In all my years, the hardest thing I've found to be, is first dates. You get nervous, and sweaty, and sometimes there's a lapse in conversation that makes everything awkward. I've taken my dates out to movies, and dinner, even mini golf, and yet, they never work out. Then there was this one girl I met that changed everything I thought I knew about first dates. Her name was Veronica.
At first Veronica seemed like a normal person, who happened to enjoy the horror genre. Boy was I wrong. We never really went on dates so much as she invited me to join her and a few friends out at night. Our first "date" was to the graveyard.
I showed up in jeans and a tee with a leather jacket, thinking we would be having a casual evening lying in the grass. Nope. When I picked her up, she was in a full length, black velvet robe, and when she put her bag down, I could have sworn there was a knife in there. It's not like I could've backed out of the date either, so I chalked it up to my overactive imagination. The whole ride there was an awkward, heavy, silence. The sad part is, that was probably the best part of the date.
We arrived a little after the sun had set, and she said her friends were meeting us by the big angel statue in the middle of the graveyard. I simply nodded and tried making small talk while walking.
Graveyards have got to be one of the spookiest places, especially when it's dark, and you're almost positive your date is going to murder you. I won't admit to jumping when the wind blew at the back of my neck, but all I'm going to say is I was thoroughly freaked out by the time we got to the statue.
I'm not a superstitious person, but there was something super ominous about 5 people wearing dark robes in a graveyard. They told me to take a seat to the side as they formed a misshapen circle. Veronica emptied her bag and, yep, there was a knife...and a book...and bones. Let's just say, I was convinced she had drugged me at some point, and was just going along for the ride.
One by one, each person in the weird circle began chanting something they probably tried to teach me in spanish class, but I never paid attention to. I think some of the words were death, and fire, but for all I know they could've been saying hail jesus. Based on what happened next though, I highly doubt it.
Fire erupted from the center, and in the core of the flames, the outline of something was forming. There were screams coming from all directions, and there were almost transparent people starting to walk towards me. Not the circle. Me. I don't think my heart has beat any faster, or I have been that close to wetting myself since I was twelve, sneaking into a horror movie. I didn't move until I felt something cool and wet licking at my feet and up my pants. Looking back it was probably just the shadows tricking my already terrified brain, but I swear, At my feet were tons of hands grabbing at me. The people were starting to get closer at that point, and I could see that they had no plan to stop. Veronica and her friends were still around the bonfire, and the thing was still growing.
What really got me to move was when I felt something on my shoulder, and I turned to see one of the ghost people with a dripping face, unhinging its jaw. Fight or flight is real, and I have never run faster in my entire life. Before I knew it, I was unlocking my car and reeling out of the parking lot, getting as far from that cemetery as I could.
I ended up at my friend's house, pounding on his door at midnight, checking behind me every second the door was closed. As soon as he opened it, bleary eyed and half asleep, I walked in, asking if I could stay the night. Thankfully, he let me, and threw a blanket on the couch, and telling me to explain in the morning.
To this day, I haven't seen Veronica, or heard from her. Either she thinks I stood her up, or whatever they were summoning got them. Sometimes though, I think I see one of those ghost people, or the fire when I pass by that graveyard at night.
