The Pickled People at Halton Farm

In 1864 Georgia, a grief-stricken farmer makes a devil’s bargain—and the dead keep working.When Jeremy Halton’s wife dies, his cotton fields wither and his workers flee. Desperate to save his family’s legacy, he discovers something ancient sleeping in an abandoned well—something that offers him tireless servants in exchange for fresh flesh.Now his farm thrives with small, wrinkled workers called “Dills”—preserved souls trapped in shrunken bodies, their red-rimmed eyes haunting with endless sorrow. But when a Union patrol seeks shelter during a storm, they uncover the horrifying truth behind Halton’s prosperity.What follows is a battle between soldiers and an ancient evil, where fire becomes the only salvation and some transformations can never be undone.A Southern Gothic horror that explores the monstrous lengths grief can drive us to, and the terrible price of refusing to let go.