The narrator dreams that she looks over a valley, though it is not the one she lives in. She can see the landscape, the animals, and even people in their beds, though she cannot move. She feels as though she exists outside of time and space, and that the night will last forever.

The narrator and her husband, R., moved into their home three years ago. When sleet fell and caused some light flooding, they discovered that their home was built on top of an underground river, and that water flowed through their basement.

From their window, they can see Marta’s house. Marta is mysterious and disappears every winter. The narrator and Marta share a bond, often chatting. Marta speaks to the narrator about events and people that the narrator discovers are both real and imagined.

The narrator struggles to remember the many stories Marta tells her, only remembering pieces. Despite this, the narrator confides in Marta, telling her of her overwhelming fear of death. She thinks Marta does not live in the past, or for the future, but rather firmly in the present.