Three traders make their way across the prairies to deliver a mysterious box to an unknown buyer, but an unnatural storm strands them at a homestead. The house is home to a single strange occupant - The Watcher. The Watcher tells tales of a magic lantern and a desperate cowboy attempting to save his wife. As they decide what's real and what's not, the traders hatch a plan to retrieve the large iron chest they left stranded in the storm. The Watcher warns them of a spirit that haunts his homestead to this very day. Unexplained happenings and violent confrontations lead to the revelation that The Watcher is not as he appears. A twisted family history leads to the truth behind the lantern. And just when it seems like the traders have a handle on things, they come face-to-face with the elusive cult known only as The Red Hats.