Five Michigan State University students—Ash Williams, his girlfriend, Linda; Ash's sister, Cheryl; their friend Scott; and his girlfriend Shelly—are vacationing at an isolated cabin in rural Tennessee. On their first night there, Cheryl hears a faint, demonic voice telling her to "join us" just before her hand becomes possessed and draws a picture of a book with a deformed face on its cover. Shaken and confused, she decides not to mention the incident to the others.