Rhymes for Young Ghouls

The curtain rises on a somber prologue, shedding light on the harrowing history of Canada's First Nations children being forcibly taken from their families and assimilated into Indian residential schools. In 1969, the idyllic life of prepubescent Aila (character not provided) unfolds amidst the tranquil backdrop of the Red Crow Indian Reservation, a Mi'kmaq reserve. However, the tranquility is short-lived as Aila's parents, Joseph and Anna, struggle to cope with the trauma inflicted upon them at St. Dymphna's residential school through substance abuse. Tragedy strikes when Tyler, Aila's younger brother, meets an untimely demise due to a drunk driving incident orchestrated by Anna. Consumed by grief, Anna takes her own life, while Joseph is left to bear the guilt and faces imprisonment for taking the blame.

Seven years pass, and we find ourselves in 1976, where a now-teenage Aila has taken over her father's drug dealing business under the watchful eye of her uncle Burner, who shares a penchant for drugs. To avoid being sent to St. Dymphna's school, where she would be subjected to the same abuse as her parents, Aila resorts to bribing the corrupt Indian agent Popper (character not provided) with drug money. Flashbacks reveal that a younger Popper was mercilessly bullied by Burner and his peers, prompting Popper to develop a deep-seated hatred for the Mi'kmaq people.

A turning point arrives when Aila's drug money goes missing, further complicating her life as her father Joseph is released from prison and returns to the Red Crow Reserve. The reunion between father and daughter is marked by tension, with Aila resenting her father's absence during her formative years while Joseph is disapproving of his daughter's involvement in the drug trade.

Seeking a way out of her predicament, Aila concocts a plan with three friends to infiltrate St. Dymphna's and steal the necessary funds. They enlist the help of one of the resident boys, Jujijj (character not provided), and successfully breach the school's perimeter. However, their scheme is foiled when Burner betrays them to Popper, leading to Joseph's arrest on trumped-up charges and Aila's subsequent imprisonment at St. Dymphna's.

As Aila navigates her new surroundings, she finds solace in a local resident boy who frees her from her cell. Fueled by a desire for revenge against Popper, Aila hatches a plan to infiltrate the school once more, this time donning Halloween costumes with her friends. Together, they liberate Joseph and pilfer C$ 20,000 from Popper's office. In the aftermath of their daring heist, Aila finally finds closure by reconciling with her father, who imparts wisdom upon her, absolving her of guilt for her mother's tragic demise and the cycle of abuse that plagued St. Dymphna's.

As fate would have it, Popper's relentless pursuit finally yields its reward, as he catches up with Joseph and unleashes a vicious attack with his rifle butt, sending the latter crashing to the ground. In a desperate bid to assert his dominance, Popper turns his attention to Aila, but his sinister intentions are brutally foiled by an unexpected savior: the local resident boy who had earlier freed her from her captors. The young hero proves himself to be a formidable opponent, taking down Popper with a precision that belies his tender years. In the aftermath of this tense confrontation, Joseph steps forward to take the blame for Popper's demise, shielding the young boy and his daughter from any further harm. Meanwhile, Gisigu, a trusted ally and friend of Aila's grandfather, takes on a mentorship role in her life, offering guidance and support as she navigates a treacherous landscape fraught with the dangers of drug addiction. As Aila begins to heal and find solace, she also forges an unlikely bond with her young savior, their shared experience serving as the foundation for a lasting friendship.