All Hallows’ Eve

As my writer's block continues I am looking for writing prompts and this one I found here

Dampness lingered in the midnight air. Nearby, an unidentifiable sound was pricking her nerves, repeating every few seconds. Her breath was catching in her throat as a long shadow cleaves through the light spilling from a street lamp just around the corner ahead of her. She considered turning back but he told her to wait for her here on Calton road. She didn’t like it much, the burial ground was dark and gloomy and she got shivers all over. Was this his idea of a fun date? She really didn’t want to wait long here and debated in her head whether or not to go back to the busier Royal Mile. The mist was thickening like it does in Scotland, rolling in from absolutely nowhere. It came rolling over the hills and she felt the cold dampness as the temperature was dropping. She looked at her watch; he was now half an hour late.

That’s it; she thought and started walking back toward the Royal Mile when suddenly a hand was touching her shoulder. She screamed and turned around.  He stood there with a big smile as if it was the most normal thing to do, scare a girl like that.

‘Are you insane?’ she gasped for breath.

‘Sorry’ he smiled sheepishly. ‘I couldn’t get out of work earlier and my phone died on me again’

‘Why on earth did you want to meet here of all places?’ she asked ‘it’s creeping me out!’

He laughed; ‘Yeah, well that probably wasn’t one of my finer ideas to be honest, but now were here why don’t we have a look around at the cemetery?’

She looked at him as if he’d gotten completely bonkers ‘How about no’ she said and started to walk away.

‘Oh come on, Elly, I’ve always wanted to see the cemetery on a night like this! It’s ideal with the mist and all!’

‘You do know it’s all Hallows’ Eve right?’

‘Is it? Yeah, I know that’s why! Look there are more people with the same idea see?’ he pointed at the cemetery where people dressed in all kinds of costumes were walking around.

‘I don’t know, Pete, I don’t like it much’

He pleaded with her just long enough for her to cave in; ‘Oh fine’ she sighed ‘But not long, just for a bit’

‘Sure I know how you feel about Halloween’

They walked up to the cemetery and opened the squeaky gate. Here on top of the hill the fog was even thicker than on the street. Chills were crawling up and down her spine. She knew she shouldn’t be here, walking here, but somehow no one seemed to have a problem with it as it became quite busy at one point.

‘Like it now Elly?’ Pete asked with a grin which in the dark looked creepy Elly thought.

‘Not much no’ Elly admitted but she kept on walking behind Pete.

She heard a noise behind her and looked back. A couple was giggling and kissing right here at the cemetery, when they saw her looking they giggled louder and walked away.

She turned back and couldn’t see Pete anywhere anymore.

‘Pete’ she called out ‘Pete where are you?’

She started to walk up the hill a bit further and the noises died down. It became very quiet all of a sudden. All she could here was the rustling of the autumn leaves and a bit further away some noises from the city. Pete was nowhere to be seen.

‘Pete’ she started to whisper ‘Pete where are you?’

Why had she agreed to come up here in the first place, she wondered. She hated All Hallows’ Eve and never understood the fun of scaring people or making fun of the dead.  

‘Pete, I’m done’ she said softly and she started to back away to go back down the hill and into the busy city again.
Suddenly she tripped over something and almost fell onto the ground. She grabbed hold of an old tombstone as not to fall down. The ‘object’ over which she tripped made a muffled sound, almost if it moaned or something like that.

It was so dark; she couldn’t see a thing here. What was it she had tripped over? Was that a shoe?
She put her hand over her mouth as not to scream. There was Pete on the ground with a knife in his chest. He was already in a significant pool of blood which was even scarier. This was serious! Or was it? He couldn’t have been stabbed in the time she lost sight of him, could he? That was only a few minutes and the amount of blood was so much! Was this his Halloween prank?

‘Pete I swear if this is your way of a joke…’ she started but there was the moan again. She looked at his eyes and he looked at her with panic in his eyes. Whoever did this was still here, she thought. She was too afraid to turn around and surely but slowly took out her phone and dialled 999.

‘Calm down Pete’ she talked into the phone ‘It will be all right, the ambulance will come and the police and they will save you, I’m sure of it’

‘Ma’am, can I help you? What’s your emergency?’ she heard the operator saying.

‘Who stabbed you, Pete? Do you know?’ she kept talking to Pete as if she wasn’t on the phone. ‘Why would anyone stab you? Especially on all Hallows’ Eve and on a cemetery? Pete, stay with me!’

‘Ma’am, where are you, the ambulance and police are on their way, is it you can’t talk because you suspect the stabber is still in the area?’

‘Yes!’ she said relieved that the operator understood ‘Good Pete stay with me’ She looked beside her and saw Pete was lying next to William Knox’ gravestone. If she could tell that the operator would know where they were.

‘Pete you just wanted to take a look at your favourite poet, William Knox! I’m sorry I didn’t find you earlier here, I should have known that!’

‘Are you at New Calton Burial Ground?’ the operator’s voice asked immediately.

‘Yes, that’s good, Pete’ she said to Pete who closed his eyes and to the operator.

‘Good they’re on their way, try to stay calm you’re doing great’ the operator said.

In the distance she could hear the sirens already. She looked up to the street to see if they were coming but then heard the rustling of the leaves even louder and looked up to see a shadow over the gravestone. She started to scream, backed away and hit her head at the gravestone and heard the operator’s voice in the distance. The lights of the police cars and ambulance which turned just around the corner were first bright then became blurry. And before she drifted away, she saw Pete standing over her with the knife in his hand, a red blood painted shirt on, grinning creepily, ready to stab her.

‘I so hate All Hallows’ Eve’ she whispered before she lost consciousness.

© KH