At the New England-based private educational institution Holloman High School, curious teacher Myers (Ricky Wayne) is interrogating student Quentin (Jonathan Baron) on his apparent ancestral ties with former headmaster Danforth (MC Gainey), a notorious murderer and cult leader. He brings Quentin to the school's basement to question him in private. Quentin is shown a few historical artifacts pertaining to Danforth. They slip from his hands accidentally and in the process, a 1950s time capsule is knocked open, allowing the ghost of a deceased Danforth and his female assistant trapped in it to escape. The rest of the academy are unaware of this incident, except for the school's janitor Ortiz (Danny Trejo), who is informed of Danforth's escape, but gets locked up in the janitor's closet by Danforth's hench-woman. Ortiz presents himself as knowledgeable about Danforth and the other ghosts — he reveals himself to be the academy's secret guardian who has been investigating the actions of Danforth's cult, which caused his sister's death, for decades.