It's 1989, and Barnaby is twenty-seven and single. He stays for awhile with his childhood friend Chundo. Barnaby and Chundo were friends in high school in New Jersey. After they graduated, Barnaby followed Chundo's band around until it broke up, at which point Chundo moved into Barnaby's parent's spare room. Barnaby's father eventually kicked Chundo out and he moved to Santa Cruz, California. Barnaby still lives in his dad's basement and he feels his life lacks purpose, so he hopes his stay with Chundo will help in some way. Chundo's girlfriend Laurel and Laurel's son Deke live in Chundo's house, too, and Barnaby gets to know both of them. Chundo finds and sells mushrooms to local resturants to make money. He claims he can find the _amanita estriatus, _a rare mushroom which many people claim doesn't even exist. Chundo believes restaurants will pay well for such a rare find. Chundo decides the four of them will head out on a quest to find this mushroom. Barnaby and Chundo buy gear from a local store, and the four of them set off into the mountains. The make camp the first night and Deke and Barnaby hear Laurel and Chundo arguing loudly in the nearby trees. Five days into the trip, the group wakes to find Laurel is gone. They call for her and Deke runs off down a trail in search of her. While Deke is gone, Chundo tells Barnaby that Deke isn't his child, but Barnaby isn't convinced by this. Barnaby follows Deke down the path and brings him back to camp. Chundo believes they are close to finding the rare mushroom, and he and Deke set off while Barnaby packs up camp. Barnaby eventually catches up to them. Deke cries, and Chundo eats a green mushroom, which he claims is the rare mushroom they have been looking for. Deke desperately tells Chundo to stop — the mushroom Chundo eats is actually death cap, and will kill him. Suddenly, the Loma Prieta earthquake hits, and they are all tossed around in the air. As they fly around, Barnaby knows Chundo will soon die.