Parasite takes place in Burlington, Vermont where the majority of residents in the state believe that a creature similar to the Loch Ness monster prowls the depths of Lake Champlain. This legend began nearly 200 years ago and today the residents have named the “monster” CHAMP. Hundreds of thousand CHAMP posters, flyers and other paraphernalia have been sold over the years and have helped to boost the state’s economy. But the legend does not stop there. Towns in New York bordering the lake have adopted CHAMP as their mascot. The legend is called into question when Steve’s brother is reported missing after patrolling the lake in a blinding rainstorm. In an effort to find his brother, Steve suddenly stumbles on a frightening and bizarre plot to keep people away from the lake. Now he’s faced with a couple of serious problems: trying to figure out what happened to his brother and debunking the theory that CHAMP actually exists. And why the usually abundant fish population appears to be decreasing in size.