In the outer circle of a nested narrative, a woman named Sheila writes to her childhood friend Charlie about her brother, Johnny, a psychiatrist who recently committed suicide.

In the inner circle of the narrative, N. is diagnosed by Dr. John Bonsaint as suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid delusions related to "keeping balance".

A warning sign of the monster's imminent penetration is when a person viewing the field sees seven stones, when there are in fact eight.

N's belief, shared by those who came before him, is that verifying the presence of eight stones when he is in the field, and his obsession with order when he is absent, somehow strengthens the barrier between our world and the one Cthun dwells in.

They were adapted by Marc Guggenheim, co-creator of the ABC TV series Eli Stone with creative oversight from Stephen King.

The episodes are presented in a cutout animation format, complete with comic book–style graphics, an original score, sound effects, and a full cast of voiceovers that includes actor Ben Shenkman.