The Graveyard and The Watcher

The Graveyard and The Watcher By: Alexander Hobble

Hello, My name is Damion, Damion KaVine. I turned Fourty three three weeks ago, and I feel it's my duty to tell this story before I pass on.It all started twenty one years ago. I had trouble affording college and had to drop out. with no family, and barely any friends to ask for help, I went to the closest hotel. When I walked in I asked for a room and a newspaper if they had any. Upon entering my room I sat on my bed and turned straight to the page with all the jobs on it. After a few minutes of failed searching, I was about to give up when the last job caught my eye. "Grave Keeper needed, 11AM-11PM, Housing provided." I despised the thought of walking around a graveyard that late at night, and despised the thought of physical labor even more but who can deny such a great offer.

The next morning I set of to the location. Upon arriving at the address that I had written down the day before, I saw what I'm assuming is the housing the article mentioned. I started up the drive toward the house and knocked on the door.

"H.h.hello?! I'm hear for the grave keeper job that was in the paper." I nervously yelled. I hadn't been at a job interview since the local grocery store. I wouldn't even be here if it didn't close like it did. After waiting a little while I started to knock again when I heard someone stomping toward the door. I could faintly hear mumbling the closer the steps grew to the door. A large man opened the door clearly in his elder years probably fifty or sixty.

"So you want the job huh?" The large man's voice seemed deep and raspy like he had been ill. "Follow me and I'll show you around the grounds." We walked back down the drive that had led to the house before the man turned back toward me. "You see all the tall grass around the house?" He asked. "This is the graveyard. We've been without a grave keeper for a few month's now, and the last man who came for the job didn't follow my rules.  He only had to listen and he would have been fine." the man pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and lit one. He tilted the pack and offered me one.

" No thank you sir. If took one my Father would come back from the grave just to beet me senseless." The man let out a hardy laugh and went on to explain the rules that i would have to follow. Rule number one was no smoking outside the house. He said it would disrespectful to the dead. The second rule was that I had to provide my own food. the third rule was I could start working anytime before schedule but never after. No problem there I thought to my self. The last rule was the most confusing. I was never to leave the house between the time of 3AM-5AM no mater what the circumstances. I was a bit curious about the guy before me. None of these rules seemed serious enough that he would get fired for them. "So which of the rules did the other guy break that he got fired?"

Silence fell around us for what felt like hours before the man turned toward me. "We didn't fire him. No, he quite on his own.  Said that he heard scratching at the door and when he went to check what is was.  I can't remember what he said after that, but I could tell that he broke the last rule." The man took a look out over the graves and sighed. " The rules are here for your own good not mine. If you choose to break them it's not our responsibility what happens."

This had put me on edge and I felt goosebumps go up my arms. "W.w.why is it so dangerous between three and five?" I found myself asking as a bead of sweat formed on my brow. The man gave me a concerned look that quickly turned into giant grin as he started laughing hysterically.

"Well in my opinion it a bunch of horse shit, but the mayor of the area and heck the whole town spreads the folk lore that at three in the morning clean up to five the dead return from the grave looking to escape the graveyard using a living person as their host. It's also said that the spirit of man who tried to cheat death was made to stop ghosts from leaving the graveyard.  Said that he's as big as the trees and drags around huge chains that he uses to drag them back down to their graves.  Guess that's what happens when you live so close to the location that witch trials happened at. all sorts of stories get spread bout residual magic letting the dead come out and even people claiming that the witches put a curse on the world which caused that time of day to be called the witching hour, but don't let that get to you its just like I said horse shit."

I gave him a puzzled look. "Well why have the rule if it's fake?" I asked. "wouldn't it be easier to tell them its fake?"

