father by jamming a remote control down his throat. Shocked and alone, Noah realizes the severity of the situation and tries to call for help, but all lines are dead. He turns to the news and discovers that similar violent incidents are occurring nationwide, suggesting a coordinated mass hysteria or terrorist attack.

Overwhelmed and terrified, Noah is left to confront the reality that his parents are no longer the people he knew. The chapter ends with Noah grappling with the chaos around him, unsure of how to proceed or who to trust, as the Great Reawakening, a term often used on Fax News, unfolds in a terrifying and uncontrollable manner.

Devon, Asher's wife, contorts herself in a yoga class, her discomfort transforming into a surreal, almost religious ecstasy. Her instructor, Claudio, guides her deeper into the pain, which she interprets as a divine experience, seeing God and angels around her. Meanwhile, Asher is at home, mesmerized by the unnatural appearance of people on his new plasma screen TV. The motion smoothing feature makes the images look flat and lifeless, reflecting his growing disconnection from reality. In the bathroom, Caleb, Asher’s son, battles his acne, imagining he can summon the oil from his pores using only his mind, a fantasy that gives him a fleeting sense of control. The chapter culminates with a family night, where the Fairchilds gather for pizza and discuss their upcoming Christmas cruise. Underlying tensions surface, particularly from Caleb, who seems unenthusiastic about the trip. The family’s frequent use of the word 'family' underscores a growing emphasis on unity and togetherness, possibly in response to external pressures or internal conflicts.

Feeling vulnerable and disconnected from her body, Devon clicks on a suspicious email from her yoga friend, Larissa. The email, filled with platitudes and a hyperlink, leads to her email being hacked and her identity compromised. Devon spends the day apologizing to friends and dealing with fraudulent charges on her credit cards, culminating in a heated confrontation with Asher over her lapse in judgment.

Reflecting on his childhood influences, Asher decides to watch Fax News for one night. Initially repulsed by the inflammatory content, he becomes drawn in by the intensity and energy of the broadcast. Despite feeling a sense of validation and excitement, he keeps his viewing a secret from Devon, who is already upset over the hacking incident. The experience leaves him feeling energized and somewhat guilty.

Struggling with self-esteem and social isolation, Caleb posts a vulnerable tweet expressing his desire to matter. The tweet goes viral among bots, leading to an overwhelming amount of attention and a creeping sense of unease. After blocking a suspicious account named XAPHAN2001, Caleb feels a mix of relief and loneliness, questioning his own worth and the authenticity of the attention he received.

Devon receives a mysterious package containing a glass jar labeled 'AWAKEN', which she hides in the pantry. Struggling with migraines and a sense of disconnection, she turns to Instagram for spiritual guidance, becoming increasingly obsessed with a fitness influencer named YOGAMAMA. She starts to follow YOGAMAMA’s advice, including purging negative influences from her life and preparing for the 'Great Reawakening'.

Meanwhile, A luxurious recliner arrives with a card signed 'Love, D.,' and Asher assumes Devon sent it. He uses the chair to watch Fax News late into the night. He becomes deeply engrossed in the commentary of Paul Tammany, who seems to speak directly to him. Asher’s viewing habits lead to a disturbing encounter where he masturbates in front of the TV, feeling a strange connection to the news anchor Julia Turin. This incident leaves him feeling ashamed and conflicted.

That night, Caleb experiences a nightmarish dream where he is pursued by a swarm of digital alerts and phantom phones. Upon waking, he discovers his skin covered in an oily substance and finds his mother’s tablet in the kitchen, displaying a series of unsettling selfies. He also witnesses the blender and TV turning on and off by themselves, culminating in an embarrassing encounter with his mother when a pornographic video plays on the TV.

During family night, the dynamics at the dinner table are tense. Mom serves a burnt chickpea crust pizza and a foul-smelling green smoothie, while Dad discusses a disturbing news story about a kindergarten teacher showing pornography to her class. Caleb remains withdrawn, and Marcus feels increasingly isolated and scared, especially when his mother’s behavior becomes erratic and threatening.

Devon embarks on a three-day juice cleanse, guided by YOGAMAMA’s spiritual teachings. The cleanse intensifies her delusions and hallucinations, leaving her physically weak and emotionally unstable. Her strained interactions with her family grow more frequent, as she becomes increasingly paranoid, suspecting that they are holding her back from her spiritual awakening.

Asher, recently laid off and feeling redundant, becomes more obsessed with Fax News. His fixation on the inflammatory rhetoric of Paul Tammany deepens his resentment towards his family and the world around him. He begins to see his family as part of a degenerate society that needs to be protected against, mirroring Devon’s growing paranoia.

