The Secret of April Falls

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The panting breaths of the family filled the air as they scampered desperately out of the vehicle and fell onto a bed of unkempt grass. Upon first inspection of their surroundings, Jenny could see large, decorated stones sprouting from the ground. In the distance, an old metal fence wrapped around the field, protecting everything within it.

'W-where are we?' Jenny whispered.

Silence greeted her as Mark stood, staring off into space. With a sense of determination, she climbed to her feet, deciding to find out for herself.

Brushing aside some of the long grass, a wooden sign revealed itself.

APRIL FALLS CEMETERY

'We're in a graveyard?' Jenny was stunned, the colour draining from her face.

'Not just any graveyard,' her brother said, suddenly right beside her. 'Look at the memorials.'

Stone after stone offered names they recognised. Crouching closer, Jenny's jaw dropped as the reality of the situation set in.

HERE LIES DOTTY FRANFORD

'Dotty? How? We were just—'

'Jenny!' he interrupted, pointing to the next.

IN MEMORY OF APRIL MINTERS

'How can they be—' She couldn't bring herself to finish the question. 'They're all here.'

'W-what's that?' Mark asked, poking a shaking finger into the distance.

Beyond the many rows of smaller stones was an ancient mausoleum—a resting place given only to the very important.

'I think that's why we're here,' Jenny stated, dragging her brother towards the building.

As they stood before the locked doors of the old crypt, they noticed a message carved into the wood.

DO NOT OPEN. EVIL LURKS WITHIN.

'This has to be it,' Jenny exclaimed, a mixture of fear and excitement washing over her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. A glance over at her brother showed he was just as nervous as she was.

'Maybe we shouldn't do this,' he suggested.

'We have to. Remember the message? We must unlock the secrets,' she reminded him.

As the brass grew cold against her fingers, she placed it into the lock.

'I can't do this,' Mark admitted, his voice shaking in fear as he gripped onto her shoulder.

'Yes, you can. We've come this far.' Jenny took his hand away and held it supportively as she finally unlocked the door with the other.

The rusted hinges creaked in protest as the mausoleum swung open. In front of them was a pitch-black room. Though she couldn't tell its size or contents, she still scurried inside, dragging her brother along behind her. Cobwebs clung to their faces as she felt about for a light source. As the dense air fluttered over them, filling their lungs like syrup, she finally made contact with a large lever. With all of her strength, she pulled, causing it to screech as it slid downwards before returning to its original position. As it clunked back into place, the room suddenly filled with a cold, green glow that caused the siblings to shield their eyes. As her vision slowly adjusted, Jenny looked up to see her hand wasn't wrapped around a lever at all. Instead, in the darkness, she'd grabbed onto a familiar wooden torch. She was given no time to be afraid as the dancing black flame atop the twisted stave revealed a tiny stone room. The centrepiece of the chamber was a crumbling tomb. Fitted to the middle of its marble lid was a copper plaque obscured with a layer of dirt. Pulling her sleeve over her fist, she swept away the dust to show two words etched into the metal:

SHERIFF JONES.

Stunned to silence, they instinctively backed off, but as Jenny took a step, she caused something to crumple beneath her foot. As she looked down, she saw an old newspaper trapped under her shoe. Carefully reaching down, she grabbed the yellowed pages as they fluttered in the wind. A closer look at the cover revealed a date; April 1st 1992. Though the paper was badly stained, through the marks she could make out some words.

Due to the devastating earthquake that swallowed the whole town, a graveyard will be placed in memory of all the missing residents of April Falls. May they find peace wherever they might be.

THE END