The man snickered "You know you got a good head on your shoulders. Thing is your still young and gullible, meaning if you heard those from one of the townsfolk the way they tell it you'd most likely become paranoid.  That's probably what happened to the last guy.  That, and the mayor asked me to do it to make the townsfolk feel better." He then finished up by giving me a tour of the place from what could be seen at the current time because of the grass. "I'll be back to check on you in a week or so. Be sure get plenty of sleep tomorrow's gunna be busy for you." With that said I went back the house and turned in for the night

The first few days went by pretty event-less. I'd mow the grass, pick up trash, and even escort people from the grounds after hours. It wasn't till the third night that I first experienced something unusual. I had woken up around four thirty to what sounded like chains being drug across the ground outside. I looked out the window by my bed and saw what looked like a few people walking around outside. It was way past closing, and I was a bit upset for being woke up so early. I opened the window and yelled out at them. "The cemetery is closed! If you don't vacate the premises at once I'll be forced to call the police!" They turned to look at me and one of them appeared to have opened its mouth. That's when I heard it. That blood curdling scream. I quickly shut the window and reached for the phone. when I turned back toward the window they were gone. I put the phone down and couldn't get to sleep the rest of the night. In fact the next couple nights at Three on the dot I would be woke up by that horrible sound. That scream didn't even sound human. On the fourth night of this, I had laid in bed awake unable to sleep knowing that they were bound to show up again. When three o'clock hit the screams weren't there. Three thirty, four, four thirty, it wasn't till four forty five that i heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of dragging chains. the sound grew louder and louder till it sounded like it was right beside the house. Then.... It stopped. Just as fast as it had started... it stopped. I lay there in bed goosebumps all over sweat poring out of me. Four fifty, four fifty one, four fifty two, four fifty three, four fifty five, then right outside my window I heard it.

"Know your place!" the dark voice echoed through my ears. "You are nothing more than a groundskeeper who keeps the place clean. I AM THE WATCHER!" the voice bellowed once more. "Follow My rules and you shall remain safe, but break them and you will suffer the consequences. You should have ignored them, and now they will come for you.  They will do anything to get you to open a door, window, anything they can get in through, and if you do I will have no choice but to take you from this world.  Follow my rules and you'll live, but break  them and you can guess what will happen." At first I thought it was my boss pulling a prank on me but when i went to look out my window I saw it a shadow of a ridiculously tall man walking away from me. From what I could make out he was bald and his skin hugged his bones like shrink wrap, but most importantly was his wrist. Around his wrist were to large cuffs and attached to them were two long chains. but something was off about these chains. They almost appeared to be transparently.

The next day I called my boss to tell him I was taking a day off. He didn't argue, just reminded me to be back inside before three o'clock. I was going to walk around town and ask people about what I saw last night. They all seemed friendly but every time I brought up that name people asked me to leave, or walked away saying that I was cursed.

"I want to know, no want isn't right. I NEED to know." I said to myself. Who or what is this Watcher and what does he me by consequences. Also what had I seen the night all this started. So many question needed answers, and there was only one last person left to talk to. It took a while, but I was finally able to find it, as I approached the gate it started to open. "Was he expecting me" I wondered out loud. I walked up to the door to see a finely dressed young woman standing there. Couldn't have been much older than me. "Hello, My name is Damion.  I'm here to see the mayor."

"I'm sorry. My father can not have visitors right now he's feeling rather ill." She said as she bowed. "If it's at all possible, I could help you." I thanked her and explained in great detail what has happened so far. From the things that were walking the graveyard to that creature that called itself the watcher. She had a worried look on her face. Almost like she was wanting to run from me like all the others did, but she stopped the urge. "Do you have somewhere private we could speak? If people here me  they may get the wrong idea.  Please?" I nodded and led her to the house at the graveyard. She seemed seemed reluctant at first but I assured her that the house was safe, and somehow convinced the scared woman to trust me. When we got inside she seemed a bit more at ease. "It's nice...almost peaceful. Do you live hear alone?" She asked. I nodded "But sadly that is the least of my worries." she giggled and turned to me.

