There is a world around us, a world of people, tactile sensation, and culture. There is also a wired world, inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences, and a culture all of its own.
After a classmate's bizarre suicide, Lain, a 13 year old teenaged girl discovers both everyday reality is closely linked to the world of cyberspace. As the two worlds intertwine, she encounters a secret order of hackers, men in suits, and even... herself. Abandoned by friends, even by her family, this young girl must try to decipher where the line between reality and fiction lies.