The Red House

Meg convinces Pete to hire Nath Storm to help with chores on the isolated farm. On the first evening, Nath begins adjusting to life there while Pete warns him to stay out of the woods, which he calls dangerous. The family remains wary of outsiders, underscoring the mystery around Meg, Pete, and Ellen.

Pete insists the woods hide a haunted red house and forbids entering. Nath ventures into the woods at night, ignoring Pete's warnings, and returns spooked by moans and screams. The tension between curiosity and restraint grows.

A few days later, Nath goes into the woods again after dark and is struck from behind, knocked into a stream. He returns believing Pete assaulted him, but Meg and Ellen reveal Pete has been with them the whole time. The incident deepens the sense of danger around the farm.

Meg and Nath become obsessed with the red house and decide to search the woods every Sunday, Nath's day off. They comb the area but find nothing, fueling hope and frustration. The mystery tightens their bond and pushes them toward greater danger.

Unknown to Nath, Pete secretly grants local handyman Teller permission to hunt on the property to keep trespassers away. This arrangement sets up a volatile dynamic and gives Teller informal control over the land. Pete's paranoia fuels the danger surrounding the red house.

One Sunday, Meg finds the red house in a rocky ravine miles from the farm. As she runs back toward the farm, Teller fires several rifle shots to scare her away. Meg falls down a slope and breaks her leg, raising the stakes of their quest.

That evening, Nath ventures into the woods to search for Meg and brings her back to the farm. Pete is furious that they defied his warning, and he banishes Nath from the farm and from seeing Meg again. The rift between Nath and the household widens.

Nath goes back to work at his mother's general store and takes extra work on Tibby's family farm nearby. His mother marries a longtime admirer and leaves on a honeymoon, leaving Nath to mind the store. This reshapes his routine and distances him from Meg.

Pete begins cracking up and starts calling Meg 'Jeannie,' becoming more domineering. His obsession with the red house intensifies, affecting his judgment and behavior. Ellen and others watch the tension at the farm grow as the danger around the house deepens.

Nath confronts Tibby and learns how vain and selfish she is. Teller punches Nath while Tibby watches with satisfaction, and the two men briefly clash. Teller and Tibby then begin to kiss in front of Nath, showing their alliance.

Ellen, frustrated by Pete's hold over the red house, decides to burn it down. Teller shoots and wounds Ellen as she walks through the woods, and Meg calls Nath for help. Pete refuses to assist, and Nath calls the sheriff and the doctor; Ellen dies before they arrive.

Teller goes to Tibby's home to elope with her, but highway patrol intercepts them. Teller is brought in; Tibby learns it was for murder, not an elopement. The episode exposes the escalating violence tied to the red house.

Meg demands the truth about the red house and the woman Jeannie. Pete finally confesses that he murdered Jeannie and her husband to win her, and that Meg is their adopted daughter. The revelation reshapes Meg's sense of family and the house's haunting past.

Nath slips out with Pete's rifle to pursue Teller, and Pete drives toward the red house, unraveling. He confronts Meg, thinking she is Jeannie, and attempts to smother her, but Nath and the sheriff arrive. Pete then crashes his truck into the ice house, plunging it into the pond and drowning.

A few days later, Nath and Meg watch smoke rise from the red house as Nath burns it to finish Ellen's unfinished plan. They talk about starting a new life together, looking forward rather than backward. The couple begins healing after a long, dark chapter.