Gypsy Graveyard

“Bobby, do you think it’s safe?” Sarah asked as she looked out the window.

“Sure, nothing ever happens out here,” he replied.

“But I’ve heard stories about this place,” she shuddered.

“What kind of stories?”

“Well, for one thing, the name of the place. Everybody calls it Gypsy Graveyard,” she answered.

“I’ve heard that too. I don’t know the real name of it. What Grandpa told me was that back in the 1800’s caravans of gypsies used to camp here. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Grandpa thinks it is. He said that he was told that there are a couple of them buried here,” he said while putting his arm around her.

They had gone to a movie and he had brought her here. It was 10:30 and they were parked under a large tree close to the road. The nearest house was almost a mile away. It was popular with the kids because it was secluded and was used as a make-out hot spot.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked.

“I think you know the answer,” he grinned as he pulled her closer.

Resisting him at first, they began kissing each other passionately. Bobby tried to take it to the next level but she put a stop to it.

“Stop it! Keep your hands to yourself! I mean it!” she demanded, “besides that, you know my curfew.”

Frustrated, he backed off, but it was hard to do. His hormones were raging and were in overdrive.

“Come on, Sarah, just one more kiss,” he pleaded.

She wanted to, oh, how she wanted to, but she also knew where it would lead.

“No! I am not doing it, nor am I going to do it!” she answered, “take me home, please.”

“But we just got here.”

“I don’t care. And besides that, I don’t like this place. It gives me the creeps.”

Giving up, Bobby turned the ignition key and was greeted with the click, click, click of a dead battery.

“You gotta be kidding me,” he muttered while repeatedly turning the key.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“The battery is dead. I’ve been having trouble with it for a while. Guess I need to buy a new one,” he answered.

“You mean we’re stuck out here? Great! My dad will have a coronary if I miss my curfew. I’ll be grounded for two weeks. That’s what I got the last time I was late,” she fumed.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault,” he offered.

“What can we do?” she asked.

“See that farmhouse over there?” he said while pointing it out to her, “I’ll walk over there and see if they can help us,” he offered.

Sarah looked at the farmhouse. It looked like it was about a mile away. She was glad that she didn’t have to go. As Bobby got out of the car a brisk breeze picked up, and the moon ducked behind some clouds.

Pulling his coat up around his ears, he admonished Sarah.

“Lock the doors. I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

She nodded and watched him disappear into the darkness. Getting comfortable, she got sleepy and dozed off.

Startled, she woke up to a tapping sound on her window. She could see that it was a county sheriff. The red glow of his vehicle lights illuminated the area. Sitting up straight, she could see more emergency vehicles coming in the distance. Rolling down the window, she waited for the officer to speak.

“Miss, are you alright?” asked the sheriff.

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Why are you here? Are you alone?”

“We had car trouble and my boyfriend walked to that farmhouse for help,” she answered while pointing at the house.

“Stay in the car, please,” he ordered, “I need to clarify something with dispatch about this.

He left her to do it. As she sat there she began to notice something strange. There was a faint scratching sound on the top of the car like the sound a tree branch would make. “I wonder what it is” she thought.

As the sheriff came back to her car an ambulance arrived plus a state trooper.

Sarah began to get scared. “Where’s Bobby?” she wondered.   

The sheriff tapped on her window again.

“Miss, I want you to get out of the car and go straight to my patrol car. Under no circumstances are you to look behind you. Can you do that for me?” he asked.

She nodded yes and got out of the car. The sheriff took her arm and led her away. Curiosity got the better of her and she broke free and turned back. What she saw she would never forget.

They had parked under an overhanging branch. Hanging from it was Bobby. He was upside down and the breeze was blowing him so that his fingernails were scratching the top of the car. She knew he was dead. It was obvious.

Sarah fainted and dropped at the sheriff’s feet.

She never set foot in a graveyard for the rest of her life, not even for her parent’s burials. The mental picture of Bobby prohibited it.

The kids still went there. They made sure that they had plenty of gas and that their batteries were in good shape. The boys also made sure that they had something to protect themselves with. They didn’t want to be the next one found hanging from that tree!

August 27, 2020