GHOSTMAN

Wednesday, 4 October 2023

Rumour

The rumor of the old man who had been buried alive seized the girls in a terror unlike anything they had ever felt before. All night, they talked about the supposedly undead man, trapped underground with grave dirt heavy upon his shoulders. When the conversation turned to the buried man’s struggles against his undead curse, one of the girls—brave and bold—offered to prove it by going to the graveyard while the others remained safe and sound.

The other reached an unsteady agreement, and one of the girls left for the cemetery. Tiredness eventually pushed the group to sleep, dreams of the old man’s still beating heart falling on their ears even as they drifted off.

But morning came, and the brave girl had still not returned. It seemed like something horrid had happened, so the other girls reluctantly gathered their courage and went to the graveyard. To their horror, they discovered their friend lying upon the fresh-turned grave. It was clear that she had died of fright.

And then, amongst the dead silence, they heard a faint scratching sound coming from the grave. Their eyes widened as the realization settled in –the old man was still alive.

In a macabre scene, they tipped the coffin onto its side and yanked out the buried man. He staggered as he emerged, his face twisted in fear and confusion. The poor soul had lost his mind after being buried conscious, yet miraculously he was safe.

Warning bells rang in the minds of the girl’s parents—a warning to never again take risks or dare fate in the dead of night. The girls vowed to never forget the tragedy of their friend, and not to take the safety of home for granted.

But the old man who had been buried alive would never forget that fateful night. The night he had been denied his eternal rest, his sanity, and his life.

Sara

Sara got out of bed in a state of shock. She had let her guard down and had not paid attention to her environment; the murderer had taken advantage of her daughterly act of love to enter her room without being heard or noticed. She ran to the living room and called the police. They arrived just in time to stop the murderer from getting away.

Sara, from a small town in [....], had always been a timid soul, easily scared by the dark. That's why her parents decided to get her a dog, an old one in need of company and protection.

Sara loved her dog and felt much more protected with him close. Every night before sleeping, she would reach out her hand and her loyal companion would start licking it until she dozed off.

Years went by in this way and the dog, although old, was still constantly by Sara's side. One night as she listened to the radio, a report came on warning of a dangerous murderer said to have been sighted in the nearby area.

But Sara found strength in the company of her dog and went to bed without fear. Like every night, she stretched out her hand, and what usually was the comforting feel of her dog's tongue, this time was a strange wet, cold feeling.

Frightened, Sara could not comprehend what was happening until, with a shriek, she lifted the bedsheets and looked under the bed. There, her beloved dog lay lifeless, while a strange man's tongue licked her hand.

Overcome with panic, she grabbed her cell phone and called the police. Just in time they came and apprehended the murderer, who had taken advantage of her innocent act of love and trust.

From that day on, Sara never again felt entirely safe in the dark, but she was comforted by the thought that her dog was still watching over her.