Mary and Henry Driscoll travel to Trinidad and Tobago during the 1960s for vacation. On the last leg of the vacation, they visit the island Tobago to go bird watching. Their host there, Mr. Soo, turns out to be racist and provides the couple with an uncomfortable experience. When Mary tells a story of how a little Black boy pointed out crabs to her on the beach, Mr. Soo gets angry and says that that boy is not allowed on the beach. He discusses how uncivilized Black people are. Though Mary is uncomfortable with the conversation, she and Henry do not respond to Mr. Soo's racism.

One night, while Mary and Henry are sleeping, their hotel room floods. When they tell Mr. Soo, he insists that they take his own apartment. The two hesitate and do not understand why Mr. Soo cannot give them a different room, but Mr. Soo insists. They stay in his room and interact with the only help that Mr. Soo has: Arthur. Arthur tells Mary and Henry about the little Black boy who comes to the beach near Mr. Soo's hotel because it is the only beach for miles. The boy lives with his grandmother and brother in an area with many rocks and strong currents.

On their last day in Tobago, Henry and Mary take a walk. They go far, only to realize they have forgotten their binoculars and a flashlight. They begin hurrying back when they hear a piercing human scream. They see, amongst a group of people, an old woman with a scarf wrapped around her head, on her hands and knees and turning in circles. The two are horrified but know they cannot do anything, and she is with her people. They return to the hotel, where Arthur tells them that the little Black boy from the beach is dead. He fell off the rocks near his home. Mary, to her horror, realizes that the woman they saw was his grandmother. Henry tells Mary that this is a pattern and was bound to happen. She stays awake that night and watches Henry sleep.