Chapter 28:

In The Graveyard

Gregory stood where he was for a long time after Violet left…his mind racing. He felt some form of relief…but only for a moment before it gave in to absolute horror. Violet had heard him.

He frowned, and for one brief moment he thought of following her. Then, his logic caught up with him and he cringed back from the idea. Instead, he shoved his hands back into his pocket and turned back towards the road. He took about two steps before he heard the engine.

It's the black Cadillac coming to take you away.

He frowned and looked over his shoulder, this thought putting him in an unpleasant state of mind. What he saw, down the road sent panic throughout his mind.

It's Jeff!

He recognized the clinking noise associated with a badly battered car. Behind the glass he saw two obscure figures. However, he did not stand around long enough to identify them, but rather, hurried towards the large doors of the Town Hall. By the time the tattered car reached the spot where he had been, Gregory had closed the heavy doors behind him, and had taken off, much to the desk clerks annoyance down a random hallway.

XXX

Jeff's car came to a stop in front of Town Hall. His sharp blue eyes scanned the yard quickly. Beside him Anne was looking out the other window with a mixture of concern and anger written across her face. Inwardly, Jeff cursed. If only he could dump this woman off so he could go back and search for this things. At this thought, he cleared his throat and turned towards her.

"I think I saw him head inside, Madam. Perhaps you would like to search? He's your son."

"Nephew." She corrected. "Inside there?" She pointed towards the Town Hall. Jeff nodded.

"Only thing is, I have other things I have to attend to, and cannot stay. I wonder if you could ever forgive me if I requested that you walk home…it is a rather nice day."

Anne smiled politely.

"Of course that'd be fine. It'll give me a chance to talk things through with Gregory, and I will be sure to get a hold of you once I get him to turn over your things. I do apologize."

"Nonsense." Jeff returned, while grinning a kind manner. "You have no need to apologize." She returned his smile and left his car, waving pleasantly as she disappeared into Town Hall. He waved in return.

After she was gone he lowered his hand and his smile faded as he pulled away from the curb and headed back towards Gregory and Anne's house. All the while his eyes were set with a certain frightening malice.

XXX

Gregory rushed down an unfamiliar hallway, following the exit signs posted up on various cream colored walls. Finally, he reached the glowing exit sign at the end of the hall and stopped. He leaned up against the wall, and for a moment, remained there to catch his breath. After a while, he swallowed and pushed open the door a little to look out. When he did a few colored leaves blew in and spun to the ground around his feet.

From where he was standing he saw a section of the street, which was bare. The door opened to the back of the building, giving him some considerable coverage from most of the town. He stepped onto the grass and looked around.

For the most part the yard looked abandoned. There were a few massive trees and a plaque or two stating the town's age. In one corner of a fence, which was, for the most part torn down, there was a Well covered in ivy.

Gregory wondered over to the fence, for he was far more interested in what was beyond it, rather then what was in it. Once, there was a small church behind the Town Hall. This was before a large one was built a few miles outside of town and people started going to it. For, although this one was within walking distance, it was built long before Pumpkin Town was called Pumpkin Town…and therefore was not made to hold many people and was rather primitive. The townsfolk, who were sick of sitting in uncomfortable pews with the smell of mildew and the ages around them, decided they'd much rather drive the extra couple miles, rather then put up with the ancient structure.

And so the church fell in disrepair.

Gregory stepped over a broken piece of fence, and headed towards the small building, which was slightly charred, cracked and battered in many ways. The cross, which had once been on the roof, lay in two pieces on the ground. Gregory ignored all this however (Though he might have appreciated it if he was in any way artistic…or religious.) and headed straight towards the only place that was still in use. The graveyard.

It wasn't very large, as graveyards in small towns tended not to be. Still, it was impressive, just because it was ancient. Every grave seemed to have character. Last names were written in stone, over dates, some of which were over a hundred, even two hundred years old. Many of them were cracked and covered in moss and vines that twisted around them in an almost perfect way.

As Gregory walked through, he noticed, to his interest and slight displeasure that the ground sank in, in some area's where the ground had become soft, for it was obvious that this was a graveyard that existed when dirt and earth were the only two things that kept the dead from the living.

Gregory stopped, watching dead leaves blow across the gray. He felt oddly inspired…like he was close to something important.

His eyes swept over the small graveyard till they set on a grave in the center, large and impressive. He smiled in a humorless way and headed towards it.

