The Graveyard Girl

Chapter 9: Decayed

Vermon's face was almost as cold as ice. Towering her was the gargoyle and underneath it was the gravestone it rested on. She was able to read the faded words. Cody Anderson. 2010-2016. Vermon raised her eyebrows, shocked that the person buried was only six. Why did a six-year-old have a gargoyle on his gravestone? Vermon took a deep breath, ready to ask questions. However, before she could touch the dirt, she was startled by footsteps.

"Vermon Avery Simon," her mother yelled, reaching for Vermon's hand.  "Why can't you listen to a damn thing I say?" A fog swirled around their legs, appearing out of no where. Her mother shook her head. "Come on, let's get you home!"

***

"Come on, hold out your hand," Vermon's mother said holding out a long and thin piece of wood she found outside. "Four more."

Vermon bit her lip with each blow to her hand. She just knew her hand would be red for days. "Mother, I was just talking to the dead people." She pointed out.

The mother pointed at her. "I understand if you do it to help people, but don't stick your nose in the dead's business. Keep it up and one day you'll find out something you don't want to hear."

Vermon frowned and walked over to the kitchen sink. "Okay," she said grabbing a cup from out of the cabinet. Her mother got up from her chair. Before heading to bed she put bells on the door just in case Vermon wanted to have another late night adventure.

"Goodnight," her mother said.

"Night, pig." Vermon murmured out of anger. Her mother didn't hear her and that was definitely a good thing.

She grabbed her flashlight off the table then headed into her room. Instead of throwing the flashlight onto the bed it fell onto the floor and rolled underneath her bed. She turned on her bedroom light then crouched down on the ground.

As she was on the floor reaching for the flashlight, she couldn't help but to feel uneasy about her hand being under the bed. The bed wasn't a high one, it was very low. So low, she could only slide her hand under it. Nothing could be seen underneath. She decided to give up because one, she didn't feel her flashlight and two, she was scared. When she stood up she quickly looked around, scared she'd find something in the room.

Nothing.

She opened her door wide then turned off the lights, only to turn around and see someone laying in her bed. The figure was big and looked heavy. Vermon quickly turned on the lights, however that was a wrong move.

An old woman who's flesh fell from her skin making her face unrecognizable, stood in front of Vermon now. "She did it!" It hissed quickly before disappearing.

Vermon fell back to the ground. She tired to get up, but she felt a tingle in her hand again.

"Vermon?" The voice said through the air.

As her hand laid on the floor in her bedroom, she couldn't help shiver from fear. Why was there a dead body underneath her?