Benjamin’s mouth opened the moment he saw a dogman perched on the stockade. All around him men shouted, yelled for God and Jesus and ran. As if they could escape this certain hell. Some men curled up and clung together, too terrified to move. Benjamin’s emotions defied explanation. He’d never cottoned much to religion, but the things that stood upon the stockade and looked down on them certainly defined the meaning of hell and Satan.
“By all that's holy. What are those things?” Elijah asked.
“Hell hounds,” finally came out of Benjamin’s mouth.
Elijah seemed to snap out of his daze. “We need weapons.”
A new, gut-wrench fear hit Benjamin. “We can't just stand here. We've got to get to Lilly.”
“How?”
“Any way we can.”
Elijah scanned the area. “We need to get out of this prison. If those things -- when those things jump down here, we can't be trapped. Or we're dead.”
Benjamin gestured at the men around him. “Arm yourselves! Make weapons out of whatever you've got! Now!”
Men who had been paralyzed a moment later scrambled into action.
LILLY
Gunfire and screams came continuously as Lilly and Chillingsworth ran toward one of the armories at the far end of the first stockade. As she ran, tears blurred her vision. The thought that anything could happen to her brother or Benjamin threatened to paralyze her. She couldn’t lose them. She wouldn’t.
Dozens of dogmen occupied the stockade prison guard towers and all along the stockade itself.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Thunderous booms ripped apart the night, and she let out a little scream of fright. Dynamite. Someone is lobbing dynamite at the dogmen.
Chillingsworth dragged Lilly to the ground and covered her with his body.
A tremendous roar shook the ground and pounded Lilly’s ears as dynamite landed to the south of them. Dirt pelted them.
“You all right?” Chillingsworth asked
“Yes!”
They struggled to their feet and took off toward the armory again. They reached it moments later and found it open. The earth continued to shake and the air split as men continued to throw dynamite.
A crack like thunder went off and blood hit Lilly’s face and clothes. Stunned, she looked around. A man lay on the ground some distance away. His body was rendered into a mishmash of pieces. Bile rose in her throat. She’d never seen a man destroyed by an explosion, and her stomach twisted at the sight.
“Oh, God,” she whispered under her breath.
Guards hurried past them out of the armory building. No time for military structure. It was everyone for themselves. Lilly and Chillingsworth pushed past people to get to the ammunition and found it in low supply. They loaded up their pockets and exited the building.
Dogmen now lined the first stockade walls.
Lilly stopped, temporarily frozen in blood-curdling horror as the dogmen stared at her.
Chillingsworth grabbed her arm. “Come on. Hurry but don't run.”
“Wait. We have to help the prisoners. They're being killed in there. We have to let them out.”
He shook his head. “No one is going to let them out. If there are any guards left alive, they'll shoot us if we start a prison break.”
Lilly was beyond caring what anyone thought or would do to her. “Then we have to blast our way inside.”
Disbelief crossed his features. “What?”
“Dynamite,” she said.
Chillingsworth hesitated. “We could just leave here. Escape and—”
“I'm not leaving my brother and Benjamin to die. Do you hear me? If you want to leave without me—”
“No. Never!” Chillingsworth yelled.
Lilly stopped near a box of dynamite.
“Wait,” Chillingsworth said. “I have another idea. I know something that will work better than dynamite. But we’re going to have to be very careful. We’ll use artillery. Come on!”
She followed him south, running toward the artillery batteries outside of the first stockade where Confederate soldiers were arming themselves. They raced up to the soldiers there.
“Private Hillman, Private Jason, get the weapon ready!” Chillingsworth said.
One soldier responded, “We’re ready to fire on those creatures, but if we do, it’ll destroy the stockade.”
Lilly grabbed Chillingsworth’s arm. “We can’t! We’ll hit the prisoners, too.”
“If we want the prisoners to have a chance to escape, we have to take the chance,” Chillingsworth said.
The other private said, “Escape? That is treason—”
“Just do it,” Chillingsworth ordered.
“But—”
“Have some humanity,” Lilly said. “Those are humans down there fighting against some kind of almighty godless things from hell! It's our duty to save them!”
