Buried - 1. Story

Buried

by Jfalkon

The day was deceptively warm. The midday heat felt like summer even though it was late September. Matt and his friends carried their heavy backpacks across campus. As the small group walked away from the chemistry building and towards the busy food counters they spotted a familiar face. “Hey, Princess!” shouted one of Matt’s classmates.

He was referring to a feminine looking gay boy. Everyone had called him “Princess” for as long as Matt could remember.

“What do you want with that fag?” asked another one of the boys.

“Nothing, just saying ‘hi’,” answered the first boy with a huge smile. Then turning back to the gay boy he called out, “I like your pants!”

“Thanks! I like yours too,” shouted back “Princess” with the same lack of sincerity.

The exchange was met with laughter from both Matt’s friends and the gay boy’s friends.

“Man, Tony, you’re so gay!” said one of Matt’s other friends.

That only inspired more laughter. On the surface Matt was laughing with the rest of the group but buried deep inside was a sad gay boy. It was something that he barely admitted to himself. He could not imagine living the way “Princess” did. He could not understand how such a seemingly delicate person could stand all the teasing.

As they neared the hamburger joint the conversation changed. A boy who had been quiet since they left class said, “Hey, guess what? I heard that KFYI is taking some people to the graveyard for a ghost hunt.”

“You listen to KFYI?” asked a classmate wrinkling his nose.

“No, dude, my sister has it on all day. They were making this big deal out of it.”

“So, who cares?” asked another boy.

The boy who had been speaking shrugged. He had just been making conversation.

“Wouldn’t it be great if someone went and scared them? Like really made them shit themselves,” chimed in Tony.

“Yeah, we could do that. Get the whole thing on film and put it on the web!” suggested another student.

The idea slowly took shape as the boys ate. By the time they were done with lunch a meeting had been scheduled for that evening.

Matt was not certain that he liked the idea. As a child he had been afraid of the old cemetery. It was the oldest within hundreds of miles and looked ancient. The grotesque statues and headstones had inhabited the nightmares of his early childhood giving vague fears a form. By the time he was in his mid-teens the place had lost its power over him. It had become a funhouse for Halloween dares. It was a place where a youngster could prove his courage and Matt had traveled its dark grounds many times. It gave him a way to feel in control as his parents’ marriage crumbled. Having control became more important as he began to realize that he was gay. The cemetery was a dark and distant place where a person could hide from reality deep inside the hollowed grounds. Its cool earth could swallow problems and people alike but bad memories lingered like ghosts.

When Matt was thirteen a rumor had spread that he had been kissing a popular girl by one of the monuments. They both denied it but no one believed them. A secret kiss in the graveyard made a good story. It spread like a disease and cemented Matt’s reputation as a ladies’ man.

Now in his second year of college Matt would have gladly forgotten about the old cemetery. Instead he was on his way to the Kappa Alpha Delta house to discuss a plan of attack on some ill-defined enemy that KFYI represented. As he approached the house he was amused by the sound of “KFYI, relaxing rock for your work day!” His fraternity friends were always trying to get him to join Kappa Alpha Delta but the thought of communal showers was enough to stop him.

In the living room area Matt’s friend Dan called the meeting to order. It proceeded with great care and organization. First the resident computer nerd gave a full report on the planned event as described on the radio station’s web site. KFYI was holding a contest; ten winners would be taken to the cemetery along with a team of psychic investigators and a crew from the radio station. This would raise the numbers to about twenty-five. The event would begin with rendezvous and equipment setup at sunset.

A map of the cemetery was then projected on a wall and copies were distributed. After all the cemetery access points were located a plan of attack was formed. They would split up into small groups and divide the cemetery into segments. Each group would have a cameraman and one or two “ghosts” to do most of the scaring. There were five areas to be covered. A headcount revealed twelve volunteers who had six working camcorders between them. Dan quickly assigned groups and locations. Matt was assigned the back of the cemetery near an old mausoleum. His partner for the night would be Tony. They were each instructed to park their cars on different streets so that they could easily split up if anything went wrong.

A short but manly discussion of costume design followed. They decided to all dress as shadow people, which, according to the radio station were man-shaped black shadows. They first considered buying black fabric and cutting holes for the eyes in it. Unfortunately that left them with the unpleasant possibility of the eyeholes shifting, leaving the shadow person blind. The problem was solved when one of the students pointed out the black mesh that construction workers hung in certain areas of the school to keep students out. From a distance the mesh looked solid but up close it was mostly transparent. A freshman was immediately dispatched to the hardware store.

