The Graveyard

Chapter 2

I strained my ears, trying to tell from which direction the noisewas coming from. After a minute of close listening, I pin pointed itto my right. Leaves rustled and something moved over the ground. Ipushed down the urge to scream, and instead focused on tryingto make myself blend into the bark of the maple tree or at least notmake myself stick out like a sore thumb. I was begging to sweat andI'm sure whatever was getting closer could smell my paralyzinganxiety.

I closed me eyes, since I could barely see my hand in front of myface. If my eyes were closed, at least I couldn't watch as it killedme.

I slowed my frantic breathing and waited for whatever it was tocome and kill me . And waited . And waited. But nothing happened. Icould still hear the odd scraping, rustling sound, but it seemed tobe walking - or crawling, or limping, or whatever it was doing - in adifferent direction. The noise was gone a few moments later, but I still didn't open my eyes or move a finger.

It could still be here. watching me , waiting for me to giveaway my position so it can come and eat me, I told myself, stillnot moving .

About an hour passed before I let myself breath normally. I opened my eyes to a dim yellow - orange light peeking over the horizon. The sky was no longer a terrifying shade of black, but a dark navy blue.

I shifted under the old maple tree and tried to regain feeling inmy arms and legs. My joints were very stiff with cold and sittingmotionless for an hour hadn't helped at all. I looked around the graveyard, trying to spot some tracks or maybe something to tell mewhat had been making the scraping sounds. My eyes had been shut for so long and the suffocating darkness made it nearly impossible to see anything.

After countless minutes and a many staccato breathes, my vision over came me. That's when I saw it. I stared at it, not comprehending what I was seeing. It was propped up against a tombstone, all the life gone from its hideously mangled face.