Eight-year old Garnet and his sixteen-year old sister Flower have grown up in an environment of stifled grief. Their mother died unexpectedly while giving birth to Garnet and since then their father Ed manages to put food on the table, but mostly just goes through the motions of living. An awkward, isolated eight-year old, Garnet mutely examines the world he inhabits with a puzzled intensity. Garnet′s sixteen-year old sister Flower, who has cared for him like a mother since his birth, is finding the task increasingly burdensome. Parched for affection, Flower takes the first chance she gets and runs off with her new boyfriend Carl. Forced to become a real parent to Garnet, Ed buys Garnet a BB gun. When Garnet turns out to be a skilled marksman, Ed shows the first real affection and enthusiasm he has ever expressed for the boy. But by introducing Garnet to the power of killing, Ed unwittingly pushes his already fragile son further toward the edge.