Necromancy

Lori Brandon suffers a stillbirth, a tragedy that shatters her sense of normalcy and begins to gnaw at her emotional stability. The loss leaves her grieving and more vulnerable to the strain in her marriage. This event sets a somber tone for the couple's life and their future with Frank's new job looming ahead.

Frank secures a job in the advertising division of a toy company in Lilith, prompting the move to northern California. En route, they witness a violent car accident, an ominous foreshadowing of the peril to come. The couple leaves behind their old life as the mystery of Lilith begins to unfold.

An oncoming vehicle swerves off an embankment, killing the female driver Jennie. Lori and Frank watch the grim scene from the road, a stark reminder of the fragility of life. The traumatic moment unsettles Lori further as they continue toward Lilith.

Their car runs out of gasoline, forcing Frank to walk to town while Lori waits by the car. In a field beneath a tree, Lori finds a gravestone and experiences a bizarre vision of a young boy's funeral. The eerie vision hints at the town's occult undercurrents and Lori's developing sense of danger.

Lori and Frank arrive in Lilith and join a dinner with their host, the enigmatic Mr. Cato. He hints that Frank's job will involve magic and presents Lori with a grimoire. The conversation reveals Cato's occult influence over Lilith and plants the seed of necromantic ambitions.

Lori learns the house they moved into had previously been rented by Jennie, the woman who died in the accident. Priscilla references Cato's dead son Timothy, insisting he is resting rather than gone. The town's quiet exterior masks a buried history and a hunger for the occult.

Lori is invited to a party that turns out to be a formal initiation into Lilith's coven. She refuses the ritual, sensing danger and manipulation. The confrontation marks a turning point as the town's occult underpinnings become undeniable.

The following day, Lori witnesses an apparition of Timothy, luring her into the basement of her home. She is attacked by a horde of rats, a harrowing premonition of the cult's powers at work. The nightmare deepens her fear and resolve to resist the coven.

Priscilla and Dr. Jay confront Lori, informing her that she is to take Timothy's place during a necromancy ceremony. Lori fears the lengths to which the cult will go and questions her own safety. The confrontation accelerates the sense of imminent danger.

Lori calls Nancy, one of Cato's associates, and learns that Frank is with Nancy. Nancy lies, claiming Frank has returned to Los Angeles, deepening Lori's isolation. The revelation reveals how deeply the coven has infiltrated her personal life.

Priscilla is found drowned in a creek in the woods, removing a key insider from the coven. The death heightens the claustrophobic sense of danger within Lilith and fuels Lori's growing paranoia. The town's secrets feel increasingly inescapable.

Lori experiences a cascade of hallucinations and stumbles upon the necromancy ceremony at Timothy's grave. She is buried alive in exchange for Timothy's return, a chilling culmination of the coven's plan. The scene crystallizes the horrific cost of reviving the dead.

Lori awakens and believes the events were a nightmare, only to realize it was a premonition. Frank consoles her, but the sense of déjà vu lingers as they discuss their impending drive to Lilith. The nightmare is reframed as a warning of what is to come.