Graveyard Shift -Jamie Musso

Graveyard Shift

            Tonight was the night. The first night the clan would have the night off from their silly “monster hunts”. Sindy, Veronica, Danny, Frito, and of course Salem the Cat were all on their way to a get-together on the forests’ edge.  They were all dressed up in their fancy dresses and tuxedoes, even Salem the Cat was dressed up. They were approximately 35 miles into the forest when Salem randomly jumped out of the van window.

            Not minding Salem could have been hurt, Sindy wails, “Salem! You stupid cat! You’re going to get your new tux all dirty!” Frito parked the car on the side of the road. The gang sprang out of the van, and ran into the forest. Not thinking or caring what might possibly be in there.

After an hour and a half of searching for Salem, they decided it was useless. Sitting down on a low branch, Veronica states the obvious, “Sindy, I know you want to find Salem, but we’ve been searching forever, and everyone wants to go. It’s cold, wet, we’re all tired, and we’re late for the party. Besides, my dress is getting all dirty, and I don’t think I can last any longer in these heels.”

            Sindy sighed and looked at the group’s exhausted faces, “Alright, alright, but we have to come back for him. No man left behind right?” As they all started to walk to the van, Sindy suddenly stopped, questioning them.

            She angrily asks, “Did you guys really think I was serious? We can’t just leave Salem out here all alone, he won’t survive!” They all sighed and turned to face Sindy; they all looked at each other.

            “She has a point you guys, Salem is a house cat, he won’t be able to survive on his own, the mosquitoes could kill him. Besides, the party’s probably going to be a drag anyways,” Frito explained. He clearly didn’t have any feelings for the feline, but he did have deep feelings for Sindy, who he would do anything for.

            “Whose side are you on man, and what about us, Like Veronica said, it’s cold, wet, I’m starving, and I’m getting eaten up by mosquitoes too,” Danny complained.

            Interrupting the group’s discussion was a faint rustling sound in the distance. Startled, they all froze.

            “What was that?” Danny questioned. As they all stood there, the sound progressed toward them.

            “I-it could be Salem,” Sindy stuttered.

            “Or it could be something way worse, so I say we get the heck out of here,” Veronica suggested. They all stood there with their eyes clenched shut, motionless, breathless, and clueless of what was about to approach them. Until a slight meow approached, out of nowhere.

            Slowly loosening her eyes, Sindy exclaimed, “Salem! I told you g-guys.” Her voice lowered to a light whisper, causing everyone else’s eyes to open.

            “Ahhh!” they screamed in unison. Standing before them was a man, not just any man; he wore overalls that seemed to be a tad too large, that also smelled as if it hadn’t been washed in decades, and he belonged in a slaughter house. He wasn’t so wrinkly, just some on his forehead that must have been from frowning too much.  What really caught their attention was a shovel, propped up upon his shoulder, with what appeared to be covered in a red, gooey, substance. Was it blood? What else could it be? The unsettling sight caused the group to wheel back a couple feet away from the mysterious man.

            “I um, found your cat lurking around my graveyard. I want him out, I want you out, and I want you all to stay out, you hear me!” the mysterious man demanded.

            “Yes sir,” Danny said. “We’ll be out in just a minute, but may I ask, what is that on your shovel? Also, a graveyard in where I recall this to be a place of pure forest acres,” surprised that he could speak up the way he did. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one side.

            The nameless man squinted, his mysterious, brown eyes at him and replied, “Why, it is none of your business. Now be gone, all of you, before there is trouble, and take that stupid feline with you!”

            “Right away sir, there’ll be no trouble tonight. We’re just a little lost, but we’ll find our way out. Thank you for saving our cat, goodbye now,” Veronica quickly stated, as she pushed Danny and the others in the opposite direction of the odd man holding the shovel.

            As they approached the street they came from, they noticed that there was something missing. What it was, they had no idea. Standing there in the middle of the road they realized that what they were searching for was their van. It was gone, where had it gone? They all searched up and down the street, but it was nowhere in sight. In fact, nothing was, besides a single dim streetlight that flickered above them.

            “Where’s the van Frito?” Sindy curiously asked.

            “It was right here! I’m absolutely positive that I parked the car right here! We must have gone the wrong way!” Frito angrily shouted.

            “No we didn’t. There was only one way out, and that’s the way we came in. That’s what we did remember, I have a photographic memory!” Veronica corrected, feeling proud to be some sort of help.

            “Maybe we should ask that one creepy guy we ran into in the forest, or should I say graveyard. Ooooooo,” Danny suggested, trying to do a poor imitation of a ghost.

            After sometime of walking back into the forest, the group spotted a small shack in the distance. Half way through their journey to the shack, a sudden sobbing came from nowhere. They all looked at each other, but no one appeared to be crying. So who was it? They had no clue. Ignoring whoever it was, they continued on for their own deeds.

            “Knock, knock, knock, anyone home?” Danny announced, trying to open the locked door.

            “Guys, something’s not right about this place. It’s too suspicious, you know? Think about it, it’s the only house throughout this whole forest, or whatever you want to call it, and look there’s no gravestones. Isn’t this supposed to be a ‘cemetery’?” Veronica stated, while she shivered. It wasn’t cold out, actually it wasn’t cold at all, it was hot and humid.

            “I thought I told you hooligans to scram! Why are you still here?” The old man yelled.

            The startled bunch whipped around in shock, not expecting the odd man to be behind them. “Sorry, it’s just that someone stole our car,” they announced in unison, as if they had some kind of psychic communication.

            “Is that so?” The man chuckled.

            “Yes sir. So is it oaky if we stay here until sunrise tomorrow, we won’t-,” Frito spoke.

            “No! Not enough room, and not enough time for kids. Now leave, I have things to do!”  The man quickly answered, interrupting Frito.

            They looked at each other, shrugged, and headed back in the same direction they came. Once again having to find their way through the forest and to the dark street, where the only visible light was the dimmed street light that might not even be working any more, and the light of the moon and stars. They had to travel past the indescribable sobbing noise in the middle of nowhere, again.

            “Help me, help me please!” a girl pleaded, while she once again began to sob.

            “Guys, did you hear that?  Don’t you think we should check it out?” Frito, worried about who or what it can be in the middle of nowhere, asked.

            “No way, we came here to find Salem, and that’s what we did. It’s not our problem anyway. It’s our day off remember? Plus, I’m not going to risk my life for someone when I don’t have any protection for myself! It’s one soul, not four. If I die, where is Salem going to go? Besides, we don’t have permission for an investigation anyways, and I need this job. So let’s go, like now!” Sindy demanded, meaning every word she said judging by the attitude in her voice. There was obviously no chance of changing her mind.

            “But Sindy, someone could use our help!” Frito pleaded

            “But nothing, we’re leaving!” Sindy exclaimed.

            “Fine, fine, fine, you’re right. We can’t be that far from the edge of the forest anyways. Let’s go,” Frito sighed. “What do you guys think?”

            The rest of the group looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They walked onward, not knowing if the girl who was pleading was in real big trouble, or just a simple girl who lost her way. They had to live with that guilty conscious, knowing that someone could have needed their help, but ignored it to go to some party.