One morning in March, without explanation, every person over the age of 22 finds a small wooden box at their door. The chests, made of reddish wood, are inscribed with a message: “The measure of your life lies within” (2), along with the person’s name. Inside the box, a light square of fabric covers a piece of white string. Each person’s string is a different length, and it takes some time before people fully understand what the string means.

Nina wakes up before her partner Maura, as usual, and sits down with her tea to scroll through her phone. Seeing a flood of missed calls and text messages, she immediately knows that something is wrong. When she goes online, she sees photos of small brown boxes with engraved lids on doorsteps around the world. Although no one is sure, the consensus online is that whatever is inside the box indicates the length of your life. Nina opens the apartment door and finds two boxes, one for herself and one for Maura.

Ben is on an overnight flight home to New York when his box arrives. No one on the plane knows what is happening until they land and turn on their phones.