XXX

She had said little to Edward before stomping over to Brutus's house. (Well, she had told him to shut up and leave her alone…but that was, for the most part, all she had said.) The wind, which had picked up since that morning whistled through the trees and added her annoyance as it blew against her.

When she reached his old and rickety house, she found him already sitting on the porch, rocking in his chair and drinking warm tea. He caught sight of her halfway across the street, noted the ferocity of her façade, and sat up immediately, setting his tea in front of him in a careful way.

"Violet?" He said, a little cautiously. Her face was flushed in scarlet, and she looked as though she were about to kick something…or someone.

"He…tricked us!" She yelled at him furiously. "And the deals off! So give me the stuff back!" Brutus stood, frowning.

"Calm down Violet." He said, slightly concerned. He imagined any other child, when in this sort of mood, would have, at this point burst into scornful tears. Violet, of course was not normal, so, instead her fists tightened and her face became more set in her anger and hatred. "Now who tricked us?" He asked, confused.

Her jaw tightened.

"Gregory. He was kidding…the whole time. So give me the stuff…because one way or the other, I'm going to make Jeff King pay!"

Brutus, who felt a sick amount of disappointment seize him, sat back down in his chair and sighed, looking over towards Pumpkin House as he did.

"So Jack is…"

"A corpse. Are you going to give me the stuff or not?"

Brutus' face twisted into distaste. Then he shook his head.

"No…unfortunately it'll have to be returned. I can't believe this." He said, feeling slightly ill. A…what? Eight-year-old kid convinced him to assist in breaking the law…

I believed him! He thought and shook his head.

"Amazing." He whispered to himself. Violet was glaring at him. He frowned.

"Go home Violet, your not getting those papers." Violet grumbled something to herself and, clutching her fingers hard enough so that he nails cut into her palms, she turned and left.

"Oh, he is going to pay." Brutus caught from her as she went. This time, he had a feeling that Violet was talking about Gregory, rather then Jeff. He found that he could sympathize with her. Right now he was pretty PO'd at the child as well. And, working on mainly anger, he stood up, dumping out his tea first, and headed inside to leave a long message for Gregory's aunt to find. He let him get out of trouble before…but perhaps it was time for Gregory to be punished for the irresponsible things that he had done.

XXX

Unaware that things were about to get rather unfortunate for him, Gregory was standing in front of grave with the word

SKELLINGTON

Written on it in bold letters.

He examined the grave thoughtfully for a moment, before looking off towards the direction of Pumpkin House. Inwardly, a part of him was yelling for him to leave it alone. Just let the whole thing drop and fall away. It was, after all, none of his concern.

Still, that voice had become quite small in the last few weeks, so that, where it had once controlled many of his actions, it now was but a whisper, carried away with the autumn wind.

In the distance, Pumpkin House stood atop the small hill that headed into town. It was at the head of the whole thing, as much of a mystery as everything else in this settlement. Gregory tilted his head to the side and watched the house with curiosity. A ways from him, a grave creaked ominously. He ignored it, instead, turning towards the Skellington grave.

Skellington

Wallace R. / Barb M.

Jericho N. / Hesper P.

Hector M. / Susannah H.

Anastasia P.

Viktor K.

Gregory thought for a moment, while touching the grave lightly. In the corner, was a bouquet of plastic roses, which would also, with the coming of years, eventually wilt (In a manner of speaking.) or blow away, but were, for now, still there.

He looked up again at Pumpkin House. Lights off, shades drawn, no car in the driveway…he could tell even from where he was standing. And yet…and yet the light in the front of the house was lit, as always…

"But not because it's haunted." He whispered. He remembered the basement…how REAL it felt. He remembered the fireplace and the lights and how quiet the man moved. He remembered the decorations, how lifelike the mirages were…how the lights went on over the bridge, one after another…how the clock was set…

He's there now.

He thought, and as soon as the thought entered his head he was almost sure it was true because no one, who went to that much trouble to make the house look haunted, he thought, would miss Halloween.

He began to head towards the street, all thoughts of leaving the whole mystery alone leaving his mind. He only paused once, to make sure Jeff wasn't around, before setting off towards Pumpkin House.

XXX

Yay! Wee for updates. I still love all of you! I haven't forgotten! Expect another soon. (Or at least much sooner then this one.)