There's something sinister in the attic. It creeps in when no one is looking. Everyone says the noises Katie can hear is bats, but then everyone seems to be lying, hiding some dark secret. And why has the attic door been bricked up? Everything has changed for the worse Katie realises when she's forced to stay with her granddad and cousin Vanessa at the old bake-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's rumours 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...”