In his room in Fairhope, Pennsylvania, Tommy Conlon (Gavin Fink) believes he sees a monster reflected in his mirror. He calls for his dad, Jeffrey Conlon (Scott Paulin), who looks under the bed and sees a crawling bug-like creature. He lies to his son, telling him that he sees nothing, and tells Tommy to go back to sleep. Tommy sees the creature again and calls for his dad; Jeffrey holds the door shut as Tommy bangs on the door.
Meanwhile, Agent Leyla Harrison (Jolie Jenkins) tells Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) about a woman who stabbed herself repeatedly. Harrison insists that the case is an X-File and that the woman was killed by monsters that her son Tommy saw. She also believes that the monster killed the family cat, Spanky. Although Scully dismisses Harrison's claims, John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) decide to investigate. The three arrive in Fairhope, Pennsylvania where Tommy and Jeffrey are living. The agents talk to Tommy and conclude that something is going on. They soon discover that their car will not start. Back at her apartment, Scully is visited by Gabe Rotter (Brian Poth), a potential suitor of Harrison's. He presents Scully with the corpse of Spanky. Scully does an ad hoc necropsy and concludes that the cat bit its stomach open to try to get something out. She also discovers a cavity, where it appears something had lived inside the cat.
Doggett, Reyes, and Harrison camp out at the Conlon's house and soon stumble upon the monsters that Tommy sees: large, silverfish-like creatures that multiply when shot by Doggett, The local sheriff (Steve Ryan) arrives, alerted by Scully, but a scuffle ensues. The sheriff draws a gun, and Doggett punches him, only to have his hand go completely through the man's stomach. Upon investigation, Reyes is unable to find any organs in the man's body. Tommy soon shows Reyes the pictures he has been drawing. They include the sheriff with a gun, insect creatures, and Reyes with an insect creature bursting through her stomach. Reyes asks Tommy why he would imagine such things, and Tommy replies it is because he is very scared.
Suddenly, the sheriff's body disappears, and Reyes doubles over in pain. Doggett and Harrison pull up her shirt to reveal moving bulges in her stomach, as if something is trying to get out. Harrison then begins to bleed from her eyes. Doggett approaches Tommy, orders him to stop, and follows him down the hall when he fails to stop. Doggett follows Tommy into a room, but falls down into a blackened abyss, where he is attacked by the insects. However, due to Doggett's skepticism, he is able to fight off the illusion. Because he does not believe they are real, they cease to be real. Doggett explains to Jeffrey that all of the creatures are imaginary and are produced by Tommy's imagination. This includes the bugs, the "sheriff" who had no organs, and Reyes' and Harrison's ailments. Jeffrey's wife and their cat Spanky killed themselves trying to remove the insect creatures, believing they were real.
Doggett manages to trick and subdue Tommy by pretending to set the house on fire. He pours a canister of water all over the floor and furniture, acting as if it is gasoline. However, because Tommy believes it to be real, he sees Doggett pouring gasoline and lighting a match, and sees flames burn in the living room. Tommy passes out in fear. Tommy is eventually transported to a psychiatric ward, where his imagination is stifled by watching several televisions all at the same time
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