After he punches his brother, eight-year-old Lincoln is banished to a wooden staircase for a time-out. As he sits on the step, Lincoln stares at a deer woven into an old rug at his feet. Suddenly, he begins to feel dizzy as he realizes what he is seeing. The deer has come to life. An arrow whizzes by his head, and Lincoln finds himself transported from the step to a wet jungle. As a shot rings out, the deer drops to the ground; two boys run to its side-thrilled with their victory. Frightened and unsure where he is, Lincoln begins following the boys as they carry the deer back to their village. All Lincoln wants to do is find a way to return to his family, but he has no idea what awaits him. The Kirubu people have been waiting for him to come and set their village free. As Lincoln encounters the great Squamata, an evil monster who has been asleep at the bottom of a river, he must find a way to put Squamata back to sleep-before the monster can unleash its power on the Kirubu people and Lincoln can return home.