Dodger has known nothing in his life besides the tough, hand-to-mouth existence in the lowest levels of Dreg City, where society is measured only in degrees of poverty. It's been a hard, lonely life, until Dodger finds Twist, a kid with a smile that lights up the heart and an attitude that defies the worst Dreg City can through at them. Ten years later, little has happened to dull Twist's smile or Dodger's love for him — not even Twist's recurring dream of the City in the Clouds, a place where food is plentiful, and dreams come true for everyone, even though Twist couldn't possibly have ever seen the place. When Dodger's painting of Twist catches the eye of Dreg City government, it sets Dodger and Twist on a heart pounding journey to find out the truth behind Twist's dreams.