When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London in their grime-encrusted car and view The WELL, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place. But The WELLs unique glory comes at a terrible price. The locals suspect foul play in its verdant fields and drooping fruit trees, and Ruth becomes increasingly isolated. Ruth's paradise becomes a prison, Mark's dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien's playground a grave.