Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.

"Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash and was chosen for the Defenders "Patty" Jones is the fastest girl on the Defenders, an elite middle school track team. She runs for many reasons -- like to escape the taunts from the kids at her new school. She runs from the reason WHY she's not able to live with her "real" mom any more: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever....