Night at the Cemetery

Mallory and her friends spend a terrifying night at the local cemetery and fall victim to a prank.

 

 

Night at the Cemetery

 

 

 

“Why meet here?” Beverly complained as she and Mallory carefully picked their way through the headstones.

            “Stephanie said it was important, for her history report.” She has to find this one marker for that history report.”

“Why couldn’t she just write about something other than a dead soldier? Couldn’t she pick someone alive, like living history or something like that?”

“She has to get the dates from the marker to make her report realistic. I do not like being here any more than you do. Cemeteries freak me out,” Mallory agreed.

            “Think she knows?”

            “Knows what?” Mallory asked. Stephanie and Beverly did not know she was a Slayer, and if she were cool, they would never know.

            “About the vampire silly. You know, they say we have a vampire who lives here. He rises from that old monument every Friday night at midnight and feeds on the drunks that come back here to drink.”

            Mallory scoffed at the idea. She knew her father took care of that vampire years ago. He always said a drunken vampire is a dead vampire, and he took this one out as he prepared to sink his teeth into one of the old veterans who frequented the cemetery to party with his old comrades in arms.

            “She had better get here quick, or she can find that marker herself. The sun is about to go down and it will get cold soon. I didn’t bring a jacket,” Mallory complained.

            “Someone’s coming! Stephanie! Hey Steph, is that you?” No answer came from the direction Stephanie noticed. Something was out there, winding its way towards the back of the cemetery, not paying the two preteens any attention.

            “That’s not her. Must be one of the drunks going back there to drink the night away. Wonder why they come here to drink? Aren’t cemeteries hallowed ground and all?” Beverly asked.

            “Well, I’m not an expert on that subject, but maybe they come here because they don’t think anyone will bother them.”

            Stephanie came from behind them, startling both girls.

            “Jeepers! Steph, you trying to give us a heart attack? You know this creeps Mallory out. Now let’s find that marker and get home. I don’t like this place either.”

            Mallory rolled her eyes at Beverly’s feigned

            “Sorry, but I brought you a jacket Mal. The one I borrowed last weekend, so maybe you’ll forgive me for making you wait so long.”

            “I’m cool, let’s find this dead soldier and get out of here. It’s getting dark fast,” Mallory said as she slipped on her jacket. She transferred her stun gun to the front pocket of her jacket, placing her hand on it as they searched the markers for the one soldier Stephanie needed.

            As the night wore on, they were ready to give up when Mallory found the marker. “Lt. James T. Jameson, Jr. 1899-1959, is this him?” Mallory asked.

            “Yes, great job Mallory! Thank you! Let me take a picture of that marker. It will look great as the opening photo on my report. Hard to believe he was only sixty when he died. Two World Wars could not kill him, but a truck did him in. Ironic, it was carrying ammunition.”

            Stephanie shot two frames and a sudden noise from the back of the cemetery made all three girls freeze in their tracks. They could hear the drunken babble of several men as they sat around a small fire and passed bottles of cheap wine back and forth. 

            Bright lights flashed from the edge of the cemetery.  They were just above the tall grass at first, then they rose higher. A couple of the figures were almost Mallory’s height, a few were much taller. Ghostly shapes formed all around the men, and them.

            “Get off my grave!” the nearest figure yelled in a moaning voice. This was followed by a chorus of the other figures moaning the same phrase. Lights seemed to flow from each ghostly shape as they advanced on the men and the three girls. 

            “Get off my grave!” moaned the ghostly shape closest to the girls.  They were hiding behind two large stones, out of eyesight of the men, but not from the shapes coming at them.

            “We’ve got to run! We’ve got to get out of here!” Mallory hissed at them in her loudest, firmest whisper she could muster. “Hold hands, follow me! Now, go!”

            The three girls ran as fast as they could, as fast as the markers and tall grass would let them. Mallory looked behind to see the circle of figures closed in tighter on the men. The drunks scattered everywhere, trying to find a way of escape. They ran towards every point of the compass while the ghostly moans and chants increased.

            When the silence fell, it was deafening. Mallory stopped to see the ghostly figures stop their advance as the men evacuated the cemetery. Some were almost laughing as the men crashed through thick undergrowth to flee the advancing ghosts. A police car flashed past them, answering the call for assistance somewhere in town. One by one, the ghostly lights vanished and the night was again still, save for the scream of the sirens and cries of men shaken to their core by the ghostly apparitions.

            Mallory called her father to let him know she was coming home. Stephanie’s project took a few minutes longer than expected. She hoped he did not hear the fear in her voice. For her to feel fear was normal, but not like this. The incident shook her confidence, and a Slayer had to exude confident at all times. Lack of confidence was a weakness, and one she could ill afford.

Reviews

[Lost in Wonderland]

wow! man this is a cliff hanger I want more!

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Kudos for winning the Werewolf and Vampire Contest!

[Sean M. Addams]

i liked this alot very creative and alot of good imagery and detail....

[mirui]

this one was great. please continue to write more chapters of this.

[Ice Queen of the Vampir..]

Interesting chapter. This story has been really great and I wish there was more to read. Anyways, nice work!!!

Heather