Thirteen-year-old Manuel's biggest worry used to be school essays and his sister's pranks. But when he brings home a perfectly smooth, pearly stone from a family camping trip, the predictable rhythms of his neighborhood begin to fracture. It starts small: a moved garden gnome, a persistent hum in the air, and a patch of grass that refuses to grow back. As the "Malicious Rock" begins to exert its influence, Manuel realizes that the familiar world he loves is merely a stage for an ancient, unsettling play, and he has given the lead role to a monster.