When the well of inspiration dries up, there's only one place to go - Crimson Moon Hideaway. Something is sapping his creativity, and it's as if Maxwell Bourland can feel it digging its claws into his brain, draining the stories out of him. He falls asleep, dreaming of elaborate plots, only to have them vanish by morning. This is more than writers block; it's a theft of his mind. With his editor nagging him, Maxwell flees to the redwoods of California, hoping to shake whatever has him in its clutches. Inspiring the masses is exhausting, and so the muses, Thalia and Calliope, seek a vacation where the only creativity they need to stir up is how to spend the cold evenings. However, as they plot to lure the lifeguard off his tower, they notice a slumped figure trudging through the resort, a slight shimmer draping his body. Now their curiosity is peaked.