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It was raining heavily.

And Grace could not believe that she was standing in front of the Moonsgate Cemetery. A cemetery few blocks ahead of the downtown alleys. A very creepy cemetery indeed.

The only sound Grace could hear right now was the harsh pattering of raindrops against her blue umbrella. And her ragged breaths since she had practically walked out here from her house.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this." She whispered to herself before forcing her legs to start moving again, going inside the cemetery threshold.

Good thing that there weren't any locked metal gates out here in the cemetery. It was opened almost every time. Mainly because people knew how better it was to just stay away.

Not because of the numerous graves -although we must always respect the dead- but people mostly stayed away because of the old cemetery sexton. He was a really grumpy man. And he had a thing for taking random strolling teenagers straight to the police department.

Which to be honest, was just behind this cemetery.

Yet, thirteen year old Grace still found herself walking inside the cemetery, the opened gates behind her. Her sneakers made squishy noises as she walked along the rocky pavement. She would've worn her rain boots but it had all been so quick.

Just a simple text from Lucius,

That's all he had said. Grace would've called him since cemeteries really weren't her thing, especially at nights, nights with heavy raining.

But then again, Lucius had been acting quite distant lately, and this may have been the first time for such behavior of his. He seemed extra busy in his soccer practice. Grace could hardly remember if they both had even spent few hours together the past week. Or this week either.

She could've asked him. After all, they were best friends. But she felt like she was probably just over thinking. If something was wrong, Lucius would've told her.

Until now. Now that she received that message, she had rushed out of her house and ran to that cemetery. It had taken a little hardwork to convince her mom that she was just going to the nearest supermarket, to get some important things.

But she was here now. Inside the cemetery.

Looking around the darkness, Grace pulled out her phone and switched on the flashlight. All she saw were some gravestones along some distance and the untamed grass. Fortunately, she didn't see the familiar old sexton. And unfortunately, she didn't see Lucius either.

"Luca, Luca, Luca." She whispered, looking around. "Where the hell are you?"

This could just be a prank. But then again, Luca never pulled pranks on her. Lucius never pulled pranks on anyone. It was always her pulling pranks on her friends.

Then why had he called her here?

Looking down at her phone's screen, she realized that it was way over 9 pm right now. Lucius had his soccer match tonight. The only match Grace couldn't have gone to because...well, Lucius hadn't invited her like all those other times.

Which was weird.

Was he beginning to think that she wasn't a good friend after all?

A small smile cracked up on her lips as she walked forward, the umbrella clutched in one hand and her phone in the other. Thinking such things was just stupid. Of course, Luca would never stop talking to her just because she wasn't a good friend.

If that even made sense.

Grace stopped in front of one of the old structured mausoleums and looked around once again. The mausoleums were of course closed shut. No one except the dear ones were allowed in there. Nonetheless, Grace stepped underneath the mausoleum's slanted old roof and pushed away her umbrella. Then she called Lucius.

He didn't pick up, though.

"I should just go." Grace grumbled under her breath before ending the call. She made a move to pick up the umbrella again when she heard footsteps. Footsteps that sounded very close.

That could've been Lucius. Or the cemetery sexton. Or even another normal visitor. But naturally, Grace's calm demeanor faltered knowing how it could most definitely be a freaking dead person too.

After all, what kind of cemetery didn't make you think like that?

Stuffing her phone in her jacket's pocket, Grace stepped away from the mausoleum and ran. Only to be stopped by a grip on her arm.

Grace closed her eyes shut as she turned around, expecting the worse. Also, her clothes were almost fully drenched by the cold rain now.

"I'm so sorry—"

"It's me, Grace." Lucius spoke up before dragging her behind the tall mausoleum. A better place to stay hidden from the sexton.

Grace's eyes flew open and she glared at him. "Why would you do that? Why would you creep up on me? A cemetery, Luca! Why the hell would you creep up on me in a freaking cemetery?"

A small grin formed on his lips and it just took the moonlight above him for Grace to realize how tired he looked. Most probably because of his soccer match. Though he wasn't in his soccer jersey right now, but a light brown hoodie going along well with his tousled curls.

"I'm sorry." He apologized with the same grin. "This was the only place closest to me when I was coming back from the match."

Grace grumbled under her breath, looking around once again, before sitting down on the damp grass and leaning back against the rock hard wall. Her clothes were drenched anyway. And so was Lucius's.

"Did something happen?" He asked her before sitting down beside her. Unlike Grace, Lucius had forgotten to pick up an umbrella.

Grace gave him a confused look. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"Well, you didn't come at the match today." He said. "Was it because of the rain?"

Grace blinked before facing him. This wasn't one of the nicest places to sit at, especially since the rain wasn't stopping above them.

"No. Of course not. It's just...you didn't ask me to come." Grace shrugged. Her own pajamas were clinging onto her body, making her shiver.