Next on the agenda was communication. Cell signals were notoriously unreliable in the area. Walkie-talkies were their best option and luckily the fraternity had accumulated several sets over the years. After some testing it was decided that walkie-talkies would be their primary means of communication with cell phones as a back up.

Once the boy with the mesh returned they were all fitted for costumes. There was a brief discussion of hemlines after which it was agreed that the costumes would be slightly shorter in front to prevent tripping. A length of string was threaded through the mesh around the neck of each costume to hold it in place.

Finally they had to consider the issue of lighting. They would need to illuminate their victims to film them. This led to a heated debate and several hours of flashlight shopping. They finally settled on both a diffuse glowing light and a strong beam for each team. The hope was that the more concentrated beams would pass for “orbs.”

The meeting ended with a stop at the local fried chicken place. All the boys were in high spirits until all the chicken was gone and it was time to do homework.

The next day Matt was sitting in front of the mathematics building enjoying a cup of coffee when his phone rang. It was Dan inviting him to a dress rehearsal of what had been dubbed the shadow attack. Matt made a note of the time and promised to be there. He closed his phone and watched as students walked by. Among them was the boy they called “Princess.” He seemed happy as he made lively conversation with his friends. For momentarily Matt felt something, but the feeling passed almost instantaneously before he was sure what it was.

Though he was not sure what this involuntary reaction was, he knew that he resented the boy’s femininity. He felt like his own reputation might be tainted by the stereotype that Princess so happily promoted. For a moment Matt tried to decide if he hated or liked the girly blond. Then he picked up his books and gave it no more thought.

Later that day, Matt loaded a duffel bag with flashlights, a camcorder, a walkie-talkie, and black mesh. He carried the bag outside and put it the passenger’s seat of his old Toyota sedan. He drove to the cemetery listening to loud rock on the old radio. He parked on his designated side street as the sun dipped below the horizon. As he walked towards the cemetery he wondered if they had all gone a little crazy.

The rehearsal lasted for several hours as the boys practiced ambushing each other. They worked out ways to get just the right lighting to get the perfect shots. The exercise itself might have been pointless but the camaraderie it built was priceless. By ten thirty the group had reconvened at the Kappa Alpha Delta house. They celebrated with pizza and heavy metal, which seemed like the perfect antidote to the mellow KFYI.

Over the next few days the excitement mounted as the Friday night adventure approached. When the day finally arrived even Matt had trouble concentrating on his studies. After school all the boys gathered at the Kappa Alpha Delta house. As the sun sunk low in the sky they got in their cars and headed off on their mission. At the cemetery they met for a roll call and then broke up into teams. Matt and Tony marched to the end of the cemetery. They spent the next twenty minutes trying out hiding spots and checking equipment, as the walkie-talkies relayed messages between the different teams. Dan had taken the role of coordinator and directed people to their places. Then the words everyone was waiting for crackled through the speakers; “They’re here!”

All communications went quiet. Everyone sat still as stone. The radio station’s group slowly made its way in through the old gate. A popular psychic led the awkward parade. They slowly waddled up the main path. Then, like the first scent of blood, a scream pierced the humid air. Someone had seen a shadow person. Fear spawned more fear. A wave of panic propagated through the crowd as the shadows came to life. Lights flashed and all was captured on tape.

The boys near the entrance kept the group scared, but not scared enough to leave. On orders from Dan they got behind the herd and drove it deeper into the cemetery. Tony and Matt waited as the screams got closer and louder until it was their turn to do some damage. Tony was fearless. He jumped on tombstones and darted between the graves. Matt documented his exploits with a steady hand and expert control over the camera and lighting. As the disoriented group entered his area a second time, Matt hid in the mausoleum to change a tape. His flashlight gave the old building an eerie illumination. Just as the tape was in, Tony chased the fear stricken crowd past the mausoleum gates. The resulting video was better than what they had hoped for.

As the radio crew made a terrified retreat Tony and Matt met to laugh and catch their breath.

“That was awesome, dude!” Matt exclaimed.

“I know. Did you get that in the mausoleum?”

“Yeah. Oh, I better go back there and get the other tape. I don’t think it was wound all the way. I had to change it out.”

Before Tony could say any more a crackling voice came over the walkie-talkie. One of the boys had twisted an ankle and needed someone to help him get out.

“I’ll go help,” said Tony, “You stay here in case they come back.”

With that Tony ran off with the walkie-talkie still in his hand. Matt slowly went back to the mausoleum to get his tape. Now with all the excitement over, the mausoleum looked much larger and more imposing. Matt stepped down onto the sunken floor somewhat reluctantly. The floor was below ground level and had accumulated a slick layer of muddy clay. Matt felt himself begin to sink and then slip. He grabbed the wrought-iron gate. The gate saved him from falling but it slammed shut with a tremendous noise.

