After thirty years, Skelton returns to a bed and breakfast one November. He had stayed here once before when he was fourteen for a family vacation. Presently, he and his wife are having marital troubles and she desires time alone. Thus, Skelton finds himself taking a personal vacation to the shore from his childhood.

In his room, Skelton hears people moving around upstairs. He looks out the window at the rainy shore. He thinks he sees a person walking on the pier. He decides to go on a walk himself, despite the bad weather. As he puts on his jacket, Skelton hears a thump upstairs. That room had been occupied by his parents when they stayed there. He thinks about how he never contemplated his parent’s emotions. He wishes he had been less reserved. That is the reason he and his wife are having trouble.

Skelton makes his way to the exit of the bed and breakfast. The landlady, Mrs. Derry, encourages Skelton to be back by seven for dinner. He makes his way onto the pier and runs for shelter under a glass ceiling that covers shops, restaurants, and an arcade. It is completely vacant. He thinks of being here as a child. He has a memory of meeting a girl whose name he cannot remember. She became quite important to him that summer. Suddenly, Skelton cannot place why he came to the shore. He hears a woman asking if he is okay and realizes he had been mindlessly walking down the pier in the rain. They chat and she explains that she is also staying at Mrs. Derry’s. She explains that she is here with her husband, but that he is quite ill. He wonders why she approached him as a balding man interrupts him. He explains that he is looking for Mr. Marcus Skelton. Skelton says that he is Mr. Marcus Skelton. The man identifies himself as Detective Investigator Parr and that he must speak with Skelton privately. The woman says goodbye and that she may see him that evening at dinner. Skelton goes to chat with the DI in a nearby restaurant.

DI Parr explains that body parts were found on the beach. Those parts were tested for DNA that matched Skelton’s. Skelton is confused as he is not missing body parts. DI Parr insinuates that Skelton is not who he truly says he is. Skelton agrees to have DNA testing done.

That evening at the hotel, Skelton is approached by the woman at dinner. She asks to join him, he wants to say no but says yes out of courtesy. Even though he finds her attractive, she makes him jittery and nervous. As she sits down, Skelton becomes turned on by her. She asks about his afternoon. He tells her the story. They consume three bottles of wine over the course of the meal—even though Skelton says he does not usually drink this much. They chat about each other’s relationship. Eventually, the woman identifies herself as Belinda.

Skelton becomes flustered. She asks what he is thinking. Skelton explains that he feels they have met before. He asks if she had ever been there before. She says not since she was there when she was younger. He says he met a girl once who was called Belinda, he believes. He elaborates that she was quite important to him at the time. Belinda does not remember. They finish dinner and leave separately.

Back in his room, Skelton masturbates while thinking of Belinda. He goes to sleep but is awakened by thumps and muffled cries from upstairs. He dismisses it and goes back to sleep.

The next morning, he can not stop thinking about Belinda. Outside there is a slew of police guards and tape blocking off the beach. Skelton runs into DI Parr. Parr ensures that Skelton has no plans to leave town.

Skelton goes to breakfast and is a bit disappointed in not seeing Belinda there. He is restless when he goes back to his room, so he goes upstairs to check on Belinda (and her husband). He knocks on the door and calls out for her but there is no reply. He has a vivid vision of seeing her on the other side of the door along with a figure in the bed.

He goes on another walk. As he gets further away from the shore, the path becomes rockier. He thinks he sees a silhouette but then he falls and when he gets up, it is gone. He continues down the path. When he gets to the end where it becomes a cliff. He sees a figure who looks like Belinda. She jumps off the cliff. When Skelton looks over, there is nothing there. He rushes back to town in a frenzy. Disoriented he finds himself outside of a Café were police officers are having a chat. He tells them the story of Belinda and the figure on the cliff. They call DI Parr and have him wait inside.

DI Parr asks Skelton to tell him the story again. Skelton relays the story once more. DI Parr tells Skelton that there Is no Belinda staying at Mrs. Derry’s and that he was probably hoodwinked. DI Parr explains that Mrs. Derry said that the rooms above Skelton’s are all empty. Skelton asks if he does not believe him and brings up the DNA test. DI Parr says that he does in fact believe him and that Skelton’s DNA results came back as a match. He explains that the body parts must belong to someone else and be likely misidentified due to a computational error. DI Parr also tells Skelton that more body parts were found earlier that same day.

Skelton goes back to the bed and breakfast. He returns to the room he believes belongs to Belinda and her husband. He opens the door. He sees a figure on the bed. He is disfigured and bloody. He has bandages covering his missing body parts. When he goes to hold the person’s hand, he notices that they both have the same scar. In looking closer at the person, despite his mutilation, Skelton realizes that the man is himself. Instead of getting someone else to handle the situation, Skelton makes the decision to suffocate the man and put him out of his misery.