….continued
“We shouldn’t!”…. “We can’t…Can we?”…..”We must!!!”
With misgiving, all looked at each other expectantly…Ann Louise took the lead…”Which of us will prove Reed’s encounter the result of a prank, and face The Lost Lady tonight?”
Reed understandably declined, having had quite enough of The Lost Lady during their last meeting. Neither did Reese nor Meredith feel up to challenging the legend.
Ann Louise and Naomi exchanged glances, each confident in the other’s adventurous spirit…”Guess it’s up to us then!” They jumped up and wrapped themselves in fleece shawls as their only defense against whatever the chilly night had in store. On second thought…Ann Louise grabbed a kitchen knife “not for protection, but a marker to show proof of our visit”.
Ann Louise and Naomi led the way, traipsing the few blocks towards the cemetery, their friends following. The moonlight made for easy going, and Reed pointed in the direction of the grave from the safety of the road.
Ann Louise and Naomi marched over, found the headstone in the full moonlight, said a little prayer in memory of the lost maiden and her beau, then plunged the knife into the ground to mark their triumph. They both turned to leave and were startled when Ann Louise let out a gasp. “What’s happening?!! Something is holding me back!!!” Naomi grabbed her friend’s arm and tugged hard, finding that some force was indeed restraining Ann Louise. Was the legend of The Lost Lady real? Was Ann Louise being pulled into the earth by a ghost?!!! Looking at the ground they half expected to see a hideous claw pulling them down into an open grave.
They laughed out loud when, instead, they saw the knife plunged through Ann Louise’s fleece shawl, holding her firmly in place. They freed themselves, replaced the knife and turned towards home.
“Wait!” called Reese–“Look there–what’s that beside the knife?” On the ground lay a fresh bouquet of wildflowers, tied with a bright white ribbon.
2.
. . .proceed to part three of Tracy’s Trilogy: Ghost in the Graveyard