Chapter 1 takes place in a home of a young Black family in the rural south. Their five-year-old son Soot is hiding in a corner of the living room. This chapter and all alternating, odd-numbered chapters (except chapter 31) are written in the third person perspective and feature Soot as the protagonist. Also in the living room are his mother and father. The mother wears a blue, floral dress that is old and worn. She is anxious about her son’s disappearance. The father William is a tall man with large eyes. Self-conscious about his thinness, he always wears long sleeves. He is less worried about Soot’s whereabouts and suspects that he is nearby and playing a trick. The parents wonder aloud where he might be. William reassures his wife as she cries. Seeing this, Soot’s excitement turns to regret. Although he is just playing, he feels too guilty to reveal himself. For the past three years, his parents have been playfully teaching him to become “The Unseen” (5) insisting that he can be “unseen and safe” (5) for his whole life.

Deciding to play along, the parents wonder what they should do about their lost son.