Jude is a 13-year old, coming of age in a rough and isolated seaside town. Mistreated by his father and haunted by nightmares of his deceased mother Jude only has two real friends, Ricky, a wealthier boy who sells exotic hens for his grandfather, and Nancy, an older girl whose desperation to be accepted often leads her to ill-fated sexual exploits. Branded as a thief and a liar, Jude imagines the hardships that surround him are the workings of an evil troll that lives in a secluded cave across the harbor, which he plans to ′pay off′ with trinkets that he collects in an old treasure chest. When Jude’s father is sent to prison, Jude takes refuge with a local recluse, Alfreda, who nurtures his imagination, but warns of using it as a means of escape. They form a strong bond and for a moment Jude glimpses a normal life. But when Jude’s father is released, he turns Jude against Alfreda with rumors of her involvement in Jude’s mother’s death.