Jared shrugged Okay I guess Mom backed up the car She pulled around the church next to the center Where are you going Jared asked It’ll be quicker to drive through the cemetery Mom replied It’s closed at night Is it Mom turned off the headlights She drove across a corner of the lawn Hilltop Cemetery is heavily forested A narrow road connects it to Woodland Cemetery Jared lives on the other side of Woodland 8
Mom put the parking lights on She slowly rolled down the hill braking hard every few feet The moon was up and it provided a bit of light Why not use the full headlights Jared asked What’s the harm of driving through the cemetery after dark Who would care Mom ignored his questions Did learn anything she asked you About soccer Some I guess he said The gym is really small so we couldn’t kick very hard 9
They crossed one of the brooks that wind through the cemetery passing into Woodland They drove through the oldest area with thin granite headstones It’s a huge cemetery It has graves from three hundred years ago right up to the present Tall hemlock trees shade everything The dirt roads aren’t much wider than walking paths The car curved around a giant boulder Mom slammed on the brakes A girl was standing in the middle of the road She was staring up the hill 10
Mom flung open the door and leaned out Are you all right The girl turned She had straight dark hair and a thin face She was a little older than Jared about fourteen The night was cool but she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt Are you okay Mom stepped out of the car Jared did too I fell the girl said Her hands were scratched and spattered with mud Just now Mom asked A while ago said the girl She seemed stunned 11