Chillingsworth gestured. “Do as she says!”
Looking stunned, the men readied the artillery.
Chillingworth pulled her away from the weapon. “Lilly cover your ears.”
Lilly did as he advised, and was glad of it as the tremendous noise tore the air. Earth trembled beneath her feet. Across the way, soldiers at another artillery battery seemed to have the same idea.
Holes tore through dogmen and stockade walls.
Dogmen on the nearest stockade turned and spotted Lilly and Chillingsworth. Lilly’s body went cold.
ISAAC
Isaac came to and bolted upright. He jumped up despite his injury. His head throbbed but not badly enough to stop him. To the south, toward the prison, light filled the horizon and the loud explosion of artillery vaulting into the air. He could hear gunshots and wondered if the creatures the Yankee spoke of had already slaughtered Miss Lilly and the good doctor. Isaac had never been so frightened in his life, but he didn’t hesitate. He walked down the road toward the prison, knowing instinctively he shouldn’t run.
BENJAMIN
Chaos reigned around Benjamin and Elijah. Benjamin realized they’d been safe from the battlefield for some time, but it seemed a new kind of hellish war had come to them. Many men panicked, some readying to fight the dogmen hand-to-hand. Others were too far gone to care.
Explosions rocked the air. Armed with a wooden stake each, Benjamin and Elijah stayed on guard for the beasts.
To the west, artillery opened a hole in the stockade. Benjamin didn’t know to be happy or not.
A second later another explosion opened the south edge of the stockade. Then the east stockade. Smoke filled the area as a fire broke out across the swampy creek to the south.
Elijah yelled above the noise. “They shooting at us or the creatures?”
“Come on, we have to get to Lilly!” Benjamin yelled his order.
Before they could move, dogmen leapt down from the stockade into the prison.
Benjamin “Men! We have to fight now!”
Elijah yelled, “Goddam! Let’s get outta here!”
Elijah and Benjamin, along with dozens of other prisoners, surged toward the west.
A dogman ripped into a man in front of Elijah and Benjamin. The creature ripped his head off. Benjamin’s throat threatened to close with terror.
Another dogman stepped in front of Elijah and Benjamin. The two men attacked at the same time and stabbed the creature in the chest. It crumbled to the ground.
Men around Elijah and Benjamin fought valiantly, but the dogmen were bigger. Stronger. Many men are slaughtered. The prisoners were weak.
“This way!” Benjamin gestured to the west opening.
Benjamin and Elijah ran out of the west opening in the first stockade as prison guards rushed in with rifles ready. The guards ignored Benjamin and Elijah.
“How are we going to find Lilly in the dark?” Elijah asked.
Determination rose up inside Benjamin. “Any way we can.”
LILLY
Boom! More artillery took dogmen off the stockade.
Prisoners arrived at the artillery battery. It's was Union prisoners versus Confederate soldiers and guards as they stared each other down.
Frustration filled Lilly. “We do not have time for this. We must work together to stop these creatures or we will all die.
Chillingsworth nodded. “She’s right. Get on with it. Now!”
Making a split-second decision, the men worked together. They loaded the artillery.
More dogmen were destroyed by a combination of small arms and rifle fire, dynamite and artillery. The creatures fell in droves, but so did prisoners and guards. Blood ran thick on the ground. Carnage was massive. Exhaustion made Lilly lightheaded.
Dr. Jacobson appeared next to her. “We have to get out of here! I saw that strange spiral light in the sky! I saw more creatures coming out of it!”
Lilly’s stomach dropped. “The patients!”
The doctor’s eyes swam with tears. “All dead. Dogmen attacked. I barely got out.”
“Oh, no, no,” she said, her throat tight with grief. “What about Dr. Reynolds?”
“Don’t know. Haven’t seen him.”
Lilly knew what she must do. “I’m going to find Elijah and Benjamin.”
The doctor nodded. “I’ll come with you.”
Lilly started down the stairs.
Chillingsworth grabbed her arm. “No. It is too dangerous.”
She shook off his grip. “I don't care. Come with me or don't, but I'm going.”
