"Butterfly Fish" is the story of two completely different people with so much in common. If you first read that statement, it doesn't make any sense, but think about it for a moment. Isn't there someone you know now that you think you have nothing in common with but you find that he or she is one of the closest people to you? That's what "Butterfly Fish" is about.
Rory is a regular guy. He's twenty-two, works in a flower shop with his dad, hangs out with his best friend, Jacob, and basically does the same thing everyday. But from just looking at him, you would never guess that he'd been kidnapped as a four year old, watched his mother murdered in front of his face, and ran away from home. He won't touch a gun and he won't leave town, as much as he thinks he wants to.
Then he meets Anna, a brand new college freshman, ready to start her life from scratch after eighteen years as a kid. Nothing terribly interesting has ever happened to her, but this new location may be just the trick. She makes a best friend right away, Gaila, and meets a guy who takes an interest to her, Hank. Things are starting to look up.
Anna gets a real taste of college life when she is invited to a party being held by another student's boyfriend, a guy that no one seems to know at all. Once there, Anna finds herself alone when Gaila and Hank find better things to do (sex and drugs, respectively). She goes out for some fresh air and finds Rory doing the same. It isn't the most poignant first impression, but Anna lets him stay the night at her place, since he's too embarrassed to admit he lives in the party house.
From that point on, they're inseparable. They love each other's company and make a point of meeting with each other. They even get tattoos together, an obvious sign of their devotion. Anna soon puts Hank out of the picture, and he's not too into her decision. Gaila supports him in his efforts to win Anna back. But when Hank gets out of hand, Gaila steps away. To put it in simple terms, Hank loses it completely.
He obsesses, he stalks, he even threatens Rory's life. Nothing can stop him, even Anna, the girl he would have done anything for. She's the driving force of Hank's rage - but can she stop it before it gets deadly?
