1863: during the American Civil War, the inhabitants of New Fraternity,
Indiana, find themselves far from the front lines of the conflict
embroiling the United States but still constantly under threat from it;
food is scarce, deserters come to seek asylum, and a mysterious feral
beast that walks on two legs prowls the forest around the town. The
beast seems to have some connection to Emile, a feral child found a few
years earlier who had been taken in by the townsfolk during simpler
times. As their fear and paranoia grows, the townsfolk start to hunt the
beast and turn on each other, with tragic results that threaten to undo
all that they have been working toward.