The coastal town of Seaburgh contains a white church uphill from the waterfront, a train station behind the church, and several small red houses. The scenery of the town is reminiscent of the novel
Great Expectations.
An unnamed writer recalls the time he spent in Seaburgh as a child and notes that the town hasn’t changed much over the years. He has fond memories of spending time there as a kid, so he is intrigued upon meeting an acquaintance who tells him about something extraordinary that happened in Seaburgh. The writer decides to put this story down on paper, recording it as he heard it from the man who originally narrated it to him.