Fourteen-year-old Richard moves to a small town, Ballantyne, to live with his aunt and uncle after his parents die in a fire. Richard, an outsider at school, befriends another unpopular boy, Tom. They make a prank call in a phone booth to an Imu Johansson. The prank goes wrong when Tom is swallowed by the telephone. Agent Dale investigates Tom’sTom's disappearance, with Richard as a suspect. Richard and another boy from school, Jack (Fatso), go to Johansson’sJohansson's house, a large, abandoned mansion (the “Night"Night House”House"). Jack turns into a cockroach, leading Agent Dale to suspect himRichard of a second disappearance. Richard confides in Karen, a cool girl at the school, about the supernatural events. Agent Dale sends him to a correctional facility for failing to cooperate with the investigation. Karen visits Richard, driven to the facility by her boyfriend and classmate Oscar. Richard discovers that Johansson also spent time at the facility. He receives a late night phone call from Johansson, who telltells Richard that he is garbage and tells him that Karen will burn. RichardAfter escapesescaping formfrom the facility., HeRichard travels back to Ballantyne, burns down the Night House, and rescues Karen.
