What if, right here and now, some of us (thousands, tens of thousands, millions of people)… disappeared? Evaporated, dissipated, fell through the ground? Someone would have decided that this was a kidnapping... Someone would have lost heart... And someone would have continued to live as before, as if nothing had happened. On October 14, something happened in the small town of Mapleton when hundreds of its residents suddenly went missing. No guesswork, no clues. Everyone who remains is in bewilderment, fear and confusion. After all, the worst thing is the unknown. The mayor of the city, Kevin Garvey, is trying his best to restore order and help those who have lost relatives and people, even despite the fact that his family fell apart after the so-called “Sudden Disappearance.” His wife Laurie joined the Guilty cult; their son Tom dropped out of university and became a follower of a certain Saint Wayne. Only Kevin's daughter Jill still lives in the same house with him, although she has changed beyond recognition...