WHAT LIES BENEATH THE GRAVESTONE

chapter 3: The visitor

Jamie's heart still galloped like a runaway horse, his mind tormented by the haunting images of what he had witnessed at the Mattfield Cemetery. The memories lingered, refusing to be extinguished, like a fire that continued to smolder long after the flames had been doused. As he reached his front door, his hand trembled like a leaf in an autumn gust as he turned the doorknob, his fingers slick with sweat. The door creaked open, its hinges groaning in protest, and he stepped inside, his breath catching in his throat like a trapped bird as he slammed the door shut behind him.

The memories of that chilling encounter in the cemetery replayed in his mind like a relentless loop, each detail etched into his consciousness with the precision of a scalpel. He had seen the impossible - gravestones coming to life, names appearing out of thin air, a figure emerging from the mist like a specter. It was a nightmare he couldn't escape, no matter how hard he tried to rationalize it, to convince himself it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

But the fear that gripped him was all too real.

His heart still pounding in his chest like a drum, Jamie's ears pricked up at the sound of strange noises emanating from the kitchen, the cacophony of clattering pots and pans, murmured voices, and creaking chairs echoing through the hallway like a sinister symphony. His pulse quickened, his senses heightened, as he strained to make out the sounds, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Fear gripped him, tendrils of dread winding their way through his veins like a slow-moving poison, chilling his blood and numbing his senses.

Jamie hesitated, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and apprehension, as he stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the kitchen door as if mesmerized by an unseen force. He knew he should stay away, should call the authorities or someone for help, but an unexplainable curiosity tugged at him, drawing him closer to the kitchen door like a moth to a flame. It was as if he was being pulled by an unseen force, his feet moving of their own accord, his heart racing with anticipation.

Against his better judgment, he moved towards the door, his steps faltering with each inch closer, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat in a primal ritual. His mind screamed at him to turn back, to flee from the unknown dangers that lurked within, but his curiosity proved stronger, a siren's call that beckoned him deeper into the heart of the mystery.

As he reached the door, he paused, his hand hovering over the handle, his mind racing with the possibilities. What lay beyond the door? Was it something sinister, something that would change his life forever? Or was it just his imagination playing tricks on him? The questions swirled in his mind like a vortex, pulling him deeper into the abyss of uncertainty.

But his curiosity proved stronger, and with a deep breath, he pushed open the door, steeling himself for what lay beyond. The creaking of the door seemed to echo through the kitchen like a death knell, announcing his arrival to whatever lay within. Jamie's heart skipped a beat as he stepped across the threshold, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of trepidation and anticipation..

The kitchen door swung open before him, revealing a scene that sent shockwaves through his senses like a tsunami crashing onto the shore, the sheer force of the revelation threatening to consume him whole. His brother, Barry, stood there, entangled with a young woman, their disheveled appearance and the chaos of the kitchen suggesting an intimate encounter that had been interrupted in the most compromising of positions. The air was thick with tension, heavy with the scent of passion and embarrassment.

Jamie's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing, as if his brain was a computer trying to download a file that was too large to handle. The scene before him was like a puzzle, the pieces refusing to fit together, his mind racing to make sense of the chaos.