Dreamworlds

The Cemetery

Norman

1919

October 17th '19

Twelve more graves need to be dug this week. Between that and maintenance I'm at my wits end. I wish I could hire at least one hand to help me with this. Usually I can handle the work load. Normally people don't die this fast but this damn flu. It's a ravager, I can't keep up. My hands are shaking even now with fatigue from shoveling. I'm going to petition for two more hands at least for the weekend to keep up with this.

I figured that after the war ended and the killing had stopped I would have had some down time. At this rate the whole damn place will be full before too long.

October 25th '19

My petition was accepted and I'll have two new hands come tomorrow. I could've used them sooner but I won't look this gift horse in the mouth. Pushing back with the overseer is a gamble in of itself. I won't test him.

October 27th '19

These two new fellas aren't so bad. One, Oscar, reminds me of my son Michael. Full of energy, always cracking jokes, even when they are a bit too morbid even more my tastes. I've been a grave tender for 39 years and I'm happy to say I still have a shred of civility left in my old bones.

We started to dig on the west end of the cemetery today, some old land that had been partitioned closed from the first years by the looks of it. All land had been ceded due to the influx of bodies so I have free reign over all previously closed plots. I feel a bit bad for that in a way. Some of these families have been laid to rest here since the cemetery opened in 1712. A parcel of land was bought from the landowner when the daughter of a friend died inexplicably. Or so the legend goes.

I was telling the boys, if they cared to hear, that most of these old stones have a story. Since each person buried beneath has their own stories as well.

When we came upon the gravesite there was a statue to commemorate the girl that had been buried there. The first tenant of Westknell back in 1712. An ornate and lifelike statue was built to cover her gravesite and a hedge was built around it. That hedge would now be cut down and the ground around her would be utilized. I hate disturbing the dead like this. The young boys don't understand my hesitation. I don't think I can fully explain it to them.

October 30th '19

The hedge was removed fully today and we started to dig. We took a five foot radius distance away from the girls grave and began on the east side where the first hedge was released. It was the easiest stretch of ground to unearth and made the work day go by quickly. Since I had two assistance I had time to leave them to their work and check on other happenings around the cemetery. I'm currently taking a little lunch break to write this as well. I'm so happy to have those boys. I never realized how lonesome this job can be despite the fact I was surrounded by countless souls. I guess the live thing makes a huge difference.

Alright, back to work. Don't want them to think I'm slacking off in here.

Oscar found something rather strange while digging. I returned to their place by the girl's statute to see them staring at the hole they had dug. They looked dumbfounded. When I came around I shouted to get their attentions dull as they were with shock. All they could muster was to point and gawk. I shouldered past them and felt myself fill with the same confusion. Oscar had exhumed a grave. There wasn't meant to be any person buried there but the same they had found someone's remains.