Mobs. Riots. FIres. Death. Natalie Maverick has experienced all of these things in the eight years of her life. They were a regular thing in Blackwell Virginia, her hometown. They riots have always been bad, even before Natalie was born. However, they were never this bad. In a riot gone bad, Natalie and her closest friend Dominic are forced to leave town, fearing that they would be in even more danger than ever. That's when disaster strikes. While resting in a house, a lightening storm started, and the house was struck by a bolt of lightening, setting it on fire. Trying to get out safe and sound, Natalie and Dominic get badly injured. That's when Natalie loses everything important to her; her precious memory and her beloved speech.