blood and apples, ghosts and apples...

The epic moonlight shined across the lurched trees in the graveyard. I quietly stood there. Did I really end up getting agreed over a stupid bet with Amelia that I would spend a night in the graveyard? I still couldn’t believe it. But I had to prove myself brave…

Entering through the crooked gate, I let out a deep breath. Ah! Sophia. I wish you were with me. I wish you never went lost, a tear trickled through my dry cheeks. My eyes had got used to crying all night in remembrance of my sister, my life… if only she was with me, oh how she loved going out on adventures and stuff. All I could do was sigh…

Fear slowly hovered my memories and suddenly, all I could think was ghosts. I tried distracting my brain but boy, if only it was possible to do. A cold wind swirled around and whistled as it passed through the bunch of leaves left on the old oak tree. All I could see were graves and the ugly mud prints of my own shoes. I gathered myself together and started walking softly, my ears upright in search of any suspicious noise. A pale street light shone in the middle and that was exactly where I was heading to. A few moments later, I felt if a million more people were around, hiding and crawling… following me. I even started hearing heavy breaths but it was just me breathing hard like a maniac and sweating in the misty cold weather. stepping steps slowly one after the other, I suddenly stopped and looked behind. No, there wasn’t anyone. Why was I expecting? Well…

I was only a few yards away when I heard the sound of a crunch as if the leaves just crumpled beneath something heavy. I almost passed out. Impulsively, I stumbled over a worn-out grave and fell down. Oh great, I hoped I didn’t wake no freaking spirit… but I didn’t care because the merciless crunching sound arose again leaving me stunned. No. definitely not my imagination on the loose. Hello?... my words escaped out like a dry whisper, choked… it was someone.

I could see a blurred figure coming toward me. A man? No…. a girl. I dropped down on my knees and crawled behind a big gravestone. my eyes fixed on her, but I looked at my back thrice. ‘Mia?’’ a shuddered voice called out. I held my breath, it was Amelia!... wait What?

Confusingly, I came out. And there she was, trembling… for a moment, everything else vanished. It was just me and her, oh god…. I suddenly felt so relieved. ‘What the heck are you doing here Amelia? Why did you choose the same graveyard? Duh…’, I went up near and raised her lowered head. To my surprise, her eyes were filled with tears. Ah, such a coward! I suddenly laughed out… what a crap. She seemed offended. I could see her quickly back up and wipe off the trickling. I smiled sarcastically and then slowly turned.

‘Hey! Where are you going?’, she shouted.

‘Shhh…. They will hear you’, I joked.

‘Who?? Wh... what??’, she shook like the autumn leaves around her.

‘The ghosts of the graveyard….’ I spoke back sarcastically.

‘No, stop… Mia!’, I could feel the voice shaking in fear…much more lowered now.

‘I am going home’, I yawned.

‘The bet's not over yet’, she didn’t give up.

‘Oh, shut up, I have already won’, I suddenly wanted to go back home.

‘But you agreed over a whole night stay’, she started to be irritating.

‘Why are you insisting Ame? What’s wrong with you?’, She was literally getting on my nerves.

‘Look. We have got to stay here till sunrise. And don’t make an excuse you’re sleepy. I know there is one scaredy-cat in you, you CAN NEVER STAY HERE TILL SUNRISE’, her tone changed suddenly…. I was triggered.

And after a while, there I was sitting beneath the lamplight, gossiping with her… Amelia. I tried not to fall into the darkness that surrounded us because there was no way I was going to lose. I had to win which demanded great courage.

‘What’s your favorite fruit?’, She cut my talk about our favorite TV show and asked a random question. I felt stupid. Was she so bored with me? Ah! Never mind…

‘lychee’, I answered.

‘Ha-ha! Sounds more like leeches’, she laughed, ‘well I love APPLES’

‘Great choice, old fashioned kiddo!’, I teased back.

‘No. I really love them…. Wanna know why?’, she suddenly became a lot more serious.

‘Uh...huh?’, I felt confused…. What a stupid thing to even ask.

‘Because they are red. RED LIKE BLOOD. And when you leave them in the sun, they rot and wrinkle...eventually die.’

‘Yeah….’, She was acting weird.

‘And I don’t even like the green ones. Although they look like a zombie’s skin. I only love the red ones. PURE BLOOD.’

I uncomfortably looked away. If she was playing tricks with me, it was not funny. Then something caught my eye. The sky turning orange-pink. Ah finally! I spoke. It’s sunrise. I was thrilled.

'Sunrise!', Amelia suddenly stood up. ‘Oh no! gotta go’. She murmured and without waiting a minute further, she starting running back from where she came from. I gazed till she disappeared behind the crooked trees.

...........................................

I was late for school. Why? Well, who feels fresh for a bright start when you have spent the whole night in a freaking graveyard?

As soon as I entered class, everyone stunned. ‘Woah!’, Amelia stared at my red swollen eyes, ‘you really didn’t go to the graveyard, did you?’, She spoke.’ And I won because I stayed longer. You ran away just a few moments before sunrise scaredy-cat!’, I laughed, ‘I told you, you can never win a bet with me!’

‘Well I was … just joking gurl…’, she seemed demented. ‘what graveyard? I didn’t go to no graveyard at night, I cant dare to’, she said.