Lynn Fisher kills her mother when she is nine - or so she believes - even though it takes Ma eight more years to die. Following the annual spring floods, young Lynn leaves a hot iron on a quilt top she and her sister are making, to run outside. That's when the fire starts.
An evil spirit convinces Lynn to invite him into her life with promises of better times. Once inside, Mister Poppy proceeds to terrorize Lynn and destroy all chances for happiness she has.
After Lynn's sister marries and moves away, Ma dies from her lung damage from the fire. Lynn moves to her own apartment. Mister Poppy causes frights and injuries at work, and eventually finds Lynn's new home, where he terrorizes her further in ever more horrible ways. He causes her to be mugged. She seeks help from ghost hunters, a psychic, even a Catholic priest.
Follow Lynn through her terrifying journey as she seeks to rid herself of this horror that has haunted her for so many years.