In the middle of the night, Daniel and his mother flee their burning home in Mississippi for a bus bound to Chicago. There they find brief peace and safety at his grandparents' house. But Daniel's mother cannot resist the siren call of a tumultuous relationship and soon abandons Daniel to go back to her abusive partner.

At thirteen, Daniel believes he's almost a man. So it's his responsibility to rescue his mother. When an ancient spirit attached to his family becomes interested in his quest, their partnership will both test and temper the love between family members and the lengths they're willing to go to save one another.