Jamal Jenkins' family is preparing for his older sister Danitra to go to college. That night Jamal sees strange things happening in the park, then receives a strange message on his computer from a mysterious being who asks, "Where are the children? Are they all right?" The next morning he revisits the park and finds a strange coded message, then finds a warning in his locker. His attempts to find out what's going on lead him to Lenni Frazier, a girl who lives with her musician father in an apartment above the bodega owned by the parents of Alex Fernandez and his little sister Gaby, who is the latest victim in a string of backpack thefts committed by unusual culprits. Lenni also receives a strange message in her notebook after speaking to Jamal. They find out they're the only ones who can see letters being rearranged on signs and posters, and decide to try and contact the mysterious spirit.