Alienated at school and struggling with his parents' separation, Kit takes his loneliness to the blacktop, where he loses himself in running -- until one day, an accident on the road catapults him into what seems to be a parallel universe. Names and places are strange yet oddly familiar, and Kit is torn between newfound popularity in this world and panic at the thought of never returning home. While Kit's routine centers on training for an important cross-country race against a rival school, the reader is drawn into Kit's predicament and his growing fascination with an enigmatic teammate, Alrika. She leads Kit to wonder if he is racing not only for his school but also for his life.