Jake, is an art professor unenthused about the trailing end of the semester and the prospect of a holiday season without his late wife, Melissa. However, when his old student requests he examine her uncle's artwork, he jumps at the opportunity. Hand-painting monstrous beasts upon the walls of his decrepit house may indicate Uncle Walt's deteriorating mental health, or may have a greater artistic significance. Taken by his now-pregnant ex-student, Shelby, to see the artwork, Jake immediately identifies it as French cave art. Although Uncle Walt served in France during World War II, he never should've been anywhere near the paintings at Pech Merle. Unable to face the agony of completing normal tasks or celebrating a season without Melissa's companionship, Jake throws himself into investigating Uncle Walt's mysterious illustrations instead. Shelby takes him to visit one of Walt's wartime friends, who tells them of their visit to Pech Merle when they had a few days' leave. Walt disappeared, only to be discovered lying in the back of the cave, asleep. When his fellow soldiers attempted to make him leave, he fought them off, claiming everything beyond the cave was death. After hearing Walt's story, Jake pays Uncle Walt's recreations of the cave's artwork a final visit. He undergoes a similar experience to Walt, falling asleep and taking refuge in the art he adores before facing the world he can no longer bear once again.