Twelve-year-old Cody DiMarco's best friend is Paul Brightfield. The bond between the two boys is deeper than anyone could ever suspect. You see, Paul Brightfield isn't human: he's the last of The Old Ones, ancient elemental beings from The Time Before, and Cody is the only one who knows Paul's secret. One October night, Paul Brightfield vanishes... at the same moment that, in nearby Wilde Park, a massive cocoon burrows up out of the earth. Within the cocoon lies a hate-filled creatures that will soon destroy Cody's life – and the lives of everyone he loves...