A family's ordinary evening is shattered when a suspension lamp falls, spreading fire, debris and a green, viscous substance over those present and provoking injury and panic. The household links the event to a prior anonymous warning thought to come from the upstairs neighbor, and the head of the household pursues legal and police action. Subsequent inspections reveal strange, woodlike roots pushing through the ceiling, prompting new consternation, expert reports and escalating disputes. The narrative traces these bizarre physical intrusions and the procedural, social and emotional reactions they provoke within the household and its community.