She left him, truly not caring if he followed. Then she realized that Chillingsworth ran alongside the doctor. They rushed back into the first stockade area. Inside the stockade, Lilly and Chillingsworth were surrounded by the miasma of prisoners escaping. No one heeded their presence.
Dr. Reynolds charged toward them, rifle in hand. He shot a dogman in the head and made it to their little group.
Chillingsworth said, “Dr. Reynolds. You’re alive.”
But Dr. Reynolds’ face filled with rage. “This is a disgrace. All of these prisoners are escaping.”
Just that moment Lilly saw Benjamin and Elijah running toward them and her relief was so great she almost sank to her knees.
Benjamin shouted, “Lilly!”
Tears ran down her face as she returned his greeting. “Benjamin! Elijah!”
Their voices barely carried over the roar of dogmen, men shouting and screaming, and the near constant barrage of dynamite and artillery.
Benjamin and Elijah charged toward Chillingsworth, Lilly and Dr. Jacobson.
A dogman blocked the way.
Lilly couldn’t move.
The dogman, dripping blood from its maw, was at least seven feet tall standing on its hind legs. It growled, the sound a rumble that sent pure terror up her spine.
Dr. Reynolds ran away.
“Lilly, get behind me,” Chillingsworth said.
She didn’t move, standing by his side.
The dogman posed to leap, then sprang forward.
Lilly, Dr. Jacobson, and Chillingsworth fired their weapons.
The dogman fell several steps from them. Just as it did, another dogman charged from the side.
Dr. Jacobson fired once and the dogman fell.
Benjamin and Elijah arrived, ready to fight.
Chillingsworth raised his weapon, but he pointed it at Benjamin.
A chill of pure fear spiked inside Lilly. “What are you doing? No!”
The next few moments seemed to crawl, though she knew only seconds passed.
Another dogmen attacked, springing toward Chillingsworth. Chillingsworth pushed Benjamin in front of it.
Elijah jumped between Benjamin and the dogman. One slice of the beast’s sharp claw tore open Elijah's stomach.
Lilly screamed. “No!”
Dr. Jacobson took a shot and killed the dogman just as Elijah fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
Benjamin grabbed a pistol lying on the ground.
A dogman knocked over Chillingsworth. Posed to attack, standing on its rear legs and towering over the men.
Benjamin aimed for the dogman and took a shot.
Too late.
Blood poured from a slash in Chillingsworth's chest. He collapsed to the ground, his mouth open in a silent scream of agony.
Dr. Jacobson, Benjamin, and Lilly tried to help Elijah. Lilly sobbed as anger and grief tore her to shreds. She glanced at Benjamin and saw the tears streaming down his face. Benjamin grabbed his friend’s hand, while Lilly tried in vain to staunch the rapid flow of blood.
Elijah gasped, blood pouring from his mouth. He sputtered his words. “Benjamin…take…take care of my sister.”
“Of course,” Benjamin said, sorrow clear in his voice. “Of course, I will, my friend.”
With a gasp, Elijah died. Dr. Jacobson reached out his hand and gently closed Elijah’s open eyelids.
Lilly couldn’t feel anything in that moment, overwhelmed by the destruction and death occurring all around her. She sobbed with grief and anger. The sight of her brother falling to his death at the hands of the dogmen, and Chillingsworth, was too much for her to bear.
A scream startled them into attention, and she realized that Chillingsworth writhed on the ground, suffering just a few feet away. Anger drew her to her feet as she marched to the corporal.
“How could you!” Fury lent her words more volume. “How could you!”
She could see Chillingsworth was rapidly losing too much blood. He was moments away from certain death, though perhaps not fast enough to miss a dogman eating him.
Still, he tried to speak. “I did it...because…I…love…you. Kill me. Please kill me. I won’t make it, Lilly. I’d rather die by your hand than those awful beasts.”
Lilly wanted to leave him, to make sure a dogman found him for a meal. “And spare you the suffering you put my brother through? Why on earth would I do that?” She spat the words down at him.
Chillingsworth coughed, sputtered, his breathing sharp and raspy. “Because you’re a nurse, Lilly. It’s what you do.”
Empathy poured into her like hot oil, a fresh sob leaving her throat. The nurse in Lilly overwhelmed her. She leaned over him. Took his bloodied hand.
