It’s Pennsylvania Dutch Country, 1928 and 16-year-old Billy, fascinated by a mysterious traveling preacher with healing talents, enters into a strange apprenticeship with him. Dr. Reese develops a hold over the boy that becomes increasingly more powerful, and eventually he halts Billy and his girlfriend’s plan to start a new richer life in Philadelphia. Suddenly, a deadly, un-explained blight sweeps through the farmlands and Reese, believing that a local hermit has been casting a plaque of evil spells and hexes, take Billy with him to put an end to Hoeglin’s curses. The line between reality and hallucination is blurred and Billy assists his mentor in murdering the bizarre hermit.
