Over My Dead Body
Over My Dead Body
“Stupid Matt and Zacky,” a young Brian Haner muttered to himself.
His small arms were crossed against his chest as he walked through the grass. Zacky triple dog dared him to spend the night at the cemetery and that’s where he was headed. He didn’t want to but Matt forced him to because it was a triple dog dare and you couldn’t go against those. A backpack was thrown over his shoulder, which contained the same things he brought to Zacky’s house, as well as some food and a flashlight for the night.
Brian finally made it to the graveyard and pushed open the gate. It made a loud squeaking noise from years of disuse and Brian lightly closed the gate behind him. He took a few moments to look at the rows of gravestones. The wind picked up a little and a chill ran down Brian’s back. Although he would never admit it to his friends, he was scared. He didn’t want to spend the night with dead bodies.
Brian decided that although he wasn’t tired, he would set up his things. He hiked the bag higher onto his shoulder and looked around for a place to set up his sleeping bag. It all looked the same though. Brian sighed and began walking forward. He randomly stopped in front of one gravestone and threw his bag down. He pulled out his sleeping bag and lay it down on the cold ground.
He thought about what Zacky and Matt were doing. It was around midnight so Brian figured that Zacky’s parents were asleep. That meant that Zacky and Matt were probably watching Night of the Living Dead, a movie that Brian desperately wanted to see. None of them were allowed to watch it yet so Zacky had to sneak into the movie room to get it.
The wind suddenly picked up and once again Brian got that uneasy feeling. He felt as though he heard rustling, but put it off as his imagination. It was when he heard a twig snap that he was truly afraid.
“Matt? Zacky?” he called out.
He heard another twig snap and began to look around frantically, moving his flashlight over the darkness that surrounded him.
“This isn’t funny, you guys!” he called out into the night.
They didn’t reply though. Brian decided he was being paranoid. He sat down on the floor and looked around himself. There was a grave in front of him. He shined his flashlight onto it and read the tombstone.
‘James Owen Sullivan,’ it read, ‘Forever In Our Hearts,’ and on the bottom it had the year of his birth and death, 1981 to 1992.
The boy, James, would have been a couple of years older than him if he was alive. Brian wondered how he died.
Suddenly, Brian noticed a glow in the distance. He stood up and peered curiously at the bluish light. Then it was gone. Brian looked around confused. Just when he was about to forget about it, he saw it again, this time right in front of him. At the same time, a huge force knocked him off his feet. He looked back at the bluish light and realized that it looked more like a figure. As Brian looked closer, he could make out a face in the bluish haze.
“What the hell are you doing over my dead body?” the haze asked with a slight lisp.
Brian stared at the figure in shock. Is the haze talking or is he insane? And if it is, does that mean this is a ghost? The figure stepped closer and Brian could better make out the ghost, if that’s what it was. The figure was tall and lanky and looked to be about thirteen. He had bright blue eyes and dark hair that went every which way. “Well?” the ghost asked, breaking Brian from his shock.
Brian didn’t answer, but asked one of his own, “Are you dead?”
“What are you, stupid?” the ghost boy asked, “I just told you; you’re standing over my dead body. Get off!”
Brian quickly scrambled back from the taller boy, who was apparently dead. The ghost cackled with laughter that chilled Brian. Suddenly, the ghost stopped laughing and looked intently at Brian.
“Did you happen to see a leprechaun pass?” he asked.
Brian stared at him as if he was insane, but then again, he could be. “Umm…no?”
The ghost sighed deeply and placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder, as if relieved. Brian felt a jolt run through him at the contact and quickly jumped back from the odd sensation. The ghost looked up at him shocked. He then raised a finger, pointing at Brian and screamed. The ghost then began to run away, screaming as he threw his arms in the air, waving them around crazily. Brian just watched, unsure of what was going on. Shouldn’t he be more afraid of the ghost?
Then the ghost was once again right next to him. He smiled widely and pulled Brian into a tight hug, or would be tight, if he had a body, at least Brian thought it would, he wasn’t quite sure.
“I’m Jimmy!” the ghost exclaimed, “You’re going to be my bestest friend now! What’s your name?”
“Brian, how old are you?” he asked, not being able to place the other boy’s actions with an age.
“Eleven.”
“Oh. I’m seven.”
“Come on! Let’s play!” Jimmy exclaimed, grabbing his hand.
Once again, Brian felt the odd chilling sensation, but he ignored it, expecting it that time. Jimmy and Brian ran about, playing around the graveyard, just being wild and not caring about a thing. Brian didn’t even notice how fast it went by until the sun began to rise and suddenly, his new friend Jimmy was gone. He looked about and called his name.
“Jimmy?” he asked, wondering when he’d reappear again. “Jimmy?”
“Brian, dude,” Matt said, walking up to him with Zacky. “Who’s Jimmy?”
Brian couldn’t answer because who would believe that he had just met a ghost? It didn’t matter though so he shrugged it off and followed his two best friends home. Although, all he could think about was when he’d get to see Jimmy again.
