Fright Night at Rock Glen Cemetery

I am a ghost.  But I am unlike any of the other ghosts you'll ever meet here in Ghost Haven Hall.  I don't want to be a ghost."  In my human form, I was kind and never gave anyone trouble.  As a matter of fact, I ran away from trouble.

One night I was walking home from a local bar, and having had one beer too many I found myself on a dark eerie street.  I tried to get my bearings and trace my steps back to the bar, when I hears a voice from behind me say…."Got a cigarette?"

Those were the last words I heard before everything went black and I woke up here, in between earthly life and spiritual life.  I was greeted by Maxwell, my ghost assigned protégé.  It was Maxwell's job to train me in the art of haunting.

In order to be a successful ghost you were required to complete a two year course of training.  During the training we learned how to throw our voice, sneak up on unsuspecting humans, and changing the feel of a room from warm to icy cold.  We were also taught the history of haunted houses and the Salem witch trials.

Every year on the eve of halloween, one classmate would be chosen to haunt a graveyard.  I had been here three years and thought it would be another few years before my name was called.  But than, last night Maxwell came into my room and told me that I had been chosen for the haunting of a graveyard in Rockford, New York.

*****

Tommy Swanson and Robby Brewers were sitting in the the lunch room of Rockford Middle School, discussing their plans for the following Friday night halloween festivities in town.  The school had planned a costume party, with prizes for the scariest costumes and of course candy bags with harmless treats...no appies, jaw breakers or candy corn.

"Listen, Robby, lets skip the school festivities and hang out in Rock Glen cemetery.  Beverly from homeroom told me that her father is a grave digger in that cemetery and she knows where her father keeps the keys to the gate.  Then we can hang out in the cemetery till midnight and tell scary stories."

"Hmm, that sounds better than going to a boring halloween party at school."

"Ok, well meet up at nine on Friday.  Hell, we'll round up a few others and have a real scary time.

*****

"I really don't want to do this Maxwell.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine"  Just remember, if you do well. You'll be able to return to your human form, and come back as anyone you would like to be."

*****

Friday night finally arrived, and Tommy, Robby and Beverly approached the cenetery gates.  Beverly approached the main gate of the cemetery.  They looked around, peeking through the dark bars of the cemetery and saw nobody in sight.

"Ok, Beverly, open the gates for us."

When she successfully opened the gate Tommy turned to the others surrounding him (there were eight other kids who had joined them) and walked deeply into the middle of the cemetery.

They sat down, and one by one related the scariest stories they had to share, and made eerie noises after each story, laughing and hooting.  

They were just about to get up and leave, when they heard the twigs in the ground crackling beside them.  "Shhhh I there's someone walking around here...listen."  But then the noise stopped and all was quiet again.  

Just as they were about to get up, they again heard sounds coming from their left this time….."hoot, hoot, ooh".

"That sounds like an owl." said one of the other boys.

"No, that's impossible.  Owls live in trees and there are no trees anywhere in this cemetery."

"There's got to beg another explanation.  There must be trees along the gates of the cemetery.  I'm sure I spotted them where we came in."

"Hey, Beverly are there any trees in this yard?"

There was no answer from Beverly.

"Beverly, where are you?"  "Come on Beverly".  

But again, no answer came from Beverly.

Now the kids were really startled and ready to flee back to the opened gates of the cemetery.

There was a suuden evil whisper coming from nowhere….

"You evil children, you are mocking this holy day, by coming here on this saintly night, telling false stories; trying to scare each other".  So let me tell you a real scary story...a story so frightening that you will not be able to sleep for the next ten years."

"I came to this cemetery ten years ago with my school buddies.  I like you, did not believe in ghosts.  We told scary stories like you until the real ghost of Rock Glen cemetery appeared in the flesh."  "Go away.  "You are keeping me from my well deserved rest.  These woods belong to the tiki tiki indians.  This land is consecrated and only members of the tiki tiki tribe are permitted to sleep in this holy land."  All others will be banished and sent to the mountains, never to be seen again."

The kids started screaming listening to this horrible tale.  

I was the leader of that group, and it was my fate to be banished to the mountains that night because I laughed in the face of the ghost.  I cursed the ghost out, not believing a word he said, and found myself standing at the foot of the mountain.

We found our way out of the cemetery and thought that we had defeated the ghost.

The ending was sad, and five years ago, my friends and I were skiing on a mountain side when an avalanche threw us off our feet and we were left buried in the snow.  The other kids were rescued, but I succumbed to the freezing temperatures.

I was eventually accepted by the ghosts of Rock Glen cemetery and made the gatekeeper.   I have been granted release from the mountain by the tiki tiki tribe and will be replaced by you Tommy; you are the new gate keeper.

******

Well done, said Maxwell. You may now return to your human form.  I must say, though "I was very impressed with your scary story and the web of lies you told those children."

Good luck to you.