Matt steadied himself, got his tape off a stone coffin, and gave the gate a push but it did not move. It was heavy and the force of its last movement had deformed one of the hinges. Matt pushed as hard as he could but the gate was stuck. He looked around for another way out but none presented itself.

Moonlight streamed in through a hole where part of the roof had fallen in. It was too high for him to climb out. As Matt surveyed the area he thought he saw something move in the shadows.

Unwilling to become a casualty of his irrational adventure, he took a deep breath and pulled out his cell phone. Surely his friends would get him out. Unfortunately the phone’s signal was dead. It was 10:43 and the cemetery was unnaturally still, except for something that moved in the far corner of the mausoleum. Matt tried to think of what could be hiding in such a dead and dark place. It seemed too big to be an animal. Matt thought about using his flashlight but was not sure if he wanted to see what lurked in the corner.

Feeling sweaty he pulled the black mesh off. He found that it was easier to see without it. Whatever was in the dark was clearly human. He took a step towards the dark form and it took a small, tentative step toward him. Slowly they inched their way into the moonlit area. Matt still did not recognize the hooded figure but it recognized him.

“You’re Matt, right?” asked the hooded boy.

“Yeah. Who are you?”

“Austin. We go to the same college,” explained the hooded figure.

“Oh, um hi…Can you help me get the gate open?” asked Matt feeling relieved.

They pushed and pulled on the gate until they were out of breath but it refused to open. Finally they gave up and went back to the moonlight.

“So what are you doing here so late anyway?” asked Matt.

“I actually wasn’t planning to stay long. I was just doing some sketches for my art class but then I heard people walking and then screaming. I didn’t know who was out there so I just decided to wait it out,” explained Austin.

“You could have just run out with the crowd.”

“I didn’t know who they were. Some people in this town don’t like me very much,” explained Austin sadly.

“Why?”

“Because I’m different.”

“How?”

Austin did not answer; he just pulled his hood back revealing blond hair and crystal blue eyes.

“Princess?” asked Matt.

Austin nodded.

There was a moment of silence as Matt looked at the moonlit face. The features were perfectly proportional almost to the point of looking artificial. The light gave Austin’s eyes a surreal depth. Not knowing what to say Matt returned to more practical concerns. He asked Austin to see if he could get a cell phone signal.

“I tried earlier but it’s completely dead. I think it’s the thick walls,” explained Austin.

“Hmmm..._Some of my friends are having a party tonight. They might wonder why I’m not there but I don’t think they’ll come looking for me. There has to be a way to get out of this place,” Matt said looking up through the hole in the roof.

“It’s too high,” said Austin as he appraised the smooth walls, “We may have to spend the night. Believe it or not this place actually has a caretaker. He should be around in the morning.”

“What?” asked Matt shining a light around the ruined mausoleum.

“He’s only one man and he’s old. The city doesn’t have the money for major repairs but they try to clean up the most visible graffiti and broken stuff. Not many people come in here so they just left it.”

Matt let his flashlight pass over the floor. He was surprised to see what looked like a coffee table standing by one of the walls. It was flanked by two stone coffins. Matt walked over to the table and sat down. Seeing Austin still inspecting the ceiling he invited him to sit down.

“On the altar?” asked Austin.

“What?”

“There used to be some kids who performed black masses in here. That was their altar,” explained Austin as he took his place on the table. “They used to kill animals until they were caught.”

Taking the flashlight he illuminated a crudely drawn pentagram on the wall, “They thought the animals spirits would go to hell,” he paused thoughtfully, “Some people think I’m going there too,” he said mostly to himself.

“I guess I’m going with you then,” said Matt.

Austin thought he knew what Matt meant and gave him a smile, “I’ll have good company.”

For a moment they just sat in the dark. Then Matt’s curiosity got the best of him. “So, how come you know so much about this place?”

“I used to date a photography student. He loved this place. He said it had drama. He took really beautiful pictures.”

“This place is creepy. I’m sure it was good for pictures and stuff but man…” Shaking his head Matt let his voice trail off.

“So, what were you doing here?” asked Austin.

“Oh, um, there was this Halloween thing on KFYI. They were bringing listeners and psychics for a tour. My friends thought it would be fun to scare them.”

“Was it?”

“Yeah, until I got us trapped in here.”

They sat quietly for a moment. Then Matt asked to see Austin’s drawings. The first one that Austin showed him was a carved skeleton. It was in fact carved into one of the walls. The other drawings focused on the architecture leaving out some of the grim details. As Matt looked over the drawings Austin looked thoughtfully at the moon which cast a pale light over them.

