Adrenaline Injection

Halloween day was creeping closer, and the ominous atmosphere of dying life and the addictive adrenaline that accompanies feeling scared influenced my not-so-smart decision of camping out at the local cemetery. I spent the evenings, when both Luke and I return from work, begging him to accompany me on my daunting night plan - as my boyfriend, he has an obligation to help me out, right?! Bitterly, he finally gave in last night, growing tired of my persistent nagging, much to my delight. I’ll take any win I can get!

    It’s 10pm on the big night, and we’re well on our way to the abandoned church a few minutes out of town, a sleeping bag and two pillows thrown haphazardly in the backseat. We packed lightly, considering we're doing little but whispering ghost stories in candle light and snacking on a bag of chips at midnight. 

    We scurry out of the car upon arrival, the area as dark and vast as the ocean, with little other life around. The trees and flowers that have been scattered in an attempt to bring joy to the land are crumpled and dead shells of life, perhaps an uncanny metaphor for the bodies that lay under the headstones surrounding us. I reach out to grab Luke’s hand, an unsettling feeling crushing my lungs and making my breathing flow out in uneven heaves. 

    The cemetery is unnaturally silent, each placement of our feet in the dying grass a resounding shout as we walk deeper into the field of gravestones. “Are you sure this was a good idea?” Luke squeezes my hand tighter, glancing around nervously, his vision gently illuminated by the dull glow of the fading car light.

    I’m starting to question myself as well, the mysterious atmosphere starting to get to me, though my pride prevents me from backing down. “You scared?” I taunt him hauntingly with a little laugh.

    I get no response as we continue trekking to the center of the graveyard, carelessly throwing our sleeping bags and skimpy pillows on the ground and quickly huddling under the blankets. My body is quivering, my free hand tightening into a hard fist, shoved under my legs. I try to remain calm, but the lack of light distorts my vision and I feel the overwhelming urge to panic, or worse, cry. I quickly whip out my phone, the electronic flashlight acting as my saving grace. I desperately need to see around us, I need to see any approaching danger - my only means of saving myself from curling into a ball and dissolving into a blubbering mess of tears and anxiety. 

    Behind us, a stick cracks loudly and a small scream escapes my lips. “Hah, you scared?” Luke looks at me with humor traced around his face and a condescending smile pulling on his lips. 

    “No, I a --” Another snap of a twig pulls me out of my train of thought and silences me. I whip out of my seat, pointing the flashlight in the direction of the resonating noise. Nothing is there. Ugh, what a cliche.

    Luke looks up at me, fear inching its way onto his face as he shoots to his legs beside me. Distress is clear in his eyes and his rich, olive skin slowly fades to an ashy grey - I can imagine my own face mirrors him, utmost panic and fear crossing my features. Why did I think this would be a good idea? 

    The flashlight snaps to darkness, a gasp tearing from my throat as my phone screen instantly dims to black, dead. Nothing but shadows illuminate our vision, and I let out a cry of distress. “What the hell do we do now?” I can feel my heart racing and my blood pumping wildly through my ears, my legs stiff and paralyzed in place. 

    “Hold on, I left my phone on the sleeping bag. I’m just gonna grab it.” Luke’s hand slips out of my own, and I feel the fear a child would when separated from their mother in a crowded store. Completely and truly alone. The echoes of him creeping quietly to the end of the sleeping bag die out, and then silence. 

    “Luke! Get back here!” I hiss out to the abyss, but his comforting baritone does not speak out in return. Cold dread sweeps through my veins and I violently shudder. Where the hell did he go? What is out there?? “Luke, this is not funny! Get back here right now!” I take a shaking breath in, my hands visibly trembling as I reach out to feel for the edge of the sleeping bag. 

    I feel dreadfully watched as another sharp crack of a loose branch echoes behind me, this time significantly closer to where I am standing. Bitter acid washes up my throat as I hold back the vomit creeping up my esophagus, my eye lids tightly screwing shut. ”Luke!” I whisper-shout into the darkness, but only the creepy, mysterious silence greets my panic. 

    In hindsight, I should’ve packed a real, battery operated flashlight. Or a portable phone charger. Hell, even some sort of weapon would be comforting right now. Not that I can fight off ghosts, what I imagine lives in cemeteries as creepy as this one. That, along with black cats and vampires ready to feast on my heaving pulse points. 

    I scream out, my fists whipping behind me as an ice cold hand grabs my left ankle, another grabbing at the exposed flesh of my waist. Hot tears quickly flow down my sullen cheeks, a cold sweat dripping down my face like a leaky faucet. This is it. This is the end. One by one, frozen hands grab at my body and pull me to the loose dirt and dying leaves on the ground, my throat already aching from the high pitched scream escaping my lungs. My body quickly goes numb, lead sweeping through my limbs and leaving me incapable of moving, let alone running.

A bright light blinds my eyes, and I look beyond it to Luke’s smiling face. Glancing behind me, I see the amused faces of his three closest friends. I simply stare in bewilderment. 

    Are you kidding me?! I rip my body from their loose hold and stand up, storming away from them, their laughter charging the air and filling me to the brim with annoyance. How dare he!

    “Wait baby, come back! It was just a joke!” I don’t bother gifting him with a response, stomping in the direction of the car and throwing myself into the driver's seat with a huff. He springs up to the exterior of the car and pounds at the locked door as I quickly shift the car into drive. The car starts rolling as I take my foot off the break, and the injected adrenaline starts fading. This is what I live for! I laugh a little as I slide the window opened, staring into the regretful eyes of Luke. 

    A cheerful, amused look whispers itself onto my face and I mutter mysteriously “nicely played… though revenge is sweet, baby.” I slam my foot onto the gas and shoot forward, only glancing back through the rear view mirror once to see Luke’s mouth hanging ajar in surprise and his eyes spread comically wide. 

    I just love Halloween.