1996. A regional newspaper journalist comes to the northern village to write about the mysterious disappearance of a schoolgirl, and discovers a whole world - with its world grievances, world wars and not at all peaceful tales. Here, in real Russia, everything is inside out: the word saturates like an apple, houses light up from dreams, and the killed come out of the fire to take revenge on the offenders. The editorial task turns into a hunt, and the newspaperman himself no longer knows who he is - a criminal, victim or storyteller.