Dare to Scare

It was the last of school for the children at Roy Emerson Middle School in Windale, Alabama. Four boys Todd Smith, Garrett Johnson, Willie Jones, and Chad Anderson were excited to start their summer vacation off going fishing at Dalton Lake. They decided to walk home instead of riding the school bus. The boys took the long way around since they got out of school at noon. The last couple of days of school were always half days for the students. There was a path where a dirt road leads near a creek. The boys had never been this way and their curiosity got the best of them and they took the path up the dirt road. It lead them to a large old spooky tree. As they got closer they could see some old tombstones. Two crows were sitting on the tombstones and three were nesting on the dead tree branches.

"I know where we are," said Garrett. "This is the Old Slave Graveyard."

"My dad told me about this place," said Todd

"I never knew it was here," said Chad.

"This is where they buried slaves in the olden days," said Willie.

A long time ago, it was believed that plantation owners buried their slaves who died by whatever cause at this graveyard. Some owner's had slave quarters on their property between the great house where their family lived. Those slaves were buried on the back of the slave quarters. There was a vacant piece of property near the creek that didn't belong to anyone in the county. Many of the plantation owner's that didn't want slaves buried on their land took this vacant piece of property and made it into a graveyard. This was the resting place for many of the slaves who worked on the plantation. Old people would talk about hearing men and women singing gospel hymns as they walked up the creek near the graveyard. Chad appeared to be scared when the other boys were talking about the graveyard.

"Man let's stop talking about this stuff," said Chad. "I'm ready to go home."

"Dude you scared?" asked Willie.

"No I ain't scared of nothing," said Chad

"Is that so?" asked Todd.

"Let's play the game dare to scare," said Willie.

"What's that?" asked Chad.

Willie explained to Chad that dare to scare meant he would have to perform an act of double dare to prove he wasn't a scary cat. The boys dared Chad to go to the graveyard at midnight and leave something of value to prove he wasn't a scary cat. The only thing that Chad valued most in the world was his Grandpa Earl's 1945 Dixie pin button. Chad would always play with the pin button when he was a baby. His grandpa gave him the pin button on his fifth birthday.

"I don't want to do this," said Chad.

"Why not?" said Willie. "Is it because you're a scary cat?".

"Ain't no scary cat!" said Chad.

"Then prove it," said Todd.

It was getting late, the boys left the graveyard for home. Chad accepted the dare but he didn't want to go to the graveyard alone or leave his pin button his grandpa had given him. He didn't want the other boys to think he was a scary cat either. When Chad got to his house he unlocked the front door and ran upstairs to his bedroom. He took out an old cigar box which he kept all his valuable treasures. He opened it up and took out his Dixie pin button. He placed the pin button inside his jacket pocket. After supper, Chad went back into his room and turned on his TV. He laid across the foot of his bed watching Oswald.

"I ain't no scary cat," said Chad. "I'll show them."

Every evening at bedtime, Chad's parents would come into his bedroom to say goodnight. Chad laid in his bed fully clothed with the covers pulled tightly underneath his chin.

"Goodnight honey," said Mom.

"Sleep tight buddy," said Dad.

"Goodnight," said Chad.

His parents closed the door to his bedroom. Chad got out of his bed and pulled his pillows down underneath his covers. He covered up his pillows to give the illusion that it was him lying in the bed. He knew it was midnight because the clock on the downstairs wall chimed loudly. He got his backpack off the back of his chair inside his room and opened up his drawer getting the flashlight. He knew his parents would have heard him going downstairs leaving out of the front door. Chad opened the window inside his bedroom and climbed down a tree near his window. There was a full moon glowing brightly in the night sky filled with stars. He began his journey of traveling to the graveyard. He passed the creek and was startled at the sounds of an owl hooting in a tree. He could hear the night crickets chirping loudly through the woods. Chad saw the old spooky tree near the creek. He knew the graveyard wasn't far along. When he reached the graveyard he could hear something like a twig being broken and he thought he heard voices talking.

"Is someone there?" asked Chad.

Chad looked around to see if someone was there. He shined his flashlight to where he heard the noise but all he could see was darkness. He proceeded up to one to the tombstones with flashlight in hand. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out the Dixie pin button. He placed it on the ground near one of the tombstones. Chad started to leave the graveyard when he heard someone laughing. He turned around to see who it was and out of the bushes jumped his friends Todd, Garrett, and Willie.

"Gosh! you scared me." said Chad.

"We thought you weren't coming," said Todd.

"I guess you're not a scary cat after all," said Garrett.

Chad picked up his Dixie pin button from the ground and put it back into his jacket pocket. The boys left the graveyard for home. When they reached the creek they heard a man voice singing a gospel hymn. The boys took off running as fast as their legs could carry them. They separated once they reached the cul-de-sac. They all said their goodnights and tried to sneak back to their houses before their parents found out they were gone. Chad carefully climbs up the tree to reach his bedroom window. The window was left opened so he climbed inside. He put his backpack into the chair, threw his street clothes into the hamper, and put on his pajamas. He pulled back his covers placing the pillows back in their original place and climbed into bed. Chad fell asleep with his Dixie pin button held tightly in his hand.