The Woods

Chapter 3

A few months back I got a "bit" drunk with Keith and we went to the local cemetery to hang out, since nobody likes going there. And they had a right to. When Keith was passed out on a bench I wandered to a more closed-off part of the cemetery. It had headstones without names, broken, or just fully worn off with age.

I stupidly lie down on one of the graves that sunk in on itself. I feel the grass that had grown over it digging into my skin slightly. It was uncomfortable, but I was too out of it to care. I roll over and lie on my stomach using my arms as support as I try to read the gravestone in the dark. No name was written, no year, no nothing. It had no sign of anything that anything that was written on it that I know of. When I run my fingers over the stone and moss that has built up over the many years it has been sitting there, I feel a chill run down my body. The feeling of when your heart sinks to your stomach. The feeling you get when you have a secret you didn't want out get out.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I felt terror and I didn't know why. I didn't do anything or see anything. I got up and made my way back to where Keith was unconscious. He wasn't there. Where was he? Did he wake up and wander off to find me? I holler out his name. "Matthew..." a faint whisper said from behind me. I spun around and nobody stood there. "Keith?!" I shout again. "KEITH!!" I scream louder. No reply except the echo of my voice. I keep hearing his voice whisper my name repeatedly from behind me. But only behind me. I feel like I kept spinning in circles trying to find him and see him but all I hear is whispers, as if he was glued to my back. Every time I felt like I got close to looking at whatever this was I just would miss it by a split second.

I see him in the distance, how could he have been doing this from this far away? I sprinted to him and tackled him to the ground. "KEITH. Where were you??" I shouted. "Mm- don't yell..." he mumbled, "no yell." he shook his head. "Sorry, but what happened to you? You left."
"No, you did. I woke up and you were gone."
"Yeah, but I was coming back," I scoff.
"Don't leave like that again..." he mumbled and held me close. I felt my body tense for a moment. Keith had always been affectionate while drunk, yet always it affected me. He didn't mean what he was doing, he couldn't help it. I looked behind us just in case, but nobody was there. "Come on, we have to go," I said struggling to pull him off. He eventually let go so I could get off. "Why are you in such a rush?" He asked. "We just have to go," I say sternly and pull him to his feet. "What? Why?" He asks again. "We just have to." I look behind us before I snatch his hands and start to walk out of the cemetery.

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A week later I keep hearing these whispers everywhere. I told my Mother but she brushed them off till she started to hear them too. She had a mental breakdown at work and was sent to a mental hospital where she killed herself somehow, my father still won't tell me how. I haven't dared to tell anyone since. I feel like if I break then this THING will consume me. I feel the longer it still has its grasp on me it gets more power over my mind. But if I end it, would it end there? Or is that just a small substitute until some other dumbass walks into that graveyard?

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Keith is cuddled up next to me. His hair gently rested over his eyes. I brush the hair off his face, being careful not to wake him up. I lean down and press a kiss against his forehead. I prayed that he wouldn't wake up as I pulled away. He didn't luckily but it felt nice to give him affection like that. I wished to do it while he was awake, but he'd hate me. I run my fingers through his soft wavy hair. I pause for only a moment wondering why the fuck I just did that. Why did I kiss him? Why? That was so stupid of me! He could have woken up! He could have kicked me out and I would have had to walk back. I couldn't help myself. He looks so adorable though.