“You know what I like about this place?” he said, “It’s honest. The bodies are buried, but everything else is on the surface.”

Taking the flashlight, he shone it on some of the carved detail on one of the stone sarcophagi. “These people weren’t afraid to admit that death is real. They didn’t try to make the dead look like they’re just sleeping. They faced reality, their reality.”

“What’s wrong with making death look less ugly?” asked Matt. He was not quite comfortable with that much honesty.

“It’s not just death. It’s everything. People are so focused on what is acceptable. They try to fit in so hard that they slowly die inside.”

“You don’t.”

“No, I don’t. Do you have something against that?” asked Austin detecting a hint of annoyance in Matt’s voice.

“It’s just, you know, not all gay guys are that feminine and you make it seem like they are. I’m just sick of the way my friends react.”

“Well, maybe you should talk to your friends. I’m not the only gay guy on campus, not by a long shot.”

Matt just shrugged his shoulders. Austin was the only other gay boy he knew. “I guess there are just some things I’m not comfortable with. I have some issues,” he admitted.

“Everyone has issues. You just can’t let yourself get buried in them. Maybe that’s why I come here: to dig myself out,” he said kicking the mud, “or maybe it’s just an excuse to get new shoes.”

Matt smiled; as he looked at the smooth white face so close to his. He had seen Austin many times but he had never really stopped to look at him. The nickname “Princess” did not seem like a joke in this surreal setting. The porcelain skin and blue diamond eyes were a vision out of a fairy-tale. As the autumn breeze caressed Austin’s shiny blond locks the light dimmed. They both looked up to see the fog rolling in.

It slowly snaked its way in, carried by the wind. It rustled the leaves as it moved animal-like through the cemetery. It swirled between the graves and cascaded through the opening in the roof casting strange shadows as it wrapped itself around the boys. Unconsciously they moved closer together for protection from the cold dead fog. As the space filled with moist air, shadows seemed to take on human form and walk along the walls.

“I see how the shadow people legend got started,” Matt commented in a hushed uncertain voice.

He turned the flashlight beam on his watch. It was 12:32. “When did you say that caretaker was coming?” he asked wishing it were morning.

“I don’t know what time he comes,” answered Austin, his voice slightly tainted with fear.

They knew that there was no one else in the fog but the way it moved was disquieting. They watched its macabre graveside dance until the fog grew still and became one luminous moonlit mass.

“I used to love it when the fog was like this. I always felt so safe in it,” said Austin.

“And now?” asked Matt.

“I still like it. It’s kind of magical,” he smiled, happy that the moving shadows were gone.

“Magical, huh.”

“Yeah, it’s happy and gay, just like me,” he answered with a mischievous grin.

“Considering we can’t leave and all, I’m pretty happy here too,” admitted Matt.

“And gay?” asked Austin making them both giggle like little children.

“You never know. I might be,” teased Matt.

“Did you hear that?” asked Austin in a loud whisper suddenly growing tense.

“Hear what?”

His question was answered by the sudden rustling and crunching of leaves.

“Don’t say it was just the wind,” Austin corrected him before Matt could even think of what to say.

The crunching got louder as the boys sat motionless. Other sounds disturbed the still night. Some were like incoherent speech; others like moaning. Austin and Matt exchanged looks of dread as the crunching was replaced by the rattling of the gate. It started gently and increased in violence. Something was trying to get to them. Then they heard a familiar voice say, “Help me, you candy asses!”

The leaves were disturbed again. Then a loud screech rent the night air as the hinges of the gate gave way. Then a thunderous crash echoed through the structure. Realizing what had happened Matt jumped up and jogged over to where the gate was laying flat. A drunken looking Tony stood in front of it. A few of the other fraternity boys were with him.

“Hey Matt!” exclaimed Tony.

“Dude, why didn’t you call?” asked Dan.

“No, signal,” answered Matt, as Austin cautiously approached from behind him.

“Who’s that?” asked Dan as the unfamiliar figure emerged from the shadows of the mausoleum.

Before Matt could say anything Tony ran up to greet the apparition. “Princess!” he exclaimed lifting Austin of his feet in a bear hug.

The action was met with an outburst of laughter.

“You are so gay,” mumbled Dan, half smiling, as they walked away from the crumbling building.

Tony just laughed and no one else seemed to care. When they had taken off their black mesh shadows that night a dark weight seemed to lift with them. They were just a group of kids having fun. The next morning’s light would bring back grudges, old fears, and miseries but for the moment they walked fearless through the fog.

© 2008 jfalkon

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