Kate, her father and little brother, 5-year-old Thomas, live in an impoverished state in a grand old house that has been in the family for generations. When her struggling artist father decides he needs to go away and paint, he leaves Kate and Thomas in the care of neighbor Mrs Beer and her husband. In the great old house, with only Thomas for company, Kate is terribly alone. So when Aunt Rhoda appears in the quiet village and introduces herself as a relative, Kate is more than happy to welcome her in. But too soon Kate begins to feel the menacing usurpation of Aunt Rhoda's presence, and senses the arrival of the great dog Moon Eyes. She has opened her home to something much greater. So begins a deadly struggle for possession—with Thomas as the prize.