After finding their father dead in the shower, 17-year-old Andy and his partially sighted step-sister Piper are sent to live with Laura, an eccentric former counselor who also fosters a mute boy named Oliver. Laura’s daughter Cathy, who was also blind, died by accidental drowning in the backyard pool. Andy becomes unsettled by Laura’s behavior, her favoritism toward Piper, and Oliver’s strange demeanor. He informs his social worker Wendy, as well as Laura, of his intent to apply for Piper’s guardianship when he turns 18. Laura begins subtly undermining Andy’s mental state, suggesting he is unfit to care for his sister.
At their father’s funeral, Laura steals a lock of hair from the body and later tells Andy that some believe the soul lingers in a corpse after death. That night, Andy shares that their father was abusive toward him but affectionate toward Piper, causing Andy to resent him. Laura reflects on Cathy’s death, saying she would give anything to hear Cathy call her “mum” again.
The next day, Andy attempts to bond with Oliver by offering him rockmelon, but Oliver starts chewing on the knife Andy used to cut it. When Andy tries to carry him across Laura’s encircled property line to get help, Oliver begins to convulse and scream, uttering the words “help me.” Laura arrives, takes Oliver to her room, and calms him by rubbing his head in a circular motion. He reluctantly returns to his mute state. Laura then feeds him the lock of Andy’s father’s hair. That night, Andy attempts to shower but is interrupted by Oliver, whom he hallucinates as his father’s apparition, which warns him, “She’ll die in the rain.” In his shock, Andy slips and is concussed.
