Stefano, a young restorer, arrives in an Italian town at the invitation of the mayor, where he is to restore a fresco by a mad local artist depicting the sufferings of St. Sebastian. Struck by the naturalistic nature of the image, Stefano becomes acquainted with other works by a local celebrity, on which he finds nothing but suffering and death. The villagers treat him with restraint, and soon Stefano begins to receive phone calls in which an ominous voice advises him not to touch the mural and to get the hell out.