The Graveyard

I am lying on cold stone floor. It is dark. Thoughts are flying trough my mind. Where am I? What am I doing here? Are those... yes, those are graves... What am I doing in this godforsaken graveyard? Yeah, yeah... that's what I'm doing... I remember now, this is my new home and they will never find me here. They will never, never, never find me here! Because... because I'm out here! I... I like it out here... I... I... I... it's nice out here and nice and nice and... and... and I like it out here... I like it, I like it out here...

I have been in Black Hill Sanitarium for way too long. It's a big asylum for mentally ill, for those who have lost the will. The therapies in little rooms were driving me crazy. As I laid on the floor in my straitjacket and those men in white were there with me, sticking all kinds of injections in me... Oh, god, I hate those men in white! It was one night I decided to run away. I simply could not take another night. Just after midnight they were bringing me my pills and lights were out at Black Hill. That night Jenny was bringing me my pills. She has always been nice to me. I was lying in my bed, when I heard her opening the door. As she called me to get my pills I jumped up and grabbed her throat. After few minutes I could not hear her breathing anymore. I searched for the key in her pockets, unlocked the doors and ran down the dark hallway. Other inmates were hiding from my eyes.

I was unlocking a door after door and soon I was out! For 6 miles I was running trough the woods until I came to a graveyard. I climbed over the gate between life and death. As I was going towards an old tomb to hide in I saw a man, digging in the graves. It was the gravedigger. Jeremiah has worked here for years, already had one foot in the grave, with my help we got in the other. I dragged his body with me and entered the big, old tomb. As I was sitting there I remembered the old legend.

They say if you die in a graveyard your soul cannot escape your body. If you lose your head it creeps into your brain and it stays there and then you're nothing but a talking head. Later that night Mary the Hooker was heading to church, to let the priest Jesse Bell fill up her purse. May he rest in hell! No one comes to the graveyard and leaves again. No one must know where I am... Especially THAT man... I still remember him...Yes... that's how it was... ah... I can't get rid of the voices in my head... they are speaking to me... aaah! You got to get his daughter! They are repeating to me. You got to get his daughter! You got to get his daughter! You got to get his daughter! Yes... Lucy...

Next morning I went to the school where Lucy was going. I was walking around it and remembered when she left. I was doing that for the whole week. And when I knew her schedule I went to her when she was going home. I said to her: "Oh, Lucy, my dear... such beautiful eyes you have... such beautiful hair! You must be at least seven years of age... Am I right now?"

She answered me: "Yes, mister, but I don't know you... I don't think I should be talking to you..."

"Oh, Lucy, don't worry, I'll take you home to daddy... later...'

"Please, mister, let me go... I... I'm scared!'

"C'mon little girl! Why are you making such a fuss! C'mon little girl! C'mon, it is time! I've got real dolls in my home, I made them myself. And you can play with them and play with and them and play with them, until your daddy come to get you! Oh, Lucy, how can I make you understand? I'm not a stranger, I am a friend!"

I grabbed her hand and started walking towards the graveyard.

"I I I I I I and you will soon be home now! I I I I I I and you are gonna play there! I I I I I I and you you you you, we we we we we're gonna have some fun, yeah!"

She calms down a little and we come to the graveyard. I take her to the tomb. It is almost evening and it's almost dark. We're playing with the dolls, the dolls I made myself... yes... the night is here...

"Lucy... you stay here now... the tomb is warm... why don't you play with the dolls? I'll just go outside and I'll be back soon..."

And in the dark I go and she can't follow me... she is afraid of the dark! Hahahaha! Yes... this is a good place and Jeremiahs shovel will be good... I'm digging graves, seven deadly tombs, bellow that crazy moon. I'm sweating, it is hard. All graves done... seven headstones I put up, all saying "Lucy forever"... Oh, I'm soooo clever! It was around 10pm so I go to the nearest telephone box. I insert few coins that Mary the Hooker had on her and I call McKenzie... I guess, I have to tell you who he is... he is the man who brought me down... call me sick in the head, but I would never lie to you... I worked for the man, I got him one night, molesting his own little child, Lucy... who do you think they all believed? And so I ended up in the Black Hill Sanitarium... he is such a sick little man, he's so much sicker than me and I am... So I'm called him: "Surprise!"

"Who is this?"

"Oh, I believe you know who I am! You put me away all those years ago!"

"What? No... no! It can't be..."

"Oh yes... It's me! Hahahahahaha! Meet me at midnight at the cemetery gates or your Lucy will be dead! McKenzie, did you hear me!?"

"Where is Lucy? Have you hurt her?"

'No, Lucy, She is fine..."

"Where is she?"

"She's sleeping in her coffin! I can't wait to see your face again!!!'