His small arms were crossed against his chest as he walked through the grass. Zacky triple dog dared him to spend the night at the cemetery and that’s where he was headed. He didn’t want to but Matt forced him to because it was a triple dog dare and you couldn’t go against those. A backpack was thrown over his shoulder, which contained the same things he brought to Zacky’s house, as well as some food and a flashlight for the night.
Brian finally made it to the graveyard and pushed open the gate. It made a loud squeaking noise from years of disuse and Brian lightly closed the gate behind him. He took a few moments to look at the rows of gravestones. The wind picked up a little and a chill ran down Brian’s back. Although he would never admit it to his friends, he was scared. He didn’t want to spend the night with dead bodies.
Brian decided that although he wasn’t tired, he would set up his things. He hiked the bag higher onto his shoulder and looked around for a place to set up his sleeping bag. It all looked the same though. Brian sighed and began walking forward. He randomly stopped in front of one gravestone and threw his bag down. He pulled out his sleeping bag and lay it down on the cold ground.
He thought about what Zacky and Matt were doing. It was around midnight so Brian figured that Zacky’s parents were asleep. That meant that Zacky and Matt were probably watching Night of the Living Dead, a movie that Brian desperately wanted to see. None of them were allowed to watch it yet so Zacky had to sneak into the movie room to get it.
The wind suddenly picked up and once again Brian got that uneasy feeling. He felt as though he heard rustling, but put it off as his imagination. It was when he heard a twig snap that he was truly afraid.
“Matt? Zacky?” he called out.
He heard another twig snap and began to look around frantically, moving his flashlight over the darkness that surrounded him.
“This isn’t funny, you guys!” he called out into the night.
They didn’t reply though. Brian decided he was being paranoid. He sat down on the floor and looked around himself. There was a grave in front of him. He shined his flashlight onto it and read the tombstone.
‘James Owen Sullivan,’ it read, ‘Forever In Our Hearts,’ and on the bottom it had the year of his birth and death, 1981 to 1992.
The boy, James, would have been a couple of years older than him if he was alive. Brian wondered how he died.
Suddenly, Brian noticed a glow in the distance. He stood up and peered curiously at the bluish light. Then it was gone. Brian looked around confused. Just when he was about to forget about it, he saw it again, this time right in front of him. At the same time, a huge force knocked him off his feet. He looked back at the bluish light and realized that it looked more like a figure. As Brian looked closer, he could make out a face in the bluish haze.
“What the hell are you doing over my dead body?” the haze asked with a slight lisp.
Brian stared at the figure in shock. Is the haze talking or is he insane? And if it is, does that mean this is a ghost? The figure stepped closer and Brian could better make out the ghost, if that’s what it was. The figure was tall and lanky and looked to be about thirteen. He had bright blue eyes and dark hair that went every which way. “Well?” the ghost asked, breaking Brian from his shock.
Brian didn’t answer, but asked one of his own, “Are you dead?”
“What are you, stupid?” the ghost boy asked, “I just told you; you’re standing over my dead body. Get off!”
Brian quickly scrambled back from the taller boy, who was apparently dead. The ghost cackled with laughter that chilled Brian. Suddenly, the ghost stopped laughing and looked intently at Brian.
“Did you happen to see a leprechaun pass?” he asked.
Brian stared at him as if he was insane, but then again, he could be. “Umm…no?”
The ghost sighed deeply and placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder, as if relieved. Brian felt a jolt run through him at the contact and quickly jumped back from the odd sensation. The ghost looked up at him shocked. He then raised a finger, pointing at Brian and screamed. The ghost then began to run away, screaming as he threw his arms in the air, waving them around crazily. Brian just watched, unsure of what was going on. Shouldn’t he be more afraid of the ghost?
Then the ghost was once again right next to him. He smiled widely and pulled Brian into a tight hug, or would be tight, if he had a body, at least Brian thought it would, he wasn’t quite sure.
“I’m Jimmy!” the ghost exclaimed, “You’re going to be my bestest friend now! What’s your name?”
“Brian, how old are you?” he asked, not being able to place the other boy’s actions with an age.
“Eleven.”
“Oh. I’m seven.”
“Come on! Let’s play!” Jimmy exclaimed, grabbing his hand.
Once again, Brian felt the odd chilling sensation, but he ignored it, expecting it that time. Jimmy and Brian ran about, playing around the graveyard, just being wild and not caring about a thing. Brian didn’t even notice how fast it went by until the sun began to rise and suddenly, his new friend Jimmy was gone. He looked about and called his name.
“Jimmy?” he asked, wondering when he’d reappear again. “Jimmy?”
“Brian, dude,” Matt said, walking up to him with Zacky. “Who’s Jimmy?”
Brian couldn’t answer because who would believe that he had just met a ghost? It didn’t matter though so he shrugged it off and followed his two best friends home. Although, all he could think about was when he’d get to see Jimmy again.
♠ ♠ ♠
Dedicated toBrian, for his birthday
As well as Jimmy, who we all miss dearly.
Rest in Peace
Its nothing special, but I think this is the shortest story I've ever written, so that's something to be proud of. Its also finished, at least in my mind.
I hope you enjoy it though.