"Well first allow me to introduce my self. My name is Kira Elizabeth Myrabell.  I may not know to much but I'll tell you what I know"  She said that those creatures where angry spirit trying to leave the graveyard to find a body to posses so that they may live again, and that the Watcher if anything was Guarding or protecting me from the spirits. after she got done telling me what she knew we began to talk about trivial things like food drinks I even told her bout my family from when they were alive .As we talked we didn't even notice the time, and before we knew it it was two forty eight, and it was at least a half hour walk back to her place. I offered to let her stay the night and told her that I'd sleep on the couch.She thanked me and went to bed. for the past month now she would come visit me quite often, and eventually I no longer slept on the couch. But after two months later disaster struck as the illness her father was suffering struck a final blow to the old mans heart.

At the funeral I stood with Kira to comfort her. And that's when I realized that I had formed feelings for this woman. For the first time in a long time I had someone who I thought was important to me. after the funeral We went to my house where she laid down and mourned. She started to return to her normal self after a while and before the end of the year came I proposed to her. We were married. for eighteen years. Then it happened. We were lying in bed and we both suddenly woke up to a sound out in the grave yard. A sort of moaning sound. As we woke up the moaning became clearer, and what it was saying sent chills up my spine. Kira. The spirit was calling for Kira. When she noticed she bolted from the bed. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't give up.

"He's Out there! My Daddy's alive! He Alive!" she screamed endlessly. She must not have ever got over her father's death. She knocked me over and ran down the steps. By time I got to the bottom of the steps it was to late. She was by the front door. It was cracked open, and she facing me with her hand out. "help me." she stuttered. Those were the last think I heard her say. She was yanked out the door. Her screams rang out through the night. I tried to get to the door, but as I reached it an all to familiar chain ripped it shut. No matter how hard I tried to open the door it wouldn't open. After about an hour and a half of trying crying out to her praying that she's all right the night grew silent. Tears streamed from my eyes. I looked at the clock. Five o'clock on the dot. Witching hour was over, and again I survived another fucking night. Just then I heard that all to familiar sound. Two large chain dragging of through the dark morning air.

I got up and busted through the door. "Give her back you bastard!" The tall Creature who called himself The Watcher turned to me. "Please give her back. I'll do anything." I said as I knelt there sobbing in the grass. It felt like hours had passed by before i looked up at this creature before me. Its face was skin tight. I could see every detail in its skull. In the eye sockets where two large white spheres, and its teeth bleached by time. This is the first time I had ever seen its face, and to be honest it kinda made me want to puke, but my need to have Kira returned to me was much stronger. "Please..." I said staring up at The Watch.

A large smile crept upon The watchers face as he leaned down to me. "You'll do anything. Anything I ask you'll do it.  Is that what your saying?" It began to laugh a dark sickening laugh. "You do realize that even if I did bring her back that won't ensure that the fated day of death won't change correct? For all you know she could only have a few more days left to live.  What would you do then." It began to laugh even harder. "OK, fine, Here is my offer. Upon the death of your precious wife I will come for you, and you will take my place as The Watcher of this cemetery. Mind you the transformation is extremely painful, and the time spent here will feel like and eternity, but you'll get to see her again won't you?" I looked at the ground beneath my feet to me just one more day with her so that I can tell her how much I love her would be enough. But I was afraid.... I clenched my fist and picked my head up till my eyes met with those while orbs. "Do we have a deal?" it asked.

"Fine we have a deal." I said without anymore thought. It began to laugh as it reached its colossal hand down to me. I stuck my hand up and shook it sealing the deal, and my fate. Upon doing so everything went black. When I came to I was in my bed and the smell of breakfast had lingered through the air. I went down the steps and Into the kitchen. There Kira was....alive and happy. The next four months where the happiest of my life. I had spent my birthday with here at a lake house my boss had suggested. Then it happened on the way back from the store yesterday we were struck by a truck that had lost control. I came out unscathed but Kira....she didn't make it. Now we're back where we started. I can already hear the chains coming for me. there growing louder...and louder.........they're here....HE'S here....... (Screams Echo accompanied with laughter)