A Night in the Graveyard

“I don’t think this is such a great idea,” Donny whispered, tugging on his companion's coat sleeve.

“Oh, come on Donny, don't be such a baby,” Liam sneered as he fiddled with the button of his flashlight. Donny scowled and hoisted his backpack up over his shoulders. Why did Liam have to be so bossy all the time? With a loud ‘Aha!’ that nearly made Donny wet his pants, Liam finally got the flashlight on. Between the flashlight beam and the light of the full moon, Donny could make out the graveyard, just at the end of the road. Donny did not want to spend the night in the graveyard. Yesterday, Liam and Donny had been throwing a football around at recess when Henry, the biggest bully in all of 4th grade, whacked it out of Liam’s hands. Liam had gotten really mad and in a matter of seconds, a crowd had gathered around the two boys. They exchanged insults for about a minute, and then Henry called Liam the biggest scaredy cat in the whole school. Then, Liam made the mistake of saying, “Bet you couldn’t spend a night in a graveyard!” And that’s when Henry dared him to spend the night, on a full moon, in the graveyard. Liam did not back down. So Liam and Donny had snuck out of the house and were on their way to spend a terrifying night in the graveyard.

“Why do I have to come?” Donny moaned as his teeth chattered against the bitter October wind.

“Because,” Liam said with exasperation, “you’re my best friend! We do everything together. Plus, since you can’t run as fast as me, the ghosts will get you first.” Donny gulped and clicked on his own flashlight. The two boys entered the graveyard and walked among the headstones. 

“Look at this one, Liam,” Donny beckoned, shifting the fallen leaves off a headstone.

James McLintok

Born: January 2nd, 1923

Died: January 2nd, 1993

I’ll be back

“Ha!” Liam laughed, standing up. He continued without a backward glance. 

“But Liam,” Donny whined, stumbling after him, “It said ‘I’ll be back’!”

“Yeah, stupid, it’s a joke,” Liam said with a sigh. Donny nodded but still wasn’t sure if it was really a joke. How could Liam be so sure? What made him an expert? The two boys traveled on until they found a tree and settled under it. Liam laid out their sleeping bags and both boys burrowed down inside them. 

“Hey, Liam?” 

“Yeah, Donny?”

“Do you think… um… do you think there might be… um…. Ghosts?”

“Pfft, no way,” Liam sounded more like he was convincing himself which didn’t make Donny feel any better. “Let’s just talk about something else.”

“Okay, um… how about that new song that just came out?”

“What are you, a girl? Since when are you interested in songs?”

“No no, I meant the one by Justin Timberlake,”

“Ohh you mean the one that’s like duh duh do do duhhhhhhh?” 

“Um.. yeah, I guess.” After a while, the boys settled into silence. Donny was just starting to drift off when there was a loud snap.

“What was that?” Liam asked, sitting up.

“I don’t know!” Donny muttered, nervously.

“Well, why don’t you go and see?” Liam whispered.

“No. No way. No how. Nuh-uh. Can’t make me,” Donny said, vigorously shaking his head.

“I dare you,” Liam taunted. Oh no. Not a dare. Donny couldn’t back down from a dare. Not unless he wanted to be known as the biggest baby in all of 4th grade for the rest of his life. Donny shot a pleading look at Liam, but he didn’t notice. He was too busy trying not to grin. Donny took a deep breath and wriggled out of his sleeping bag. The cold air hit him and his teeth chattered furiously. He took a few steps into the graveyard. Then a few more. Soon enough, he was feeling better and had walked so far away from Liam that he could hardly see him anymore. He could hardly see him anymore. 

“Liam?” Donny whispered. A scuffling sound came from behind a nearby gravestone and he jumped. “Liam?” Another sound, a loud, scraping noise came from another one. “Liam?” Donny’s voice had risen higher in pitch and volume and he backed away. But where could he go? 

“BOO!” a hand grabbed the back of Donny’s coat and he let out a high-pitched shriek and nearly wet himself. Donny whipped around and saw Liam on the ground, doubled over in a fit of laughter.

“You… should have seen…. your face…” Liam said between laughs. Donny scowled and shoved him, which only made Liam laugh harder.

“Shut up,” Donny seethed, stalking back toward their sleeping bags. Liam followed him, laughing the whole time. When Donny reached the tree, he stopped. “Liam?”

“What?” Liam said, swallowing his laughter.

“What did you do with our sleeping bags?” Liam stared down at the ground and sure enough, there were no sleeping bags.

“Nothing,” Liam said in confusion, “I left them right here to go scare you.” Liam didn’t smile though. Donny wrung his hands together nervously.

“Maybe the wind blew them away?” Donny suggested. Liam just shook his head and plopped down. Donny, however, did not. He had a feeling that something was very wrong. He had had this feeling before, but only once. He and Liam had been going to play video games, and Liam’s mom had come in crying and told Liam that their cat, Han Solo, had died. What if he had this feeling now because someone was about to die? Donny was about to open his mouth to say this to Liam when there was a loud snap from the branches above. Liam scrambled up and into Donny with a scream. A large figure had jumped out of the tree and was coming towards them. It was emitting a low, ominous sound. Donny grabbed Liam's arm and they raced out of the graveyard, screaming, and running for their lives.

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Henry smirked and pulled the sleeping bags out of the tree, laughing to himself. Boy, was Liam’s face priceless. He was pretty sure his buddy, Donny, had wet himself. As Henry watched the two boys, screaming like little girls, he thought about what a good day tomorrow would be when he told all of the fourth grade about tonight.