Karen was suffering from a recurring nightmare that the walls were closing in on her. Nothing she could do could help her to sleep but even when she was awake she felt that the walls really were closing in on her.  The doctor thinks she is suffering from acute claustrophobia and suggests they move to large accommodation. Her husband Horace buys a huge mansion and they want to move  in straight away despite there being caged snakes and lizards in the house waiting to be shipped away to the zoo. Karen loves the house but a portrait of a woman known as Delilah  disconcerts her. One of the snakes gets out of its cage and kills the agent who sold them the house. Very surreal!