In the summer of 2003, at an all-boys summer water polo camp, socially anxious twelve-year-old Ben struggles to fit in amidst a ruthless social hierarchy. When he befriends Eli — a lonely, acne-ridden outcast shunned by the others for allegedly carrying a contagious “plague” — Ben becomes entangled in a cruel, escalating ritual of scapegoating and fear. As the lines between teasing and real harm blur, Ben is forced to confront his own complicity and the terrifying cost of belonging. THE PLAGUE is a coming-of-age story about masculinity, peer pressure, and the horrors that fester when cruelty masquerades as a game.