Konke okubi kwenzeka ebusuku. Ukufa kuthola inhlanganisela enkulu yesikhathi nendawo yesono phakathi kwe-chiaroscuro yenyanga.
Uma sengeza i-blizzard enamandla ehlukanisa isikole sokubhoda saseFrance, sigcina ngokuqamba isethingi elifanele lenhlakanipho yesimanjemanje efana UGuillaume Musso (unyaka owodwa omncane kunomunye umFulentshi omkhulu wamanje weNoir, UFranck thilliez) kusiqondisa kwinoveli ephazamisayo esingalindela noma yini kuyo, ngokuya ngesizinda sombhali osheshe agcwalise iziza zakhe ngezinto ezingaphezulu kwemvelo noma aslayite ezothando ezisusa isisindo sosizi nobunzima.
Ngalesi sikhathi yonke into yenzeka ngomuzwa we-claustrophobia osuselwe kusuka ku-1992 kuze kube manje. Kuleso sikhathi esedlule sihlangana noVinca osemusha, wentsha ethokozayo ekwazi ukucabanga ngempilo enaleso simo sobunyoninco obuphakeme balokho obekuhlala ngothando ngohlobo lwayo lwezifiso nemibono emihle kakhulu. Ngale ndlela, ngenxa yalolo mkhuba obulalayo wokwehlisa lonke ukholo othandweni, uVinca ompofu unyamalala kulowo mhlaba ozihlanganise ngokwawo phakathi kobumnyama nesiphepho esinamandla.
Emuva osukwini lwethu, sizithola sise-French Riviera ekhazimulayo, lapho abafundi abasha abasesikoleni okuhlalwa kuso behlangana ndawonye ukugubha usuku lwesiliva lokuqeqeshwa kwabo kuleso sikhungo. Silulama abangane bethu uThomas, uMaxime noFanny, bonke abangabalingani bakaVinca futhi abazivumelanisa neqiniso labo lamanje, badidizela kulowo moya wokuphefumula wesikhathi ongcwaba ukudlula okumnyama kokwazi ukuze baqhubeke nokuphila.
Kuleyo minyaka engama-25, kuncane okushintshile esikoleni sokuzilungiselela esidumile sabantu abasha abacebile, ngaphandle komsebenzi wokunweba owabanika ngokungazelelwe amanga akhe. Ijimu yakudala ilungiselela ukucekelwa phansi kwayo, inikeze indlela isakhiwo esisha esinikezela ngosizo olungcono kusikhungo.
Ngaphandle kokuthi lezo zindonga zibophezela okuthile okungaphezu kwejimu yokuzivocavoca uqobo nabangane abathathu maduzane kuzodingeka babhekane nokuthi iqiniso lesinqumo sabo esimnyama isikhathi esifushane ukwambulwa. Futhi kulapho-ke uThomas, uMaxime noFanny kumele babuyise lokho okwedlule ukuze babhekane nokwesaba okukhulu necala labo.
Manje usungathenga inoveli ethi The Footprint of the Night, incwadi entsha kaGuillaume Musso, lapha: