Hard times rule deep in Missouri in the 1930s, with drought and depression. The Tindall family is struggling to survive with their five children, Clara, Bernice, Katie, James and Tommy. When Bernice is bitten by a rabid dog, her siblings and a couple of young friends determine to reek revenge on the people who they know were responsible for the dog's release.
Seeking the help of the town's reputed "witch," they set off a chain of supernatural events, conjuring an evil demon with an agenda of its own. Implications of their hunger for retribution will affect the lives of the little group, and many other people in the small town of Hamilton, Missouri for years to come.