A man arrives at a depressing, dark house on Christmas Eve, bearing presents. The inhabitants of the house include an aging spinster and her mentally ill brother. The brother's wife has died at some point, having fallen down a stairway, and he blames his sister. She was charged, but exonerated for lack of evidence. They continue to coexist, although he never leaves his room. John, the visitor, tries to talk sense into both of them, but to no avail. Their hell-on-earth existence is actually the glue that holds things together, be it in the sickest, most depressing way. At one point, the brother tries a quid pro quo, tying a rope across the stairs, the same way he believed the sister killed his wife. There is a lot of negotiating and John finally has to get out of there. There are a lot of questions one would ask if he or she thought for more than a few seconds. Once we find out the kicker at the end we must ask ourselves why anyone would go to that house. While pretty unbelievable, it is highly atmospheric and engaging.