A/N: So, whilst I would like to hoard this story, and go over it until I couldn't stand it, I decided to just put it out there as a learning experience. I'm new to multi-chapter, so critism is welcomed with open arms (and you're all so nice). FYI, A fair bit of where this story goes just depends on the response.
PROLOGUE:
It was a chilly Autumn night, and the moon shone brightly through the tree branches that wound together to form the impenetrable edge of the forest. From its border, the forest could be seen to run miles into the distance, over many hills and finally disappearing from view over a mountain. The forest began on the slope of a hill, and the edge of the trees over-looked a large house surrounded by many smaller huts in the valley. It had been many hours since the last light was extinguished, and the valley was now in a quiet slumber. The serene silence was broken by the cry of a small bird as it flew away as if startled by something. The cause was two men, both of average hight and muscular build. Between them they carried a worn, burlap sack, quite large at five feet in length. The men were walking toward a relatively flat plot of land, not more than half a mile from the village. When they reached the clearing, the men laid down the sack. The older of the two had a work-bag slung over one shoulder, and from it he took two shovels. The other man placed a lantern on the ground, although it was unnecessary; they could see clearly as a result of the bright full moon. Quickly, the duo took positions four feet apart and began to break the soft soil with their shovels.
Later that night, after the moon had risen even higher in the star-lit country sky, the men stopped digging. The result of their toils was a hole one foot by five feet and six feet into the earth. The oldest, a dark-haired man whose ruddy face was covered by thick facial hair, dropped the shovel, and the younger man repeated the action, though more carefully, by laying the equipment down gently.
"Com'on, we'd better get this fella in there." To further clarify, the older man gestured with a nod toward the sack. Both men then bent down to pick up the sack.
Hours later, sometime in the early morning, the men completed their task by refilling the grave. The older gravedigger then stuck his shovel in the ground and gave a satisfied sigh before sitting down; the younger one did the same. From his bag, the older man retrieved an old water bottle with a broken strap, and after treating himself to a hearty drink, offered it to his companion.
"'Ere. You'll be needin' this af'er a 'ard night's work."
"Thanks." The younger gravedigger accepted, and swigged a fair amount from the flask before splashing some more of its contents onto his clean-shaven face, where it left streaks in the dirt, and returning the bottle.
There was a moment of silence, during which both gravediggers wiped sweat from their brows and rested their tired limbs. The younger man then began to look around the graveyard cautiously, and after a lingering glance directed at the forest, spoke up.
"You don't believe what they're saying, do you?"
"'Bout what?"
"About the graves...They say the dead people are going missing."
The bearded man chuckled. At this point he had taken out a hip-flask and was drinking from it something much stronger than water.
"'O course not! It's nothin' bu' rumors, tha's all."
"But, don't you think it could be..." the younger man tipped his head in the direction of the forest, "her."
"Now, I'm tellin' yah, there ain' no witches in this 'ere forest, 'specially not ones 'oo can raise the dead."
"Yes, but...even so..."
"Bu' wha'? Whaddah yah wan' me to do?"
The younger man's gazed once again drifted around the graveyard, but this time clearly rested on the shovels, which stood in the dirt conveniently within reach.
The older man stood up quickly and dusted himself off, hip-flask still in hand. "Nah, nah, nah. I won' be diggin up no grave a' this time o' night. It's time to go to bed."
The younger man jumped up and replied defensively, "Now, it won't take long!" This outburst was uncharacteristic of the man, and surprised his companion. More pleadingly, he added, "And it would set people's minds at rest." This made a compelling argument, for both men were well aware of how rumors could flare up in a small community.
With a sigh, the bearded man put away his hip-flask and yanked his shovel out of the dirt's grip to rest over his shoulder.
"Alrigh' then."
The gravediggers then picked up their supplies and headed toward a grave ten feet away. The younger man held the lantern forward; heavy clouds had drifted overhead and concealed the moon that had formerly lit the graveyard and its surroundings.
"Ol' Sara'll do. None o' 'em liked 'er much, so they won' mind us disturbin' 'er."
The men picked up their tools and resumed the strenuous work, this time motivated not by the duty of their occupation, but by their responsibility as humans to satisfy curiosity.
Dawn was only a few hours away when the men stopped digging to catch their breath and wipe their brows.
"How deep in did you bury her? We must be at least seven feet under!"
"I can tell yah, I don' remember givin' 'er any special treatmen'."
The younger man sighed, and both gravediggers plunged their shovels into the earth once more. Not more than a minute after they began, both ceased in their efforts, wordlessly. They shared a worried look.
"You don't think she's in here, do you?" The younger man was the first to break the silence.
"...I - I dunno. This ain' somethin' the likes o' me can explain."
The silence seemed suffocatingly thick, and both men tore their gaze away from the empty grave to look toward the forest. Even in the dim light of a single lantern, the silhouette of the forest could be seen towering over all life, in all its mysterious and ominous splendor. There could be any number of monster and demons hiding in the shadows, unseen, ready to attack.
"You - you don't believe it could be...her, do you? The witch?"
But before either gravedigger could answer, the lantern went out.
A/N: Thanks for making it this far. I'd like give you an idea of what the other chapters will be like, but most of it's up-in-air plot-wise. I can tell you updates will be...soon-ish? (It depends what your definition of soon is.) Within a week.
Your response makes a big impact on what I'm planning to do, so please share it. I'm new to all this.
(How do you feel about romance in this?)