Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman are next door neighbors and have been friends since childhood. Quentin describes Margo as “the most fantastically gorgeous creature that God had ever created (4).” Quentin is both the novel’s narrator and protagonist, and recounts a time when he and Margo were nine-years-old and biked to a nearby park to play. Though they had played in the park together many times, Quentin noticed that something felt different that day, though he could not say what the difference was. Suddenly, Margo called out his name and pointed to a gnarled tree in the center of the park. Slumped against the tree was the body of a dead man in a suit. There was blood pouring from the man’s distorted mouth and flies resting on his forehead. Though Quentin was visibly disturbed by the scene and prepared to flee, Margo was intrigued by the body, and moved towards it. Quentin urged her to run away. Finally, Margo listened to Quentin’s pleas and the two headed home.

When the two returned home, Quentin’s parents called the police. His parents are both therapists, so after he woke up from his nap, they spoke to him about the cycle of life.