In a small town in 1970s West Germany, Stephanie is raised by two parents who have no business having children. The mother suffers from an unspecified medical condition—one both mental and physical. The father makes it clear that he has no patience for his daughter. Young Stephanie takes solace in exploring the mysteries hidden away in the increasingly untidy house, particularly the trunk full of her grandfather’s butcher’s equipment; older Stephanie takes far more sinister comfort in the tools found therein.