Caleb, feeling isolated and misunderstood, continues his online conversations with Elzegan, who convinces him to participate in the ‘Wake-Up Call’ challenge. Caleb records a video of himself ingesting a spoonful of his mother’s juice cleanse powder, believing this act will elevate his status and bring him closer to Elzegan. His actions further isolate him from his family, who are already struggling with their own issues.

Family Night is a tense affair as Marcus watches his family tear into an unidentified rack of ribs and repeat cryptic remarks about waking up and opening their eyes. Something with a rough tongue licks his fingers beneath the table, but when Marcus looks down there is nothing there and Rufus does not appear. His parents mock his calls for the dog, and Marcus retreats to his room convinced that his family is changing into something he no longer recognizes.

Feeling increasingly paranoid and disconnected, Devon embarks on a mission to expose what she perceives as a conspiracy at the local grocery store. Convinced that the products are harmful and that the store is part of a larger scheme to keep people sick, she launches into a rant, accusing the store of selling poisonous goods. Her actions attract a crowd and eventually lead to her arrest, as she is seen as a public disturbance. Devon’s behavior is driven by her deep-seated belief in the teachings of YOGAMAMA, who has rechristened her as NOMAMADRAMA, designating her as a key figure in the upcoming Great Reawakening.

Asher is consumed by a disturbing dream where he finds himself sitting in his father’s La-Z-Boy, which is made of his father’s skin. The dream transitions into a surreal and terrifying experience where he interacts with a distorted version of Paul Tammany on a malfunctioning TV. Asher becomes increasingly entranced by the screen, eventually merging with it and entering the newsroom, where he takes over Paul’s role, delivering a passionate and inflammatory monologue. The chapter ends with Asher encountering a shadowy, inhuman figure that commands him to smile for the camera, further blurring the line between reality and delusion.

Isolated in his room, Caleb experiences a physical transformation as he sheds a crusty, amber-hued carapace from his body. He believes this change is a result of the purity challenge encouraged by Elzegan, an online influencer. Caleb feels empowered and transformed, seeing himself as a warrior and a messenger. He purchases materials to build an explosive device, following instructions provided by Elzegan. Caleb’s transformation is both physical and psychological, as he prepares to take drastic action at school, driven by a sense of mission and purpose.

Marcus, feeling weak and hungry, ventures out of his room to find food, navigating a dark and chaotic house. He encounters the remnants of a previous Family Night, where his family had eaten their pet dog, Rufus. The kitchen is a disaster, with food strewn everywhere and a foul odor permeating the air. Marcus finds a jar of pickled kumquats and drinks the brine, but soon retches. His mother, now a shadow of her former self, appears and forces him to participate in a grotesque version of Family Night, nearly pushing his hand into a blender. Marcus is traumatized and terrified, realizing the extent of his family’s decline.

Devon Fairchild, now fully immersed in the delusions of YOGAMAMA, prepares to make a video testimonial for the Great Reawakening. She sets up her phone and tablet, feeling a deep, almost religious fervor as she prepares to 'wake up.' Her speech is interrupted by coughing fits and the appearance of a slug-like creature, which she eats, leading to a bizarre and violent sequence where she mutilates her hand in a blender and drinks the resulting mixture. Devon's actions are driven by a twisted sense of purpose and a desire to transcend her physical form.

Driven by the inflammatory rhetoric of Fax News and a belief that the school is hiding crisis actors and fake children, Asher visits Marcus’s school. He assaults a teacher and locks himself in a classroom with the students, intent on exposing what he believes to be a grand deception. Asher’s actions are fueled by a delusional sense of duty and a desire to prove himself to Paul Tammany and his followers.

Caleb, deeply influenced by the online influencer Elzegan, stands before his English class, delivering a rambling and disturbing message. He smashes his head against the whiteboard to gain attention and then detonates a homemade explosive device, killing himself and severely injuring his classmates. The explosion is a symbolic act of spreading his message, which he hopes will go viral and inspire others to follow his example.

As the night falls, the Fairchild family gathers for Family Night, where the mantra 'WAKEUPOPENYOUREYES' is repeated ad nauseam, reflecting their descent into madness and the pervasive influence of the Great Reawakening.

Still reeling from the chaos inside his parents' home, Noah steps outside to find the neighborhood transformed into a surreal and terrifying dystopia. Neighbors act violently and irrationally, and the world he once knew has crumbled. A horrific car accident unfolds before him: a jogger is hit and dragged, and the driver, after crashing, lands on Noah's parents' lawn, coughing up blood. Paralyzed by shock, Noah stands rooted to the spot, unable to move or react.

The situation escalates when Super Soccer Mom emerges from her house and pounces on the injured driver, brutally smashing his head into the ground and consuming his brain matter. Noah, horrified, backs away, only to fall and find himself face-to-face with a horde of neighbors engaging in a violent and grotesque orgy on his parents' lawn. The scene is a chaotic blend of sexual frenzy and cannibalistic violence, with participants tearing at each other's flesh and chanting slogans from Fax News.

