In a quintessential suburban neighborhood of the 1950s, the story unfolds with the arrival of Meg and her disabled sister Susan, who have recently been orphaned. After their parents' death, they are sent to live with their aunt, Ruth Chandler, and her three sons. Despite the façade of a nurturing home and the outward appearance of a normal family life, it soon becomes evident that something is profoundly amiss. Ruth's house gradually reveals itself to be a place of unimaginable horror, primarily due to the cruel and sadistic treatment that Ruth inflicts upon Meg, whom she subjects to both physical and psychological torture. Ruth's own children, along with other neighborhood boys, are either participants in or silent witnesses to the escalating abuse, underscored by a disturbing dynamic of power and manipulation.

As the situation deteriorates, one of the boys, David, initially goes along with the crowd, swept up in the twisted mentality of the household. However, he soon finds himself at odds with his conscience, torn between the loyalty to his friends and the innate sense that the horrors inflicted upon Meg are fundamentally wrong. His internal conflict marks a pivotal shift in the narrative, serving as a reminder of the potential for complicity in evil through silence and inaction. The moral dilemmas faced by David and the increasing severity of Meg's ordeal cast a stark light on the capacities for both kindness and cruelty within the human condition, challenging the veneer of suburban tranquility and normalcy.