Alex and his family relocate to an old antebellum plantation in Louisiana, a place filled with history and mystery. His mother and sister become determined to restore the grand home to its former glory, but Alex feels uneasy due to strange lights flickering around the property. He soon meets his new neighbor, Blossom Culp, a superstitious girl raised by her spiritualist grandmother, who quickly becomes a loyal friend despite her odd and sometimes irritating behaviors.
One night, Alex witnesses the mysterious lights again and decides to follow them into an old barn. There, he encounters the ghost of a young Creole girl named Inez Dumaine, who appears along with her dog. The ghostly Inez reveals that her uncle was Jacques Dumaine, a notorious pirate who once owned the plantation. In life, Inez was unable to reveal the location of her family's treasure. Jacques, angry and vengeful, murdered her by throwing her down the well in the barn and cursed her spirit to remain on the property.
Inez’s ghost pleads for Alex’s help, explaining that she must solve a riddle to break the curse and be free to reunite with her parents in the afterlife. The riddle states:
> *Sleeping lies the murdered lass.
> Vainly cries the child of glass.
> When the two shall be as one,
> the spirit's journey will be done.*
Realizing that Inez herself is the murdered lass, Alex enlists the help of Blossom and her grandmother to identify the "child of glass." Through a vision with Blossom’s crystal ball, Alex sees Inez alive with her mother. His vision reveals that Inez’s mother makes her promise to care for a china doll named Babette, which turns out to be the "child of glass" in the riddle.
Meanwhile, trouble arises as Alex’s mother fires Amory Timmons, a disgruntled handyman. Consumed by revenge, Amory sets fire to the barn, attempting to destroy the evidence and kill Alex in the process. Alex escapes into the burning barn but falls into the old well during the chaos. The family soon realizes Alex is missing, and while the police search for him, Blossom’s dog leads her to the well house. There, she finds Alex unconscious on a ledge and, being the only one light enough, she cautiously lowers herself into the well to tie a rope and rescue him. During her daring rescue, Blossom also finds the doll Babette, and both are pulled to safety.
To free Inez’s spirit, Alex and Blossom visit the family tomb. They carefully place Babette on Inez’s grave, breaking the curse that held her spirit captive. Just as danger looms with Amory Timmons trying to attack them, Inez's ghost manifests as a terrifying wail, frightening him away. With her curse lifted, Inez thanks Alex and Blossom for their help before finally finding peace. As she departs, the doll suddenly shatters, revealing that its head is filled with diamonds — the long-lost treasure of the Dumaine family, which Inez was supposed to guard.
In the end, Inez’s ghostly intervention gives Alex the treasure, enabling his family to restore and preserve their ancestral home. The story blends elements of mystery, ghostly encounters, and treasure hunts, culminating in a touching tale of friendship, bravery, and uncovering lost history.