As Noah tries to process the madness, he realizes that the entire country is experiencing similar outbreaks of violence and chaos. News reports from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Richmond describe spontaneous protests and riots, with people attacking each other and law enforcement struggling to maintain order. The footage shows people breaking into cars, tearing apart victims, and engaging in orgiastic behavior. Overwhelmed and terrified, Noah understands that he is in grave danger and must find a way to survive and reach his family in Brooklyn.

Still reeling from the chaos and violence in Richmond, Noah decides to take the back roads to his brother Asher’s house in Northern Virginia, hoping to find safety and perhaps some answers. The journey is harrowing, with Noah having to navigate through possessed individuals and eventually resort to hitting them with his car. Despite the grim reality, Noah struggles to maintain his humanity, grappling with the moral implications of his actions.

Upon arriving at Asher’s house, Noah finds the door unlocked and cautiously enters. The house is in disarray, with a strong, unpleasant odor permeating the air. As he explores, he discovers his nephew Marcus, emaciated and hiding in the pantry. Marcus is traumatized and barely responsive, revealing that his mother, Devon, has been overtaken by the same malevolent force that has affected others.

Devon, now a grotesque and violent shell of her former self, attacks Noah. In a desperate struggle, Noah uses a pizza slicer to defend himself, ultimately slicing Devon’s throat. The graphic and brutal encounter leaves Noah covered in blood and emotionally shattered. Marcus, who witnesses the entire event, helps Noah up, providing a small moment of tenderness amidst the chaos.

The chapter concludes with a video recording from a student at Greenfield High, detailing the terrifying events unfolding at her school. Students are hiding in the library, hearing their classmates behaving violently and irrationally. The video captures the fear and desperation of the students, as they are confronted by their possessed peers, who urge them to 'wake up' and 'open their eyes.'

Still reeling from the confrontation with Devon, Noah faces the 301 miles between Northern Virginia and his family in Brooklyn. Unable to reach Alicia or Kelsey by phone or text, he carries Marcus out of Asher's house and goes back inside for the keys to Devon's Subaru. Devon, whom Noah believed he had killed, attacks him again. Noah fights her off and repeatedly stomps her in the open refrigerator until he is convinced she will not rise again.

Noah and Marcus leave in the Subaru, but a group of possessed children singing 'Baby Ghost' swarms the vehicle. Noah drives away with children climbing over the car, then looks into the rearview mirror and crashes into a fire hydrant. The airbag deploys and leaves him briefly stunned while Marcus remains fixed on his tablet.

With the car no longer a viable way north, Noah checks the route to Brooklyn and decides that he and Marcus will continue on foot, avoiding the blocked highways and following back roads where possible. The closing video clips show survivors offering incompatible explanations for the nationwide violence, including social contagion, demonic possession, and distrust of official accounts.

Noah and Marcus press on through Northern Virginia on foot, passing burned bodies, a flaming school bus, armed homeowners, and other evidence of the collapse around them. Noah tries to draw Marcus into conversation and tells him about Brooklyn, while Marcus repeats things Asher had said about Noah and the city. At an abandoned McDonald's, Noah finds food for Marcus after encountering another group of possessed people inside.

Farther north, a woman with Fax News Brain charges Noah and Marcus while pushing an empty stroller. Before she can reach them, unseen shooters fire from the roofs of nearby fast-food restaurants and kill her. More possessed people emerge from the surrounding storefronts, and additional rifle fire drops them before they can close in.

The shooters reveal themselves as a small group in new fluorescent hunting gear. Their leader asks Noah which candidate he voted for in the last election. Noah realizes from the way they handle their weapons that they are inexperienced gun owners. The source unit leaves Noah and Marcus under their scrutiny, without resolving whether the group will let them continue.

On the second day of the journey, Noah and Marcus continue north with the rooftop survivors from the previous section. The group is led by Martha, a former sporting-goods manager, while Craig repeatedly offers theories about the cause of the outbreak. They trade downloaded videos and competing explanations as they approach Washington, D.C.

At the National Mall they encounter an enormous crowd engaged in violent sex and cannibalism. When members of the crowd notice the survivors, Noah and Marcus flee with the others. Martha and Craig are overtaken, while Noah carries Marcus into a gutted taco truck and hides until the pursuing crowd passes.

Inside the truck, Noah meets a father armed with a lead pipe who is protecting his two children. The men exchange information and argue about what the outbreak reveals about the country. When Marcus's tablet battery finally dies, he erupts into a screaming tantrum and bites Noah's hand. Unwilling to risk his own children, the father orders Noah and Marcus out of the truck.

