Nightmare

THE OFFER

It was a welcome second chance. The Platts, burdened with a failed business and a deteriorating marriage, grabbed it. The Institute at Grads Village had promised moving expenses, a house, and, most of all, a terrific new job for Richard.

THE VILLAGE

It was the model society, located completely underground. Schoolchildren were grouped by intelligence rather than age. Junk food was banned. And an all-powerful bureaucracy -- governing by cryptic codes, close medical scrutiny, and unbreakable rules -- watched over every detail of life.

THE SECRET

It was a dark suspicion that grew into a terrifying certainty. Gradually, Jessie Platt learned that the Institute was concerned with more than the study of communicable diseases. It wanted something more—the one thing no parent would ever willingly give.