The tragedy at the mill

"Hey, Jared!" I hear my friend Adam yell behind me. I turn and give him a head nod in response slowing my pace so he can catch up to me.

"What are your plans this weekend?" Adam asks.

"Well, I didn't really have plans. What's up, man?" I asked.

"Do you remember that old mill that has a graveyard behind it? Some guys dared me if I could make it through the night they would give me 100$. Bro, if you come with me I will give you half." He grinned.

"Isn't that place haunted?" I shuttered thinking about how crazy Adam was.

"Dude, you believe in ghosts?" Adam questioned with disdain in his eyes. "What the heck, bro? You a chicken?"

"A chicken, I am not. Superstitious, yes!" I concluded.

"Jared man it's just for one night. I'll buy you a drink if you go with me."

"Ok man." I sighed. "I'll go, but you owe me a soda and flaming hot chips."

"Deal!" Adam says pumped. "Meet me at the old mill tomorrow night at 8pm."

The previous conversation occurred exactly 24 hours ago and I was sweating in my boots thinking about what I was going to be getting myself into in an hour. I was ready to cast devils out of that graveyard if need be. The whole story behind the mill graveyard made me shutter in my boots. It took me thirty minutes to get ready for the escapade that we had planned. I packed a tent, flashlight, sleeping bag, and FOOD. Lord knows when I get nervous I eat. Adam was supposed to meet me at the mill in an hour and there we would try to last the night.

The town we lived in was small so I could walk to the old mill and graveyard from where I lived. The smell of bonfires tickled my nose and the trees were dead. The sun was setting in the sky with an orange, yellow, and red and it reminded me of death.

Upon arriving to the graveyard and mill, I see Adam talking to some guys about how he wasn't a chicken he just needed his buddy. I shuffle begrudgingly toward them. One guy hoots in laughter over my camping attire and nudges me a bit. The leader a guy in a bomber jacket and with messy hair tells Adam he has to stay all night in the graveyard or no money. Adam assures he will and the boys leave. He turns to me and I make a face at him.

"Ok, Jared. It's time." The sun had just gone down and the old mill was grey and dusty with cobwebs on all sides of it. The river sat next to the mill and the broken water wheel creaked with the current. Over the river and behind the mill was the graveyard. To get to the graveyard we needed to cross a black iron pedestrian bridge. There was a sign at the beginning of the bridge that read:

"Beware of the ghost of Sallie Mae. She steals souls and boys away. Those that are buried here are said to be the lovers she murdered."

This was no family graveyard and the thought made me shutter. This old mill used to be the site of a serial killer named Sallie Mae. All the stones were her victims and everyone tried to pay them respect throughout the years and not bother their resting place, but for some reason here I am with Adam so he can make 100$.

I guess you can only assume what happens next.

We pitch our tent next to a headstone that reads "Melvin- the man who believed I lived and breathed fire." My first thought was weird headstone but whatever. I get a fire started so we can cook and the wolves howl in the distance. I am uncomfortable with the silence between Adam and I so I break it.

"Adam, what are you thinking bro? Think we will survive the night?" I joked.

"Dude! I am no chicken. We got this- no way we couldn't beat up a ghost if we needed to." Adam giggled tossing me my requested drink and chips.

"Thanks man. I think we got this. You want to tell a story?" I asked.

Adam looks at me and says "Yeah! you ever heard of why Sallie Mae killed her lovers?"

I think he will be serious and nod my head no.

He giggles and says "They didn't satisfy her needs. They were men will small balls. No gall."

I chuckled "We have balls and gall though."

Adam sighs and takes a swig of drink. He refuses to talk much after that and the evening seems to drag to me. Soon we both fall asleep under the stars. Not long after we fall asleep I hear a crunching noise. I scream at the sight of men naked dancing around the fire.

"What the heck?" I squelched and they turn toward me with masks on and chant in another language. "Adam!" I yell out.

Adam shuffles out of his sleeping bag and looks at me and looks at the fire wide-eyed.

"What the heck?" Adam screams. We both bolt as fast as we can while naked men chase us wearing masks and chanting some hoopla holding knives. Adams screaming like a baby girl and I have at this point crapped my pants.

You know how at the beginning of the story I didn't believe in ghosts? I still don't but whoever the heck these people chasing us where they were going to kill us. That I had no doubt in my mind. All I could think was leave the tent and run. I booked it. My 5'9" self at 200 pounds running as fast as I could away from naked men chanting my name and mixing it with some crappy chanting. Adam has booked it faster than I have and he is screaming like a little girl the entire time running and looking back. He runs into a tree and is knocked out. I am trying to help my friend by grabbing him and throwing him over my shoulder. I smell of crap carrying Adam on my shoulders and running as fast as my fat feet will carry me to get to my house. I trip and I hear this laughing at the gate. I stop and see a woman dressed in white and whispy. She shrills in laughter and the men surround me now. At this point, I pass out.

I wake up in my bed panting and sweating with blood dripping down my hand. I race out of my room to visit my mom and ask her what the heck happened but I am met with my mom and police officers.

"Son can you tell me what happened last night? We found you and your friend Adam naked at the old mill wearing masks passed out with blood on your hands."

I gasp and look around to find a mirror. In the mirror, I see blood running down my hands and a letter SM engraved into my forehead. Only I am not Jared and my mom isn't my mom. I guess I have possessed someone else's body.

I look at the officer and say "I don't know what happened after I passed out but we were being chased by naked men wearing masks and a lady in white stopped us and started shrilling and I passed out."

The officer looks at me and says "Your friend Andy never woke up son. Can you tell me what had you out there?"

"A dare," I muttered in shock. "What the heck happened?"

I guess you nor I (Jared) will never know since I actually died at the graveyard with Andy and my body was never found. I was just to have possessed someone and to find out I was a ghost that I disappeared and now I roam the graveyard with Andy giggling about how big of idiots we were when we were alive.