A retired art professor is presented with a crude painting of his cottage by a young female pupil he is inexplicably attracted to, however the picture reveals a strange hooded figure that can move within and without the landscape, toward his cottage and his secrets. 

SYNOPSIS:

Creest is a retired art professor living in Greeven village in rural Suffolk, runs an art class. One morning a young woman, Hope Lincoln, recently moved to the area, turns up. Despite their age difference Creest seems uncontrollably drawn to her and agrees to have dinner at her cottage.

Strolling through the church graveyard the headstone of a young girl long dead has fresh flowers placed there. The local vicar interrupts him and tells him that on her eighth birthday party the girl, Samantha, sliced her own throat with the knife given her to cut her birthday cake. Desolate, the parents moved back to France where, after a couple of years, they befriended another family with a young girl. Phillipe became a second father to her and often babysat until one night when both the young girl and Phillipe disappeared. Phillipe was found hanging from a tree under which the young girl was sitting with little evidence to explain how he climbed up, furthermore despite the ground being covered in snow the only footprints visible were Phillipe and the girl.

That night, after dinner and drinks, at Hope’s cottage Creest drifts off in an armchair only to awake and unexpectedly find her sexually arousing him. She undoes his pants and then she smiles broadly, her mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. He wakes with a start.

Leaving, Hope presents him with a crude painting of his cottage. The next day, troubled by his encounter he runs into the vicar who invites him into his sacristy for tea. He shows the vicar the picture. The vicar concurs that the picture is rudimentary but spots a little figure poking through the hedgerow at the bottom of the garden. Creest, stunned, is adamant the figure hadn't been there before.

The following day finding Hope’s cottage deserted. Returning home, he explores the hedgerow but finds nothing. As he turns, he sees a hooded figure between him and his cottage. Suddenly a rook swoops down across his face and when he recovers the figure has disappeared. Rushing inside he checks the painting and finds that the figure has moved to that exact spot.

He researches the history of Greeven for clues and discovers a murky history of witchcraft. In the middle ages a villager had framed his wife as a witch to have her burnt and marry his younger lover. As she burns his wife smiles and swears revenge. Sometime afterwards her husband wakes next to his new bride to find a hooded figure leaning over them. They are both found stabbed to death in the morning. Creest is convinced his tormentor is an ex-pupil with a grudge who is using these mysterious events of the past to scare and discredit him.

At home, inspecting the picture, he can see that his bedroom window is open now and the figure is heading directly toward it. He suspects Hope has used pentimento, over painting, to produce the effect of movement and decides to consult an expert.

When he produces the painting to the expert, there is no figure and the window is shut and despite stringent examination, no evidence of over-painting can be found. As he leaves the expert hands back the picture and then balks as the figure has re-appeared and seems to have something secreted within his cloak.

Back in his hotel room Creest hears the shower running and finds Hope in there bathing. He is compelled to strip and join her and as he makes love to her she emasculates him. Screaming he wakes up to find It’s another dream. In the painting the hood has slipped slightly from the figure and a blue aura is radiating from within. Suddenly Creest understands but the strain triggers a heart attack. Recovering that evening, he discharges himself from hospital and travels home.

The Vicar, unaware, sees a shadow entering Creest’s cottage and rings the police. Inside the house Creest can feel Hope’s presence. In the bedroom, lights go on and it’s transformed into a nursery. Someone whimpers behind him but he ignores it, opening out his laptop to search for files.

Outside blue lights flash. Car doors slam. He continues his search, but the connection is slow. Downstairs his door is broken down. Footsteps clamber along his stairs. Finally, he finds the files he’s been looking for and pushes his finger toward the delete button when suddenly it is grabbed by a small hand from an arm low down beside him. It’s the hooded figure. The hood falls away revealing the face of a beautiful blue-eyed girl. Behind him the police burst in.

THE MEZZOTINT