There's something sinister in the attic. It creeps in when no one is looking. Everyone says the noises Katie hears are bats, but then everyone seems to be lying; hiding a secret. And why has the attic door been bricked up?

Everything has changed for the worse, Katie realizes when she's forced to stay with her grandfather and cousin Vanessa at the old Mill House. He is just a frightened shadow of himself while Vanessa, who used to be such fun, is spiteful and unpleasant. She even looks different—Gothic and macabre.

There are rumors of vampires. Katie once loved the spooky stories her cousin would tell, but now Vanessa's stories have a sinister touch as she prepares a surprise party for herself. Puzzled how someone can hold a surprise party for themselves, Katie is told, "Wait and see what the surprise is..."