Mungo's world falls apart when his dad falls ill and dies. Grieving and angry at his loss, his life is further disrupted by his mother's decision to leave the family home in London and move to a cottage in the middle of the countryside. Mungo finds it increasingly hard to cope with the sudden and complete change in his circumstances and things become stranger still when he meets a boy in the village who is also called Mungo. This unusual boy seems to be able to change the world around them in a weird and inexplicable way. During a freak hurricane Mungo finds himself seeking solace at the bottom of a disused well - but when the world shifts and the rope ladder disappears, Mungo knows his life is hanging in the balance.