“Forgive…me,” he rasped. “Please, forgive me, Lilly.”
“What you did was despicable. You deserve to suffer.”
“Please...kill me. Dying...anyway. It has to be you, Lilly...please. I was such a coward. But I love you. Forgive me.”
He gasped for air, suffering terribly. His eyes begin to close.
Devastated by too much death, Lilly swallowed down her anger and nodded, “I forgive you.”
She stood up and aimed her gun towards his head. She fired one shot.
It was enough.
Dr. Reynolds ran through the chaos, confident he’d escape. He smiled. He could see a clear path before him if he just kept running. He didn’t bother to stop for the wounded prisoners that called out to him. He ran right over them.
Then a dogman plowed over him and he fell to the ground.
Pain sent fire through his ribcage, and the cracking assured him some of his ribs had just broken. He writhed in agony.
The dogman stood on its hind legs over the doctor, blood and drool from its jaws splattered on Dr. Reynolds’ face. The disgusting drool was a horrible stench somehow worse than any death he had ever encountered.
Dr. Reynolds closed his eyes and prayed to God to spare him. When he cracked his eyes open to look, there were now two dogmen standing over him, ready to attack. He could see no empathy or sympathy in their eyes. He knew he couldn’t argue or bribe his way out of this.
As the dogmen pounced on his chest, their sharp teeth piercing his skin, he let out a blood-curdling scream, and then was quiet.
ISAAC
As he ran out of the woods, Isaac could see his horse and cart standing on the road by the edge of the woods. The horse stomped, jittery but exhausted as the chaos at the prison continued. Isaac could hear the screams. It chilled him to the bone.
Isaac hesitated, taking in the lay of the land.
Suddenly a man, clearly a Confederate soldier, ran toward Isaac with a dogman in pursuit.
Isaac raised his gun and took aim. He shot the dogman point blank.
The Confederate stopped in his tracks, stunned.
The man gaped at Isaac. “You…you killed it.
Isaac smiled. “I did.”
The boy didn’t wait for a thank you. He ran toward the prison.
LILLY
Lilly, Dr. Jacobson and Benjamin hesitated outside of the stockade. There were far fewer dogmen. Prisoners and soldiers seemed to be finally gaining the upper hand over the devil dogs.
Dr. Jacobson said, “Go. You've got to leave. I'm going back in to help the injured.”
Lilly couldn’t bear the thought of losing him as well. “No, come with us.”
“I can’t. I’m a doctor first and it is my duty. Save yourselves.” He hugged Lilly.
He turned to Benjamin. “Get her out of here.”
Benjamin nodded. “I will.”
Benjamin grabbed Lilly and they ran toward the road as fast as they could.
Lilly saw Isaac running toward them. Joy lifted her out of the darkness.
“Miss Lilly!”
“Isaac!”
Lilly and Isaac hugged quickly and then broke apart.
‘Miss Lilly, I’ve got the cart. Come on!”
All three of them ran for the cart and leapt onto it. Isaac urged the horse around and into a fast canter. They rumbled down the road away from the prison and the sounds of sheer horror that filled the air. In the distance Lilly saw a strange shimmering vortex open near the prison.
“Look at that,” she said.
Benjamin looked in the direction of the vortex as dogmen headed for the swirling opening and were transported upward. The vortex flashed, and then closed with a loud boom.
“That was…” Benjamin said as he shook his head.
“Yes,” was all she could think to say.
Their eyes locked, and everything she wanted to say to him caused new tears to flow.
Benjamin enveloped her in his arms and when their lips met, a crush of relief, fear, and grief threatened to tear her to pieces. Neither one of them would even entertain the thought yet that they were out of danger.
Benjamin broke the kiss but kept her in his embrace. “Thought I’d never see you again.”
Lilly couldn’t hold back a new rush of tears. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
As she cried, he held her. A moment later he said with alarm, “Lilly you’re hurt.’
She looked down at herself and saw the blood spreading across her waist. “No. I’m…”
Dizziness overwhelmed her and as things started to fade around her, Lilly heard Benjamin cry out.
“Lilly! Lilly!”