[Short Story] Night At The Graveyard

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Night At The Graveyard

My nape was blown by a rush of cold, humid air. It was pitch black outside. The moon was hidden behind the heavy clouds, so there was no light to shine upon the cemetery. We are closer to the graveyard in this town. My father was inebriated and continued to beat me for no apparent reason. I haven't managed to avoid the agony of his whippings. As a result, I dashed to this location. There was nowhere else for me to go but here.

When the moon totally disappeared into the dark clouds, the night became darker. The sounds of nocturnal creatures reveling in the darkness could be heard all around the place. I was seated in the corner, surrounded by graves and niches, alone and terrified. There were around eight layers of graves in front of me; some had six layers, while others had five. A large cross stood on the tallest peak, and the shadow cast by the half-visible moon engulfed me. A tomb rested flat on the earth behind my back. There were no more graves stacked on top of it.

I caressed my fresh wounds caused by my father's belt while leaning against it. My body was covered in wounds and swellings, and I was in excruciating pain. My back ached because of the carvings on the epitaph. I examined it thoroughly and attempted to interpret what was written. However, due to the cross' shade, I could barely see the lettering. I chose to trace it with my fingertips and read each letter that formed. "Beware of Darkness," it says.

Thoughts regarding these writings emerged in my youthful mind. This could be a message indicating that something unusual will occur, or it could just be a message made up of words. Whatever it was that was written, I calmed down, raised my head, and prayed to God. An abrupt crack occurred when I took my fingertips away from the epitaph. In terror, my hands shriveled. I regained my composure and waited to see what would happen next. A new crack appeared in the grave. It had to be the epitaph, I guessed. I cautiously reinserted my fingers, and the epitaph shattered. A blazing fire the size of a ball appeared from the hallow nook, I was taken aback. I'm not sure what it was. Three of them were floating in mid-air, switching places. My heart was pounding hard. I was terrified and wanted to flee but none of my feet can move. I was stranded on the ground, pleading for help. As they approached me, my anxiety increased. I crept backwards. They were already a meter away, but the heaped graves prevented me from moving any further. I was staring at them when they rushed up to me. Fortunately, I was able to avoid them in a split second, igniting the grave.

In an attempt to find my way home, I increased my speed. Unfortunately, I lost track. There looked to be no way out because everything was covered in graves. I ran forward as fast as I could in the hopes of finding a way out. I was rushing beneath the tombs when I glimpsed at something dazzled behind me, and without hesitating, I whirled around to see a massive wave of fire chasing me around the curve, bigger than the three that had come before it. I felt like I was floating in the wind as I raced faster and faster. I frequently collided into epitaphs and cemetery shrines, but I struggled to get back up and continued running. I noticed a small gap at the far end, but the fire was already close by. I remembered the words on the epitaph, "Beware of darkness," and hurriedly climbed upon the tomb, using the small altar as my stairway. When I was entirely exposed to the moonlight, the fire was ready to strike me, but it vanished into an explosion, leaving me unharmed.

Though panting and tired, I felt relieved. I had a clear view of the horizon. What I had witnessed astounded me. A cemetery was transformed into a massive castle with massive pillars at its entrance. When I looked around, I was standing on the patio. My eyes opened with delight, and I leaped in ecstasy as young as ten years old. The view made me joyful. I walked down and took a walk around the area. Along the aisle, there were doors on both sides. I even tried to unlock one, but it was completely shut. To the end of the aisle, I was strolling down a silky red carpet. My route was illuminated by a row of candles on a golden stand. I had made it to the end of the aisle. Various lighting candles were seen in every part of the vast open expanse. I kept an eye on the eight persons who had gathered. I was terrified of their appearance, even though it was not revealed. They were all dressed in dark coats with hoods over their heads. Seven people stood, three on the left side and four on the right, all wielding various scythes. In the center, a man wielding a scythe sat in a colossal chair reminiscent of the king's throne I've seen in movies. A massive clock hung over him. This piqued my interest. It was 11:55 when I checked the time.

They appeared to be aware of my presence. Near their king, the one on the right raised his armor. He seems to have blown it. It looked like a flute, but bigger and with sharp wedges all around the massive tube (bell). I had to shield my ears because the boom was so loud. When I looked at the clock, it said 12:00. The smell in the room went from pleasant to foul. I made the decision to return to the terrace and take refuge there. Nonetheless, one by one, the doors on both sides of the aisle were gently opened. The first door was entirely opened, and a zombile-like skeleton appeared. They slowly emerged from the door, their eyes practically visible, and they reeked of death.

As I sprinted to the conclusion, the other doors began to crack and slowly open. Many of them were already following me. I was halfway to the stairs when the massive door slammed shut. I was entrapped. I searched around for another way out, but there were none. The undead had already swarmed the aisle. I have no way of escaping them. One of them came dangerously close to grabbing my throat, but I fell and passed out.

My teary eyes were filled with a dim light supplied by a lone candle standing near the altar as I awoke. I checked our old wall-mounted clock, which read three o'clock. I was asleep in my bed. My body was numb and my wounds stung from the cold breeze. I got up to replace the completely burnt candle. A cool breeze blasted through the half-closed window as I ignited the second one. The flame of a candle I was holding extinguished, and the remaining ember on its thread was engulfed in darkness. I was going to close the window when a cold hand grabbed my shoulder. I yelled so loudly, not realizing it was my father.