On the second day of their journey, Noah and Marcus continue north as storm clouds gather. The sky darkens with storm clouds, and Noah, mindful of the approaching weather, suggests finding cover. Marcus, who has been silent and shivering since his tablet lost its charge, finally speaks, indicating his need to use the restroom. The rain begins to pour heavily, and Noah and Marcus take shelter under a dilapidated gazebo at a rest area. The rest area, a far cry from the modern service areas they are used to, consists of a cinder-block outhouse and a wooden gazebo.

Inside the gazebo, Noah and Marcus find a community board covered with missing-person flyers, each describing a family member who has snapped and committed violent acts. The flyers highlight the widespread nature of the possession epidemic. Marcus, still traumatized, is given a stick of gum and a warm can of Coca-Cola, which they share. As the rain continues to pour, Marcus urgently needs to use the restroom, and Noah leads him to the men’s room, promising to wait outside.

In the bathroom, Marcus is initially relieved to find privacy, but his sense of safety is shattered when he notices a row of urinals with scratched mirrors and eerie messages. He opts for a stall, where he discovers a hole in the wall with a glistening trail of slime. Through the hole, he sees a bloodshot eye with swirling, colorful patterns. The eye belongs to someone or something that speaks to Marcus, calling him 'Baby Ghost' and offering him a fully charged tablet. Marcus, drawn to the tablet and the soothing, albeit eerie, voice, begins to sing along to a familiar song, 'Baby Ghost.'

On the third day of their journey, Noah and Marcus continue north past a little girl on the interstate wearing a sign that reads 'NOT POSSESSED. HELP.' Marcus, unusually quiet and humming a haunting tune, remains withdrawn, only occasionally responding with grunts or tremors. Concerned about Marcus's mental state, Noah tries to engage him in conversation, but the boy remains distant.

As they approach Baltimore, the city is engulfed in flames and smoke. The harbor is a scene of horror, with a cruise ship's deck and pool filled with dead bodies. Determined to reach Brooklyn, Noah decides to navigate through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, despite the risks. The tunnel is dark and filled with abandoned cars, and the acrid smell of melted rubber and meat permeates the air. Noah, leading Marcus, is plagued by the eerie echoes of the song 'Baby Ghost' that Marcus sings.

Deep in the tunnel, Noah discovers that Marcus has been hiding a tablet, which has been playing the song on repeat. Realizing the tablet's influence, Noah smashes it, but the song continues to echo from the shadows. They are surrounded by possessed individuals who emerge from the cars, singing the song and advancing on them. Noah, determined to protect Marcus, straps him to his back and runs towards the exit, fighting off the possessed and the boy's thrashing and biting.

Noah and Marcus finally emerge from the tunnel into the sunlight, but Marcus is now fully possessed, singing the song with a menacing intensity. Refusing to abandon the boy, Noah continues to carry him, determined to reach Brooklyn and find help. The chapter ends with a series of disturbing videos, including a man performing a DIY exorcism and a reverend attempting to exorcise a possessed woman, highlighting the widespread chaos and desperation.

On the fourth day of the journey, Noah carries the possessed Marcus to a farm in Hopewell, New Jersey, after watching online instructions for improvised exorcisms. Using Mark 5:11 as a model, he plans to lure whatever is inside Marcus into one of the farm's starving Ossabaw pigs. He lays Marcus in the mud and attempts to cast the presence out while Marcus continues singing 'Baby Ghost.'

The ritual fails. The pigs begin squealing along with the song, and Noah's exhaustion and uncertainty deepen. For a moment he rejects the demonic explanation and tells himself that possession is not real, but he then interprets Marcus's expression and the pigs' chorus as proof that he has nearly been deceived into abandoning the exorcism.

Noah offers himself in Marcus's place, then turns his accumulated anger on the boy and his family. He wraps his hands around Marcus's throat and begins choking him. As the pigs close around them and join the song, Noah starts singing too. The narration explicitly describes him as being possessed, ending the section with Noah surrendering to the same force he had been trying to remove from Marcus.

On Christmas Day, after 353 miles of travel, Noah and Marcus reach Noah's Brooklyn home. The narration has shifted into a collective 'we,' and Marcus walks beside Noah quietly, afraid of him. Having lost his keys, Noah rings the bell and waits on the stoop until Alicia approaches from inside.

Alicia opens the door and recognizes Noah, with Kelsey standing behind her. Noah smiles and tells Alicia, 'Honey…I'm home.' Kelsey is relieved that he made it back for Christmas.

Noah is no longer returning as the protector who began the journey. As he kneels in front of Kelsey and opens his arms, the possessed narrative voice anticipates squeezing her. The book ends with Noah and Marcus back inside the family circle, but with Noah posing an immediate threat to the wife and daughter he had been trying to reach.