A group of friends stumble upon a locket hanging from the remains of an old fire tower. Curious, Troy decides to pocket it. Moments later, the ground stirs, and the corpse of Johnny, a long-dead local, rises. Enraged and determined, Johnny begins searching the woods for the locket. As he passes a decaying fox corpse, he overhears an argument between two men, one of whom had set the traps that killed the fox. Johnny, driven by a singular purpose, heads to a nearby house and slips in unnoticed. Inside, he spots a necklace he mistakes for his locket, triggering a fleeting memory of his father. The homeowner soon returns, only to be terrified by Johnny’s presence. Fleeing in panic, the man runs into the woods, where he is caught in his own bear trap and meets a grisly end at Johnny’s hands. Hearing a car in the distance, Johnny turns his attention and starts to pursue it.
The car leads Johnny to the group of friends, who are gathered around a campfire. One of them, Ehren, begins to recount the tale of Johnny’s tragic death: Decades ago, Johnny, the developmentally delayed son of a local merchant, was tricked into climbing the fire tower with the promise of a “bag of toys.” But when he reached the top, he was met by someone who scared him, causing him to fall to his death—a tragedy that was ruled accidental. Legend has it that Johnny’s vengeful spirit was responsible for two series of murders, years apart. After the story, the group retreats into their cabin. Later, Ehren steps outside, only to be ambushed and killed by Johnny, who uses a drawknife to end his life. Johnny drags Ehren’s body to a nearby park ranger office, where he gathers a pair of dragging hooks and an axe. He then dons an antique firefighter mask, preparing for the violence to come.