If her mother knew that she was in a cemetery right now, Grace would most probably get killed by her hands. Or grounded by now.

"Oh." Realization crossed over his features before he dragged a hand across his drenched curls, pushing them back. "I didn't?"

Grace just shook her head, eyeing him. Something was definitely off about him. Something that she should've known already. Except that he wasn't telling her.

Grace sighed and relaxed against the cold wall before linking her arm through his. It would've been better if he was warm. But he was as cold as her. Still, she didn't pull away.

"What's bothering you, Luca?" She asked.

Grace's hair were drenched up completely, clinging onto her back, down till the waist. They'd get all frizzy once they dried up. And that sight was horrible, at least for Grace.

Lucius kept quite, looking ahead at the grassy land. It was beautiful in a way; the cloudy night sky, the rain pattering against the damp grass, against the earthy soil. And gravestones.

Beautiful in a fucked up way.

"Dad's been coming home drunk." The words finally left his mouth, filling in the silence that was really starting to bother Grace.

She frowned at his words but didn't say anything.

"Not all the time but...most of the days." His voice lowered. Looking ahead, Grace realized that the heavy rain was slowing down too. "Either he comes home drunk, or he doesn't come home at all."

Grace heard the sadness in his voice. And she felt a small lump in her throat, tugging at her insides. She didn't like this. She didn't like hearing him so sad.

"I thought it must be fine. But then..." He stopped and scrunched up his forehead, as if he really didn't want to say it. "...they both were fighting that night. Mom and Dad. And I've never seen them shout at each other."

Grace clutched his arm against her. "It'll be fine, Luca. Parents fight sometimes. I've seen my mom and dad fight sometimes too." Though Grace knew she was just saying that to not make him feel alone.

Lucius finally looked at her, a small smile forming on his lips. And Grace really wished she could somehow ignore the sadness in his eyes. "I know. I just...over-thought it."

Grace frowned at him before pulling away and almost immediately, throwing her arms around him. The sudden action made him stumble a bit before he fell down on the damp, muddy grass with Grace on top of him.

"You're heavy, Gracie." Lucius's voice got muffled with the sudden laugh.

"It's gonna be fine, Luca." Grace hugged him tighter. "Don't be sad, please. I don't like when you get sad."

Lucius chuckled some more at that.

"I love your mom and I love your dad and they will not fight again, okay?" She asked him. "I promise."

Lucius opened his mouth to say something when they both heard a slight rustle. Grace pulled away from him -a little- and looked around. However, Lucius remained there lying on the ground.

That's when Grace saw what she shouldn't have seen.

She squinted her eyes along one dark corner of the cemetery, where most of the gravestones were. Tall trees surrounded the area but Grace still saw a man, hunched over one of the graves.

"Oh my God." She whispered, almost immediately, clutching onto Lucius's hoodie.

Lucius looked over at her before finally sitting up. "What?"

Her eyes widened when she realized how the man was dead still. He sure as hell did not look like the cemetery sexton.

"Luca, we're gonna die." Grace let out a small, scared whimper. Lucius frowned at her before following her gaze. His frown deepened as he tried figuring out what exactly that was.

The man hunched over the grave did something even more horrifying then. Picking up a shovel-like tool, he started digging. Like, really digging.

Grace couldn't see his face but she did see the long dark hair framing his face, the pale hands too.

"Who is he?" Lucius whispered.

Grace, on the other hand, was scaring the shit out of herself. She let out another small whimper, tugging onto Lucius's hoodie, trying to silently tell him to somehow just save her. And himself too.

"This is why I don't come near cemeteries." She ranted under her breath, her eyes still trained over towards the hunched man. "This shouldn't be happening. They forbid children from coming towards cemeteries for this exact reason. If we die, I swear to God, I won't forgive you, Luca."

Lucius looked over at her at that last part, the frown still on his face. His eyes however, were almost practically laughing at her freaked out state. God knows how he was so calm about this.

Another loud thump of the shovel scraping against the soil made them both whip their heads towards the man drenched in rain. And darkness.

"All right. We should probably go before the sexton shows up from all this noise." Lucius whispered, gripping Grace's hand.

Grace looked over at him incredulously. "You're scared of the sexton and not scared of that freaking hunched-over parasite?"

Lucius stood up slowly, urging her to stand up too. That's pretty much when the creepy man stopped doing whatever he was doing with the shovel and the grave. He must've sensed their presence, even if they were quite far away.

Lucius slowly backed off, pulling Grace behind him. All of a sudden, the man turned his head towards them.

And even if she shouldn't have, Grace screamed. Pretty loud.

Lucius eyes widened before he did the only thing he could've done. Gripping Grace's hand, he ran.

Out of the Moonsgate Cemetery.

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→ Who loves the idea of visiting a cemetery at night? (Besides me, ofc)

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Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