Dead Birds

William leads his Confederate deserters in a daylight bank raid to seize a cache of Union gold coins. The group murders several townsfolk during the plunder, showing no mercy as they escape with the loot. The violent spree sets a grim tone for the journey ahead.

Needing rest, the criminals set up camp in a plantation house overlooking the fields. The place feels ominous, and a scarecrow-like figure seems to watch from the crops. The sense of danger grows as night falls.

While exploring the grounds, they discover a scarecrow that resembles a crucified man, hinting at a dark history. The discovery unsettles them, suggesting the house is not empty after all. An uneasy silence settles over the group as the night deepens.

Delving into the mansion’s past, they learn Hollister, a former farmer, sacrificed his wife and children in a failed bid to resurrect his wife. The ritual summons evil spirits that now haunt the house. Locals crucified Hollister in the fields, and his cursed presence animates his victims as demonic forces.

Joseph tends the horses and goes to the well for water but is pulled under by a spirit. The others rush to help but cannot retrieve him, realizing the danger is more than superstition. The haunting begins to claim members of the group.

Sam is haunted by the farmer's ghost, who shows him what happened in the past. Todd witnesses the ghost of a slave being sacrificed in the basement, a chilling glimpse into the ritual’s true cost. The house hums with unseen malevolent forces.

Clyde notices something amiss as Joseph appears to stumble outside, and he goes to check. His search hints that the spirits can reach beyond the walls to weaponize the living. The tension between the group mounts as fear spreads.

William and Annabelle wake to find the gold missing and accuse Clyde of having run off with it in the night. Tension spikes as accusations fly and trust erodes within the group. The quest for the treasure threatens to tear them apart just as the supernatural forces close in.

Sam is possessed by Hollister’s spirit and acts as a conduit for the truth, showing Annabelle what happened. The farmer’s family and others were transformed into demonic creatures by the ritual. The revelation makes escape seem increasingly futile.

With the ghost's revelations still fresh, Sam dies soon after, removing a potential ally. Annabelle urges leaving the plantation, but fear and greed keep the others rooted in place as the night deepens. Todd also declares that he intends to leave, further fracturing the group.

In the fields, a possessed Sam assaults Todd, hurling him into the air and disappearing him. They later discover Clyde dead and crucified, eyes and mouth sewn shut, a grim symbol of the spirits’ reach. The survivors confront a mounting sense of dread as help seems further away.

Morning arrives; William leaves Annabelle’s corpse behind and is attacked by their dog as he tries to escape. He is shot by Confederate soldiers who mistake him for a deformed animal as dawn breaks. The soldiers find two gold coins William dropped and uncover the corpse of another demonic being before the scene fades to black.