after daughter leaves college, claire spencer begins noticing odd activity coming new neighbors, mary , warren feur, in rural vermont. claire s husband norman, accomplished scientist , professor, dismisses preoccupation. after witnessing volatile behavior next-door , failing see mary several days, claire suspects warren may have killed her. claire , friend jody, mystic, hold séance in claire s bathroom, hoping contact mary, no success. after jody leaves, claire finds bathtub full of hot water , message know written in steam on vanity. hysterical, goes call husband , finds computer typing letters mef on , over. norman disbelieves claire, convinced mary haunting her. several days later, mary arrives @ house alive , well, , explains , warren had fight, , left stay mother in rhode island week. claire continues experience strange phenomena in house: down lake, sees image of woman floating in water, , discovers key inside heater vent. in broken picture frame, comes across newspaper clipp...