were no marks on the top like there should have been if someone had broken into the coffin. But to my horror and disbelief they were underneath. The lid was covered with them and however improbable, the only conclusion that I could come up with was that Kristy Hall had been buried alive and she had raked and clawed at the underside of the coffin lid as she tried to get out. Dropping the piece of wood, I shone my torch around the walls of the grave and could see similar claw marks in the earth, as if she had scrambled out.
Numb with shock at what I’d discovered, I looked up at the hole above me.
“Luke, you won’t believe this!” I shouted.
No answer, just the sound of the rain thumping down at me and the wind screaming above.
“Luke!” I called out, this time louder. “Luke, are you there?”
No answer.
“Luke!” I called again. And this time I detected a tremor of fear in my voice and I hated myself for it. Where could he be? Perhaps he had gone back to the car to get some evidence bags, so we could do the job properly for once?
Realising that he wasn’t coming back in a hurry and just wanting to be out of the grave, I switched off my torch, fastened it to my belt and started to scramble up the inside of the grave. The earth was wet and slippery and several times I lost my footing and slid back down on top of the coffin again.
“Luke, goddammit,” I cursed under my breath, and started to climb again. As I neared the top, I saw a shadow of what looked like a person flit past the opening above me.
“At last!” I muttered. “About time you came back.” I said, pulling myself from the hole. I was filthy. I had wet mud all over my hands, down the front of my jacket and trousers, and my boots were caked with the stuff. Turning around, expecting to see Luke, I jumped with such a start, that I nearly toppled back into the grave. Standing just a few feet away from me was a teenage girl.
Fumbling for my torch, I yanked it from my belt and shone it at her. Immediately, the girl threw her hands to her face and screeched as if in pain.
“I’m sorry,” I said, wanting to scream myself.
I looked at the girl and I could see that she wore a filthy-looking dress. I guessed that once it had been white; but it was now covered with earth and dirt. Her hair was long and matted in filthy clumps to the side of her ashen face. Her fingernails had earth beneath them and her bare feet and ankles were splashed with mud.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. I know that was a dumb question but I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Mummy,” she said. “Where’s my mummy?” and her voice sounded deep and hollow.
Starting to back away, I reached for my radio, wanting to call for Luke.
The girl came towards me, her steps long and slow.
“Kristy?” I said, fumbling for my radio. “You are Kristy, aren’t you?”
“I want my mummy,” she said again. “I’m hungry.” And she sniffed the air and licked her lips with a dry-looking tongue.
“I’ll find your mummy for you,” I told her, leaning my head towards the radio.
Sensing that I was going to call for help, she reached for my radio with one filthy hand, and I could see that her fingers were long – more like claws. Stumbling backwards, I yelled into my radio, “Luke if you’re receiving this, I need backup right now!”
The radio crackled and hissed, and the girl covered her ears and screamed as if the noise was unbearable. Then over the sound of the wind and the rain, I heard a tearing noise. It sounded wet and moist – like flesh being ripped from bone. The girl jerked backwards and her back arched. Rolling her head back on her shoulders, she opened her mouth and screeched as if in agony.
Her whole being seemed to ripple and contort in front of me and I shouted into my radio again.
“ Luke! Luke! I need urgent assistance right now!”
Again there was only static.
The girl lowered her head and looked at me. Her eyes glowed like hot coals
Numb with shock at what I’d discovered, I looked up at the hole above me.
“Luke, you won’t believe this!” I shouted.
No answer, just the sound of the rain thumping down at me and the wind screaming above.
“Luke!” I called out, this time louder. “Luke, are you there?”
No answer.
“Luke!” I called again. And this time I detected a tremor of fear in my voice and I hated myself for it. Where could he be? Perhaps he had gone back to the car to get some evidence bags, so we could do the job properly for once?
Realising that he wasn’t coming back in a hurry and just wanting to be out of the grave, I switched off my torch, fastened it to my belt and started to scramble up the inside of the grave. The earth was wet and slippery and several times I lost my footing and slid back down on top of the coffin again.
“Luke, goddammit,” I cursed under my breath, and started to climb again. As I neared the top, I saw a shadow of what looked like a person flit past the opening above me.
“At last!” I muttered. “About time you came back.” I said, pulling myself from the hole. I was filthy. I had wet mud all over my hands, down the front of my jacket and trousers, and my boots were caked with the stuff. Turning around, expecting to see Luke, I jumped with such a start, that I nearly toppled back into the grave. Standing just a few feet away from me was a teenage girl.
Fumbling for my torch, I yanked it from my belt and shone it at her. Immediately, the girl threw her hands to her face and screeched as if in pain.
“I’m sorry,” I said, wanting to scream myself.
I looked at the girl and I could see that she wore a filthy-looking dress. I guessed that once it had been white; but it was now covered with earth and dirt. Her hair was long and matted in filthy clumps to the side of her ashen face. Her fingernails had earth beneath them and her bare feet and ankles were splashed with mud.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. I know that was a dumb question but I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Mummy,” she said. “Where’s my mummy?” and her voice sounded deep and hollow.
Starting to back away, I reached for my radio, wanting to call for Luke.
The girl came towards me, her steps long and slow.
“Kristy?” I said, fumbling for my radio. “You are Kristy, aren’t you?”
“I want my mummy,” she said again. “I’m hungry.” And she sniffed the air and licked her lips with a dry-looking tongue.
“I’ll find your mummy for you,” I told her, leaning my head towards the radio.
Sensing that I was going to call for help, she reached for my radio with one filthy hand, and I could see that her fingers were long – more like claws. Stumbling backwards, I yelled into my radio, “Luke if you’re receiving this, I need backup right now!”
The radio crackled and hissed, and the girl covered her ears and screamed as if the noise was unbearable. Then over the sound of the wind and the rain, I heard a tearing noise. It sounded wet and moist – like flesh being ripped from bone. The girl jerked backwards and her back arched. Rolling her head back on her shoulders, she opened her mouth and screeched as if in agony.
Her whole being seemed to ripple and contort in front of me and I shouted into my radio again.
“ Luke! Luke! I need urgent assistance right now!”
Again there was only static.
The girl lowered her head and looked at me. Her eyes glowed like hot coals
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