After losing his home and construction business, Chuck moves intoa garage apartment. He survives by writing magazine articles, fishing,and shoplifting from the supermarket. He meets Patty, and she inspireshim to complete a manuscript for a novel. Patty is killed on the daythat the manuscript is accepted by a publisher, and Chuck falls into adeep depression. He spends his last dollar on a Florida Lottery ticketand wins 33 million dollars. Chuck spends a fortune to promote the book, and it becomes a best seller. He then builds an energy-efficient, fortress-like home on the river, A NASA engineer, Juluis Zuks, talks him into installing a sophisticated security/function performance system in the home. Senta, from Texas, reads his book and is certain that one of themain characters in the book is her mother and that Chuck is the fathershe's never known. Upon meeting, Senta and Chuck become romantically attracted and she becomes a house guest in the new home.Julius, the NASA engineer, is mysteriously electrocuted in the swimming pool and Chuck and Senta become suspects in a homicide investigation.The security system traps Senta in the home and sets it on fire. Chuckrescues Senta and debates a voice emanating from the security system.The home is razed, and the land is exorcised by a priest. Chuck andSenta move into a newly constructed home which they believe has been"cleansed." But has it?