The cemetery was deathly quiet and I was really starting to regret ever agreeing to this stupid dare. Standing alone in the freezing cold, I secretly hoped a couple of kids might be hanging out amongst the tombstones for Halloween kicks. But since entering the cemetery I hadn't spotted a single soul...

It's now nearly midnight, and I'm standing underneath the branches of the legendary Hangman's Tree waiting for an urban legend to jump out and grab me. I'd probably be freaking out right now if the cold wasn't distracting me. My outfit was not designed to protect me against the cold October night air. Trying to keep my mind off the fact I was standing alone in a creepy graveyard, I focused on trying to pull Laura's lace gloves that extra millimetre up my freezing cold arms.

Violently I shivered - it shouldn't be long now.

I glanced down at my cell phone for the six millionth time and noted the time - 11:55pm. I also noted that my signal bars were registering zero. My gut churned with uneasiness. "Come on Mia," I whispered to myself, "Only five minutes to go and then you can go home."

I hated to admit, but this place was really starting to get to me.

Nervously I scanned the rows of tombstones. I had this weird expectation that a ghost would suddenly pop out and scare the living crap out of me. It had already happened earlier this evening, except it hadn't been a ghost but a a very large owl. It'd swooped down low over my head and landed the branch of a nearby tree. Of course, I had screamed, and felt incredibly stupid when I realised it was nothing but an owl - but for a split second I'd actually thought it might be him, the infamous Prince of Darkness.

I glanced impatiently at my phone again. I'd give the Prince of Darkness another two minutes to come and claim me then I was out of here. Staring at my phone, I watched the digital seconds tick by and quietly urged, "Come on midnight."

The minute changed and my clock read 11:59pm.

"Okay, one minute to midnight is good enough for me." I said.

I took a couple of paces towards the cemetery gates and then stopped as a loud heavy chime cut through the deathly silence. The church bells were tolling - the witching hour had arrived. I glanced once again around the graveyard to see if any ghosts, witches or demons had suddenly decided to join me, but there was no one. It was just me.

The church bells continued to chime, counting out the number of hours and when the final bell chimed I was halfway across the graveyard, running towards the exit. Only now did it dawn on me how stupid it was for a young woman to be out here alone in this isolated place.

Taking my cell phone, I started speaking into it loudly, "Hey Mom, I'm coming to meet you at the gate. I can almost see you."

There was no one at the end of the phone, but I thought if there was anybody here then they'd seeing me talking to someone on the phone and leave me alone.

The gates appeared in front of me and sweet relief swept over me. Not much further to go and I'd be free.

I picked up my pace, I was eager to get back home and put this awful night behind me. As I neared the path that led straight to the gate, whisky tendrils of white mist started to creep through the railings.

At first the mist was semi-transparent to the point I could still see the gates and the light of the street lamps through it, but as I took another step forward the nature of the mist changed. It grew thicker and denser, and now poured out between the railings, enveloping the gate and path in solid white.

"Oh, shit," I muttered as the mist swallowed me.

I could now barely see past my nose.

Great, I had no choice but to fumble my way out of this place.

I started shuffling in the direction of the cemetery gates. Everything was going well until my toe connected with the stone base of a tombstone. I inhaled sharply as intense pain shot through my foot.

"Fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge, mother trucking fudge cakes," I gasped.

Spinning around on one foot, I reached for the nearest headstone and rested against it.

God, I hope my toe wasn't broken. A broken foot would be the proverbial cherry on top of this fudge cake.

Rubbing my toe, I lifted my head up. My stomach dropped. There was a dark silhouette coming towards me, it's solidness gradually bled through the fog. The temperature around me sharply fell and all the hairs on the back of neck started to stand on end.

The shadowy figure was drawing nearer.

Please God, I hope this is some drunk taking a short cut home...

I strained my eyes trying to see through the white.

"Madam, are you okay?"

A calm polite voice of an elderly man emerged from the fog. I couldn't see him clearly, but I guessed that he was either the the minister of the church or the groundkeeper.

"Hello, Sir. I'm sorry to trouble you, but I can't find my way out of this place."

"Ah," the man said drawing closer. "These night fogs can be quite disorientating. Here, take my arm and I'll lead the way."

"Thank you," I said taking his arm and quickly adding. "My friend is waiting for me at the gate."

I couldn't rule out the possibility that this guy was a creeper too.

We started moving through the fog and I couldn't help noticing how cold and damp the man's arm was. His jacket sleeve felt like he had been standing out in the rain for a couple of hours.

"Are you caretaker of this place?" I asked.

"In a way, yes. I have been watching over this place for the past three hundred years."

"Three hundred years, huh?"

"Yes, although I spend most of my time sleeping in the ground."

"Sleeping in the ground... well, I think that I can find my way out from here," I smiled.

"Oh no, my dear. The ceremony is about to start and you are the guest of honour."

I let go of his arm and started to back away from the crazy man.

"Sorry, but I've got other plans. Maybe we could do this some other time."

"No!" He cried, grabbing hold of my wrist. "You must come with me."

"I'm sorry, I can't," I replied.

"It's too late to go back now."

"Okay, you're now scaring me so I'm gonna go."

"You can't," he sighed. "The curse is upon you, my dear. There is no escaping it now."

For the first time I looked down at his fingers which were wrapped tightly around my wrist.

"Hey, what's wrong with your arm? The skin, it's gray."

"It's dead."

I thought he was joking, but as I looked at his skin I saw something underneath it move. I let out a gasp and staggered backwards.

"What's wrong with you! What's wrong with your skin?"

There was a break in the mist and for first time I saw what was wrong with him. He was a corpse.

I stared at him in a surreal state of shock as it suddenly dawned on me that the urban legend was true. I shook my head, "I made a mistake- I had no idea, I thought it was-"

"A legend? A fairy tale?" He queried.

"Yes." I said desperately hoping he would understand my predicament and let me go.

"Sorry my child, by standing there in that dress waiting for our Lordship, you have already acted out your vows." He replied sullenly.

"Are you the Price of Darkness?"

"No, I am the bishop Blackwater. I shall be ordaining your wedding tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Come, Madame. Your husband awaits," he said, taking my arm and tugging me up the aisle.