When Dawson Sumter goes missing, all he leaves behind is a smattering of blood in room 4 of the debt-ridden motel owned by Neera Singh's family. Disappearances like this aren't uncommon in the rural Georgia town of Carrion. Especially during the Cicada Festival, which takes place every thirteen years when a cicada brood returns from underground, shrieking their deafening screams.

Desperate to find out if Dawson is still alive, Neera joins forces with three other local teens: Isaiah, clandestine true crime podcaster; Reid, son of the wealthiest man in the region; and Sam, estranged daughter of the local hitman. As they find themselves entangled in a messy web of secrets and lies, they discover just how deep the rot in Carrion goes . . .