While living in the Belgian Congo in 1963, young Felice Dunbar is separated from her sister, Hilary, to live with their Aunt Irene, who derives dark powers from a cursed African talisman. On a train to Europe, Irene attacks Felice and aggressively kisses her on the mouth. At the final station, Felice steps off the train with the talisman, leaving behind her aunt’s mutilated corpse. Twenty-five years later, Felice travels the world working as a fashion model, while Hilary is happily settled in Albany, New York, with her husband, Jack Halloran, and teenage daughter, Amy. On the day of Amy’s confirmation in the Catholic church, Hilary receives an unexpected phone call from Felice. The estranged sisters arrange to meet, but Hilary is hit by a truck and killed. Five months after her death, Amy and Jack visit Hilary’s grave and encounter Felice, whom they have never met. As they become acquainted, Jack invites Felice to stay at the house, and an attraction develops between them. Although Felice attempts to get close to her niece, Amy is wary of Felice’s mysterious behavior and remains distant. During this time, several of Amy’s friends are hurt in a series of strange accidents, for which she believes Felice to be responsible. As her strength wanes, Felice takes Amy captive and begins a ritual to transfer her powers to the young girl’s body, thereby preserving her bloodline. She leans in for a kiss, exposing a small parasitic creature that crawls from her mouth and prepares to attach itself to Amy. Jack intervenes, grabbing and killing the parasite while his daughter escapes, and Felice’s discarded host body sinks to the bottom of the family swimming pool.