Witches & Warriors

One of the famous lines in recent movie history is “Luke. I
am your Father”. An echo of a young man’s search for his
identity, who he is and who he’s likely to become. Such is
the case of 17 yr old Craig Mackey, nee Nolan. It’s 1990 as
tries to create a profile of his biological father,
Lieutenant Frank Nolan, who survived Vietnam only to succumb
to his PTSD fueled alcoholism when Craig was a baby.

Coping with his family’s relocation to a small Massachusetts
town, Craig’s struggles to find links to a man for whom he
has no recollections. Inspired by photos of his Father from
Vietnam, Craig’s senior project is an ambitious contrast
between San Francisco’s 1967 “Summer of Love” contrasted with
the fate of young men swept up by the military draft.

Craig’s experiences disturbing dreams foreshadowing events
that will shape his understanding of the man who exists in
his imagination. Ironically, it’s the family’s move to
Lynnfield, a short drive from Salem, that places Craig in
proximity to the dark magic needed to go from the present to
the past.

Lynnfield’s local history claims witches fleeing Salem
celebrated their satanic rituals at The Witches Oak. The Oak
defies natural laws. It erupts in fireballs. Yet no leaf,
branch or bark burns. Its crown creates lush canopies yet no
birds nest there. In winter, it refuses to shed its leaves.

Locals believe it’s possessed by witches and is a portal
between different times and dimensions. Craig accidentally
triggers the portal and vanishes in a snow squall.
He awakens in San Francisco General. Released into the
gigantic psychedelic maw of Haight-Asbury, he encounters
Riley, an exemplar of “tune in, turn on, drop out”. His
hippie family adopts Craig who experiments with drugs and
falls in love in “La”, a family member.

He discovers the purpose for his magical change of fortune.
He joins the Army and requests deployment to his father’s
company, located in the deadly Iron Triangle. He’s
immediately “adopted” by “Three Eyes” Moreno the company
scout as the descendant of shamans and medicine men,
possesses a rare inner vision that allows him to see Craig is
protected by magic.

Craig’s tested when 4,000 NVA soldiers attempted to wipe out
the 262nd Light Infantry Battalion. Craig’s skill with the
M60 machine gun breaks the enemy’s advance. Three Eyes is
killed while protecting Craig. That death breaks the spell.
He’s wounded severely in a subsequent encounter and while
waiting for evacuation, he calls out to his father and
attempts, unconvincingly, to reveal his identity.

He returns to the Family, Now, nearly three years into this
new time and place, he experiences time-shifting rumblings
his continued presence causes. If he does not find his way
back what unknown and irreversible harm may follow? His
research into the occult reveals Mission Park contains
enchanted trees like The Witches Oak.

Craig, Riley and La venture to Mission Park to cast a spell
to send Craig back to 1990. A mini-tornado envelops him and
he disappears. Craig awakens in Lynnfield Hospital. He tells
his parents this fantastical story about life as a hippie,
combat and meeting his biological father. The reality is he
was found unconscious at The Witches Oak a mere four days ago
and been hospitalized since. Everything he attempted to bring
back with him…photos, momentous, etc. are either destroyed or
missing,

So, is what happened to him real…or the product a feverish
dream of wishful thinking? A dangling set of Army dog tags
nestled in the Oak’s crown reveals the answer