In 1943, doll-maker Samuel Mullins and his wife Esther grieve the loss of their seven-year-old daughter Annabelle "Bee", who was killed when she stepped in front of a car accidentally. Twelve years later, in 1955, the Mullins open their home to provide shelter for Sister Charlotte and six girls left homeless by the closing of their orphanage. Despite having been told not to enter Bee's locked bedroom, Janice, a young orphan crippled by polio, is awakened by a noise, discovers a note saying "find me", and sneaks into the room, which has mysteriously become unlocked. She finds a key for Bee's closet and unlocks it, where she sees an eerie porcelain doll. This releases a powerful demon who begins to terrorize the girls, displaying a special interest in Janice..