The film op□ns □ith □ narrated □□□claime□ over footag□ of a□ o□ening coff□n. The narrator□□xpla□ns that□th□ film's climax□is so terrif□ing t□at i□ may kill the □iewe□, and rea□sures t□e audience that if they die of□fright while wat□hing th□ fil□, they will □ec□□ve a free burial serv□ce, and it cl□ses on th□ casket which has a card in□ide reading□"Rese□□ed f□r You."[1] Ne□lywed□ Jenni (Peg□y Webber) and□Eric (John □udso□) move into E□ic'□ palatia□ cou□try home. Jenni is Eric's second□w□fe; hi□ fir□□ wife Ma□ion died□□hen s□e□a□c□d□ntally□slipp□□□a□d hit her head on t□e edge □f a deco□at□ve □ond on th□ estat□. At □□e home □h□y mee□ Eric&□39;s fr□□nds, the Rev□re□d□Snow □Russ Co□wa□□ and his □□f□ (Toni John□on),□as well□□s Mic□□y (□l□x Nico□)□ the □evelopmen□ally disabled garden□□.□E□i□ priva□□ly me□tio□s□to the Snows that Je□□i spent time in an asy□□m□f□llo□□ng the s□□□e□ □eat□ of □□□h her par□nts□ and Mrs. Sno□□rev□a□s □□at Jenni is very wea□thy□□ □enni □s□d□□tur□ed□b□th □y□Mickey's b□li□f tha□ M□ri□n&□39;s g□o□□ wa□□ers the estate □nd by Ma□io□'s □elf-po□trai□ ins□de the ho□se□ wh□□h Jenni believes resemb□e□ her mo□her. Wh□n s□□ begin□ to □e□r unexplained screa□i□g□no□ses □nd see □kulls□around he□□hou□e, she believes that M□rion □s haunting□her. Thoug□ Eric□s□eculates to Jen□i t□at□□i□key, who□was a□ch□ldhood friend o□ □arion and thus dislikes Jenni, may be behind the tric□e□y, Jenni worries that□she is going in□a□e. Er□c the□ suggests □o r□move□Marion&□39;s□□e□f-portrait□f□om the□ho□e□ Eric and Jenni □ake the pa□nting□outside□and bu□n it. Whil□ □hey clean up the□re□□ins□of □□e painti□g□ a□□kul□ emer□es fr□m the ashes. Wh□□e Jenni panics at the□sight o□ □he skull, Eric □enies that the skull is there. Jenni fa□nts □nd□Eric withdraws the skull□and hi□es it, r□□ealing that□□e was responsible for the□□ric□ery all□along□in a□ □ffort to get□hold □f he□ wealth. Believing she has finally □□s□□her□sanity, Je□ni□□esolv□s to □e c□m□itted. S□e□tells Eri□ □ha□ the entire propert□ w□ll b□ met□□□□ous□y search□d fo□ the sku□l a□□a last resort. Before Eric can retrieve □t,□□ickey□sec□□tly s□eals□the sk□ll □nd brings□□□ to the Rev□re□□□ □eve□l□ng Eric's p□a□s. T□at nigh□, □ric prepares□t□ murder Jenni and s□age it as a suicide. Jenni sees Marion□#39;s ghost in Mickey&□39;s greenho□se□a□d f□ees back to the hous□□□□hen s□e enters, E□ic begi□□ thro□t□□ng □er. Th□ gho□t the□□app□ars an□ chase□□Eric outside and about the pro□erty;□it finall□ □orners□and a□t□c□s□h□m, drowning him□i□□the decorati□e po□□□ After Jen□i rega□ns consc□ousness, the Snows□□rri□□. □□s.□Sn□w comfor□□ a□□y□□erical Jen□i □nd□□h□ Re□er□nd□d□scove□s E□ic□#39□s□b□dy □n the □ond. Some undisclosed time later, Jenni and the Sno□s depart from the h□u□e. Rev□□end□Snow declares □hether or not Ma□io□&□39;s death was □□ acc□d□nt will remain a m□stery.□