The prologue plunges into a chilling scene thirty-nine years before the novel's present. An unnamed narrator stealthily makes their way through a house, driven by a "morbid curiosity" to witness a horrific event unfolding behind a closed door. Inside, a captive male begs for release, his muffled cries and dangling feet painting a grim picture of his captivity.
What Happens
The narrator observes "they," a couple revealed to be the captors, noting their "mismatched partnership" and the monstrous nature hidden behind their unassuming facade. The couple views their victims as disposable objects, a perspective the narrator chillingly understands. As the scene escalates, the sound of a plastic bag signals the end, followed by a violent struggle and then silence. The narrator retreats, only for the couple to appear, cheerful and disturbingly normal. The prologue concludes with a shocking revelation: the victims are children, and the narrator is the "bait."
Key Events
- A child narrator spies on their captors torturing a victim.
- The captors are a seemingly ordinary couple leading a secret life of abduction and murder.
- The victim is suffocated with a plastic bag.
- The couple acts cheerfully after the murder.
- The narrator reveals their forced complicity as "bait."
Character Development
- The Narrator: The narrator is a traumatized but observant child, trapped in a horrific environment and forced to live by strict rules. Their detached perspective, born from repeated exposure to violence, is punctuated by moments of fear and "morbid curiosity." The final line reveals their complex role as both victim and unwilling participant.
- "They" (The Killers): The antagonists are a monstrous couple hiding behind normalcy. Masters of Manipulation and Control, they lack empathy and derive pleasure from cruelty, viewing victims as inanimate objects.
Themes & Symbols
- Family Secrets and Lies: The prologue centers on the horrifying secret at the heart of the family, with the couple maintaining an "ordinary" public image while committing murder.
- The Past Haunting the Present: Set "Thirty-nine years earlier," the prologue frames the novel as an exploration of the long-term consequences of hidden trauma.
Symbols
- The Closed Door: The door symbolizes the barrier between the narrator's forced innocence and the horrific reality, with peering under it representing dangerous curiosity.
- The House: The isolated house represents the family's moral depravity, a self-contained world where evil reigns supreme.
Key Quotes
Like those before him, he holds on to the hope of a miracle. He doesn’t realise that, to them, he is not human. He is an everyday, ten-a-penny object. And it doesn’t really matter how carelessly you treat an everyday object, because if it breaks, it is easily replaced.
This quote demonstrates the narrator's understanding of the captors' psychopathy, having internalized their worldview as a survival mechanism. The killers view their victims as disposable objects, devoid of humanity or worth.
Significance
The prologue serves as a disturbing hook, immersing the reader in the novel's dark atmosphere and establishing the foundational trauma that drives the plot. The use of a first-person narrator who is both victim and participant creates a complex moral landscape, forcing the reader to question guilt and complicity. The shocking final line—"I am the bait"—ensures investment in discovering the narrator's identity and understanding how these events have shaped the present day.
Analysis
John Marrs masterfully employs suspense and psychological horror, implying violence through sounds and limited visual details. The narrator's calm, analytical voice, unusual for a child, highlights the profound psychological damage they have endured. This detached tone makes the horrific events seem routine, which is more chilling than an emotional description. The final twist reframes the narrator from a passive witness into a key component of the murder machine, setting the stage for an exploration of inherited trauma and redemption.