 Courtney and Amanda both express a desire to leave the town, but are afraid of the consequences of trying.After stumbling upon some books on Biblical numerology, Kady realizes that the townspeople attach a mystical importance to the number 436 and are willing to go to extreme lengths to keep the population at exactly that number, including executing surplus residents.Anyone who expresses a desire to leave is treated for the 'fever' by Dr. Greaver with electroshock therapy or, in extreme cases, frontal lobotomy.