After that I drop the phone and run back to the graveyard. I step in to the tomb and Lucy is there, playing with my dolls. I say to her: "Lucy, it's time for bed now, and you need your rest, so lie down in your coffin deary and sleep tight, I'll wake you when daddy comes."

I show her the coffin I have prepared for her, but she starts crying. "No, no, don't cry little girl!"

I grab her and put her in the coffin and close it. I carry her to the graves and bury her in one of the graves. In the other graves are the bodies of other people who went to the graveyard. I put the soil on her coffin and bury her deep underground. All this time I hear her screaming and crying. I leave the graves and go to the cemetery gates. And as I'm waiting for her father to show... It's like... like I can still hear her screaming! Oh, Lucy... I'm doing all this for you! Oh, Lucy! I didn't mean to, I didn't want to... but I got to! Oh, Lucy! Is that your daddy? Your daddy? Daddy... daddy... "So you came at last! Let me see your heart, let me see your face! You son of a bitch! I hear your baby crying, I see her little tears! You may not show it, but you can't stop the fear! If you ever wanna see your little girl again, you better do what I say! Dear mister mayor! Welcome to my humble tomb, come inside... you know you have to! Hahahahaha!"

First I show him my home and then I take him to the graves. The only light in the graveyard is coming from the moon. "Down on your knees! Down if you please, while I blindfold your eyes! Hahaha! The two of us are gonna play a little game... I think I'll call it trick or treat! Let us go hide and seek! Lucy is sleeping in one of seven graves, now you decide... which ones are trick or treat! You can only fail this twice, but the third time you must be right! You better start digging, she could be dying as we speak, you better start digging, before the worms have their feast! Down on your knees, dig if you please!"

So he starts digging in one of the graves. I blindfolded him, so he can't see. He failed the first time. He starts digging the second grave. "Oh, no no no! You fail again! That's not Lucy! That's someone else you've dug up! Only one last chance to save your daughter! I'm beginning to get the feel... that your digging your own grave!" He starts digging the third grave. "How does it feel to be digging for someone you love? How does it feel to be digging for life?" One blow to the back of the head and he is face down, down in Lucy's grave.

Her daddy won, but I am winning now! I'm dragging him back, back to the tomb. I'm tying him down. As I look him deep in the eyes, I see only darkness. Oh, I must have knocked him out good, hah, kinda like that... I... I must go! "Lucy, Lucy I am here! Lucy, Lucy don't you fear! I'll get you out of there! So you can breathe again... Here we go again my friend, deep in my twisted brain... I think I'm losing it again... lalalalalalaaaa, I'm digging for Lucy, dear. Oh, tell me... what it makes you feel, when I sing so nicely to you Lucy... Lucy! Lucy?..."

I dig her up and she is still alive. I carry her back to the tomb and put her on the cold stone floor. She is in shock and doesn't move at all. Her father is conscious again. I take a seat by the table. "McKenzie, you better realize, now it's just... you and I!" Her is looking at me in horror. "This court is now in session! You stand accused of child abuse! Of stealing innocence and freedom too! I am the only judge! I am the only jury! I am your lawyer too, so tell me what to do! So... what's it gonna be? Are you guilty...? or are you... GUILTY!? Yes, you just go ahead and cry!" He starts crying and Lucy is still sitting there. "I, the jury and the judge, find you guilty of stealing the innocence of a child, and therefore we sentence you to die! Slowly die! Die, die, die, die, die, die, diediedie! Die! Die! DIE! DIIIIIEEEE!!!"

"Leave it up to me girl, you tell me when and I'll act, by the first light of dawn, daddy will be on his way, by the first light of dawn, no more daddy I say! Just say a word and I'll make him disappear! Lucy, stay away from that string, Lucy, what do you think you are doing!?"

She pulls a string on which a stone is tied and it hits a window and broken glass falls from high above, heading right into my neck. By the first light of dawn, my body lost it's head. Oh, god! I'm dead! I feel my soul creeping in my head... I can still see and speak, and I see Lucy setting the mayor free. "Lucy, no, don't set him free!"

It's no use now... they are leaving, holding each others hands... "LUCY! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! LUCY! LUCY!"

I am screaming, but they don't turn around and just keep walking. Oh, the view is so strange from here, when you're just a ball... I'm dead now... I guess I would be scared, by my black heart has told me, no one cares anyway.

"Few hours have passed and I'm still on the floor, when I hear little steps coming my way. "Lucy? Is that you? Pick me up, and let us go home, but not a word to daddy!" So, she puts my head in her backpack. I'll be with Lucy forever, I'll keep you safe from daddy, don't worry little girl... I'll be with Lucy forever... Lucy forever... Lucy forever... forever... forever...