Buried in the graveyard

Every school has this one popular rumor that hundreds of graves from a past cemetery lie beneath the elementary buildings, and souls are still screaming for justice for being abandoned by their families.

In the eyes of an adult, it is a silly myth. But, for a young one like Jeff, it can be true.

The 11-year-old boy had a secret he's been keeping—he has another eye apart from his two visible ones.

It was hard for Jeff to make friends as he was often regarded as the "creepy kid,” just like today.

Afternoon came, school was over. The kids should be at home but for Jeff, the day was just about to start.

He and his ghost friend Dommy are eager to obtain fresh human blood to smear on the school statue as they believe their wishes will come true.

"I told you, just ask for that girl's blood!" The ghost said while slightly pushing his human friend. Jeff hid his blushing face, but the ghost saw it.

"You like her, don’t you?" Dommy teased.

"No, I don't!"

"Do you even want to be a pilot or not? Your choice."

Jeff sulked, but said, “Fine!”

With a bitter face, the boy and his friend tip-toed through the girl's bathroom. Inside, they heard someone crying. It was the girl Dommy was talking about.

It was like a massacre. She was holding a soft white cloth covered with blood. The ghost grabbed it and ran away, while Jeff quickly gave the girl a pad from the nearby dispenser.

"I apologize for the cloth; we need that blood for our future. You want to be a flight attendant, right?"

She did not recognize the boy, yet he knew her dream. With creeps and embarrassment crawling to her skin, she slapped him.

"Don't ever tell anyone about this, okay?!" The girl ran away.

He winced at the stinging feeling on his cheek, but there was no time to waste.

Jeff ran toward their school statue. Dommy, who had already wiped the cloth all over it, was waiting—along with another being.

Her wings, translucent and iridescent, fluttered with anticipation. She knew her time was depleting, and the magic binding her to the physical realm was fading. Soon, she would be nothing but a memory in the mist.

Jeff emerged from the shadows and stepped in front of the statue. He sensed the presence of another creature a second before he saw her in front of him.

He stopped before her. The fairy's form began to waver, her edges blurring as if she were gently erased by an unseen hand. She smiled—a radiant expression that held a lifetime of unspoken words.

Jeff held onto her to keep her from slipping away. The fairy's eyes, filled with a deep, abiding love, met his. Jeff suddenly thought she looked familiar.

“I hope this will make your dreams come true. I cannot be your friend evermore. You want to fly in the skies, right? You will achieve it with the curse gone,” she said as her form flickered as a candlelight.

Slowly, his eyes went wide as it dawned on him. How could he not know?

“You told me that life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. But with you, all hopes are alive. You can rest easily in heaven, Mom. I promise I’ll be a pilot!”

She let out a gasp with tears in her eyes. “So you found me out. Goodbye, my baby.”

With those final words, Jeff’s mom dissolved into the mist, along with Dommy who waved a final goodbye.

And with the striking rays of sunset, Jeff suddenly passed out.

The little girl transferred schools and Jeff continued studying with his new friends. He couldn’t see ethereal beings anymore. With the curse gone, he can now enjoy his life.

He never remembered his first friend, crush, or his final encounter with his mom. The memories of that night were long buried away—maybe as they should have been.

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Layout by: Timothy Andrei Milambiling