Nick is an artist of superb ability and he has been convinced by his best friend, Adam, to illustrate the latter's new book. The duo schedules a meeting with a publisher who has seen specs from the pair, but on the day of the meeting, Adam's a no-show. In the hopes to save the situation, Nick attends the meeting anyway. The publisher informs him that they are not impressed with Adam's project, but that they are very interested in Nick's art. Making him an offer to illustrate a brand new novel by best-selling author Jared Covey, Nick hesitantly agrees.

Nick and Adam have a bit of a falling out, but the latter eventually comes to accept his failings. In the meantime, Nick begins reading "The Night of Chills," which he readily admits is not particularly well-written. However, this does not seem to halt the growing sense of dread that he begins to experience as every day goes by while immersing himself in this manuscript. In fact, it becomes so terrifying that he cannot seem to tell the difference between fiction and reality.

Will he complete the illustrations for the novel? Or will the novel kill him first?