On a stormy night near Hamelin, Matty (10) is driven to suicide by the hypnotic music of a phantom Piper that only his distressed mother can distinguish, causing her to flee the city. Soon after, American émigrés Liz and her daughter Amy land in Germany. Liz takes on the history teacher position vacated by Kerry at Hamelin’s International School. The annual Pied Piper Pageant is celebrated the day after their arrival. Liz revels in it, but Amy finds it macabre - until she meets the handsome Weser Street magician, Luca, when Liz is not looking. Liz becomes plagued by visions of rat infestations, while Amy hallucinates fleas swarming in her bed. Yet real fleabites appear on Amy’s body, one by one her fingertips bleed at night from nasty wounds, believing them to be caused by rats. Liz and Amy individually learn the truth behind the legend of The Piper who is a cruel and vengeful minister of harsh justice, punishing adults who get away with crimes by taking away their children. No longer a legend of yesteryear, The Piper is real with his judging eyes set on Liz and her dark secret.