The movie begins with a narrated warning played over scenes of a coffin being opened. The narrator reveals that the movie's climax is so frightening that it could be lethal to viewers, but assures them that if they die from fright while watching, they'll be given a complimentary burial service. The scene ends focusing on the casket, which contains a card with the words "Reserved for You." Newlyweds Jenni (played by Peggy Webber) and Eric (played by John Hudson) relocate to Eric's luxurious countryside mansion. Jenni is Eric's second wife, since his first wife, Marion, tragically passed away after accidentally slipping and hitting her head on a decorative pond within the estate. At the mansion, they encounter Eric's friends, Reverend Snow (played by Russ Conway) and his wife (played by Toni Johnson), alongside Mickey (played by Alex Nicol), the mentally challenged gardener. Eric discreetly shares with the Snows that Jenni had spent time in a mental institution after the sudden loss of both her parents, and Mrs. Snow divulges that Jenni is quite wealthy. Jenni feels unsettled by Mickey's claim that Marion's ghost roams the estate and by Marion's self-portrait in the house, which Jenni thinks looks like her mother. As she begins to hear unexplainable screams and sees skulls around her home, she suspects that Marion is haunting her. Although Eric suggests to Jenni that Mickey, who was childhood friends with Marion and therefore dislikes Jenni, might be behind the tricks, Jenni fears she's losing her sanity. Eric proposes to remove Marion's self-portrait from the house. He and Jenni take the painting outdoors and set it on fire. As they clean up the remains, a skull emerges from the ashes. Jenni reacts in panic at the sight, but Eric insists there is no skull. Jenni faints and Eric secretly hides the skull, ultimately revealing his deception as an attempt to claim her wealth. Convinced of her madness, Jenni decides to commit herself to an asylum. She informs Eric that the entire property will undergo a thorough search for the skull as a final measure. Before Eric can retrieve it, Mickey covertly takes the skull to the Reverend, exposing Eric's scheme. That night, Eric plans to kill Jenni and make it look like a suicide. Jenni encounters Marion's ghost in Mickey's greenhouse and rushes back to the house. As she enters, Eric starts to strangle her. The ghost then appears, chasing Eric outside and through the property, finally cornering him and drowning him in the decorative pond. After Jenni regains consciousness, the Snows show up. Mrs. Snow consoles a distraught Jenni, while the Reverend finds Eric's body in the pond. Some time later, Jenni and the Snows leave the house. Reverend Snow notes that whether Marion's death was accidental remains an enigma.