Elmwood Cemetery

Elmwood Cemetery was the kind of cemetery that everyone in the surrounding community of Grapevine wanted to be buried in.  It had many large trees, beautiful ponds, and ornate tombstones, everything which made loved ones actually want to pay respects to the dearly departed.

The picaresque cemetery was surrounded by a large wrought-iron gate that was closed every evening at sundown, and was the only deterrent against the local teenagers that wound occasionally graffiti the larger tombs.  In order to deface the graves, the ruffians would stay within the grounds, dodging the groundskeeper when he made his rounds at the end of each day.

One evening, some such group of teenagers camped within the grounds, waiting silently for the groundskeeper to depart.  Hearing his car fade off into the distance, each of the three emerged from their different hiding places.

"I thought he would never leave," the tallest boy sighed, producing a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and pushing his sandy hair out of his eyes.  After lighting the wilted cigarette, he passed the pack to the second boy, a small boy with a mousy face and jet black hair.

"Thanks, Griff," the smaller boy squeaked, igniting his own cigarette.  "I don't know how longer I could stand laying next to that tomb.  It's creepy."

"Don't be such a wuss, Dex," Griff guffawed.  "You weren't down there half as long as Mark," Griff said, indicating the third boy, of middle height and brown hair.  Dex tossed the pack of cigarettes to Mark, who took the last cigarette out, and crushed the pack.

"Waiting ain't that hard," Mark grunted back, throwing the empty pack onto the ground, walking to a nearby garbage can and removing a large duffle bag from within and setting the bag on the ground.  All three puffed away at their cigarettes while they removed the contents of the bag.

The two shovels from within clinked onto the ground, their sound resonating across the deserted graveyard.  The sound made Dex start, and his eyes began darting across the graveyard.  "Sssshh, someone might hear," he hissed nervously.

"That's why we brought you along," Griff replied, "to keep an eye out, just in case."

"A lot of good I'd be if we wake up the whole neighborhood before we even get started," Dex retorted.

"Shut up, we need to git tew werk," Mark drawled.

Mark and Griff lit two flashlights as they began scouring the graveyard for a particular grave.  "I know she's somewhere around here," Griff muttered.

"Why does it have to be her, anyway?" Dex asked, still cautiously examining the graveyard.

"When I was at the funeral last week, I saw that she was buried with a ton of jewelry.  I know we'll get a lot from her.  The other graves I'm not so sure about," Griff responded, "though looking at the place, I'm sure any old grave would do."

Finding the grave, they all stopped dead in their tracks.  Mark and Griff started digging while Dex looked around the graveyard nervously.  Nothing interrupted the boys as the pile of dirt next to the grave began piling up, but that didn't stop Dex from whispering, "hurry," and "come on," every few minutes.

Finally, the shovels hit the wooden casket, and the boys soon had it cleared and open.

"I didn't know she would stink so bad," Griff said, pinching his nose.  "Dex, throw down the bag, and quick."

Dex threw down the bag for Griff and Mark to fill with the jewelry the corpse was still proudly displaying.  Once the corpse had nothing more to benefit the boys, Griff threw the bag up, followed by the two shovels.

"Gimme a boost, Griff," Mark said, reaching for the top of the grave.  Once he was up, Dex helped him to his feet.

"Okay, now me!" Griff called up, but instead of words, he was met with a thunk, as Mark hit Dex over the head with one of the shovels.  "What was that?" Griff asked, not able to see over the side of the grave, but he soon found out as Dex's limp body was thrown into the grave with him.

"What the hell, Mark?" Griff exclaimed, but the only response he got was the blade of a shovel coming down into the grave.  Griff was lucky enough to evade the first thrust, but Mark soon hit him in the head as well.

With both other boys unconscious, Mark slowly filled the now over-occupied grave more slowly.  Then he placed both shovels back in the duffel bag, hid the bag in the trash again, and waited patiently for dawn.