08: Soul Stealers

The girls looked around the cemetery, retracing their steps as they called as loud as they could for Holley. Nedra and Karima took the south end of the gardens checking behind the mausoleums and the larger headstones and trees that filled the area. The smell of freshly dug graves saturated the air as they moved quickly towards the front gate.

“Holley?” Daijah yelled as she Nancy and Leah moved around the west end of the lot. “Holley where are you?”

“Try her number again,” Nancy suggested as she watched the bars on her phone continuously blink but not settle on a strong signal.

“I told you this place didn’t have reception. It was one of the draws to come here, peace and escape from the woes back at home. It was all in the invitations that I sent to you guys.”

“Wasn’t in mine,” Leah said as she recalled the flashy purple envelope and pink floral print paper that came in her mailbox two months before she made the trip. “I’d have remembered that.”

“Sure it was. I told you guys that it was going to be a real scare and that I’d taken steps to ensure we wouldn’t be disturbed.”

“Not a very wise thing now though would you say?” Nancy asked as they continued through the small rows of planters and headstones towards the gates to meet up with the others.

“I suppose. If it were an issue though I just assumed that people would decline. Never had I imagined everyone would get out here and grumble and complain about the entire thing. I’ve not tried to mislead anyone, I was only hoping to host a fun, scary event.”

They started back towards another row of gravestones. The wind picked up and the air became crisper as the sun began to set.

“Holley are you out here?” Jill yelled. Freedom and Kalene searched around her hoping to hear from her. Some small sign to indicate that she was nearby or perhaps that she was just getting even for them scaring her inside of that tomb.

“Maybe she went home,” Kalene said turning to Freedom. “We should really go and see. I’d hate to think that she’s still out here somewhere. She did seem pretty freaked out about everything and the house is just beyond the gates.”

“And what if she’s not there when we get back?” Freedom asked raising a curious brow. “Do you really want to just leave her out here? It’ll be night soon and I doubt any of us would want to be out here during nightfall.”

“Kalene makes a great point though,” Jill agreed. “We should call the others and get them over here and go check there before we go into full panic mode. It would make sense for her to head back instead of waiting inside as she said a ‘dark and dank’ area.”

Freedom nodded her head and they yelled across the gardens to the others and made their way back towards the front. The girls got home shortly and found Quiana waiting at the foot of the stairs.

“Hey! Have fun?” she asked sarcastically as they gathered inside the doorway.

“Not really,” Karima sighed. “Holley left the group and kinda went missing.”

“Went missing? What do you mean she went missing?”

“She separated from us and we have no idea where she went. Have you seen her?”

Nedra headed into the living room to question Lizzy of the same. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and looked around. “Quiana and I were investigating around the house. We didn’t hear the door open, at least I didn’t; so I don’t know if she came back or not. How long has she been gone?”

“We were only a part for maybe 5 minutes. We have to find her soon.”

“You know what that means?”

Nedra nodded. “Going to that graveyard at nightfall!”

The wind blew outside my window making its presence known
dead leaves and tree branches shook and the shutters groaned
I sat in my bed very afraid because of what the night brings
ghosts, ghouls, goblins and other scary things


I dreamt of them the night before and saw them very clear
the apparitions looked human but they weren't as they appear
their skin was pale white and lips color of coal
eyes shined red with fury as they come for your soul

I heard them talking quietly, so as not to fright
“Prepare yourselves sisters, for we feast tonight!”
“The essence is his, the body is ours.”
“Drink from their hearts, replenish your powers.”

But I saw them again in my waking light
their faces were solemn, their gowns were white
they stood facing me and hovered over my bed
these creatures weren’t human and surely were dead

And that’s when I knew the stories were real
The creatures outside were here for a steal
They have come with a purpose and that I know it well
they do the Devil’s biding and take souls back to hell


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