▁st alk ed ▁by ▁a ▁ske leton ▁in ▁a ▁ro be . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁home ▁on ▁Sk ull ▁Mountain , ▁elder ly ▁Paul ine ▁Christ ophe ▁receives ▁last ▁r ites ▁as ▁her ▁but ler , ▁Thomas ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Lou ette , ▁stand ▁by . ▁Paul ine ▁gives ▁the ▁priest ▁four ▁letters , ▁instruct ing ▁him ▁to ▁send ▁them ▁without ▁allowing ▁anyone ▁to ▁read ▁them . ▁She ▁then ▁pull s ▁out ▁a ▁box ▁filled ▁with ▁vo od oo ▁doll s ▁and ▁dies . ▁ ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁Lor ena , ▁one ▁of ▁Paul ine ' s ▁great - grand children , ▁is ▁driving ▁up ▁the ▁hill ▁to ▁Sk ull ▁Mountain . ▁Ph illi pe , ▁another ▁great - grand child , ▁spe eds ▁by ▁and ▁nearly ▁forces ▁her ▁off ▁the ▁road . ▁As ▁Ph illi pe ▁continues ▁on , ▁a ▁sk ull ▁appears ▁and ▁disapp ears ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁his ▁car , ▁nearly ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁crash ▁off ▁the ▁cl iff . ▁ ▁Ar riv ing ▁at ▁the ▁house ▁after ▁the ▁fun eral , ▁Lor ena ▁meets ▁with ▁the ▁priest ▁while ▁Lou ette ▁stands ▁by ▁the ▁gra ved ig gers ▁read ying ▁to ▁b ury ▁Paul ine . ▁Lou ette ▁sees ▁a ▁ra ven ▁drop ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁be ads ▁tied ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁with ▁fe athers , ▁the ▁vo od oo ▁symbol ▁for ▁death , ▁onto ▁the ▁coff in ▁in ▁the ▁ground . ▁The ▁be ads ▁start ▁to ▁ble ed ▁and ▁then ▁burst ▁into ▁fl ame ,