Cemetery Tales

By Joseph R. Granato

Cemetery Tales is an action packed mystery and adventure story set in a remote village at the turn of the twentieth century, where a dozen children have gone missing. Ben, a brave twelve-year-old boy whose sister is one of the missing, believes a vampire is responsible. He teams with a younger boy named Henry, Mr. Jameson, the most revered man in the township, and Alexander, a dashing aristocrat in search of his beloved Andria, who has recently been kidnapped by the dreaded vampire Guilshire. Along the way, each wrestles with conflicts of courage and devotion to the mission to find the children and bring an end to Guilshire’s centuries-old reign of terror, before the vampire succeeds in his efforts to destroy the village. Cemetery Tales is a unique interpretation of the popular vampire genre, unlike anything previously published.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joseph R. Granato
• Release date: Mar 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311206572

Joseph R. Granato

Joseph R. Granato was born in New York. He lived in Miami for twenty-five years and in 2012 moved to Brussels, Belgium. He recently relocated to the Washington D.C. area with his wife and two sons. He has both a law degree and a film degree and currently acts as a legal consultant. He has been writing poems, short stories and screenplays since he was a teenager. He has also written, produced and directed more than a dozen short films. Joseph received the Best Director award at the West Palm Beach Film Festival in 2001 for his short film A Rare Case of Rejection. He has publishing credits in several books of poetry including the Best Poetry of 2001 and the Best Poetry of 2002 by the International Society of Poets, Theatre of the Mind by Noble House Publisher (2003) as well as the International Who's Who in Poetry 2012 by Poetry Productions. His debut novel, Cemetery Tales, was published in 2015. Joseph’s collection of poetry, Complications, spans more than twenty years of writing.

Book preview

For my mom, whose love of monsters and all things scary, inspired this book.

Chapter One

It was cold outside, though the moon was out and bright through the trees, it did not warm the scene across the vast cemetery, where tall granite crosses and hand-carved crypts with bold names, such as the Hendersons and the Wickwams and the Oligots, stood out among the low hanging willow trees, glistening in the damp reflection of the moonlight. Ben and Jimmy crept low beside the graves, each one carrying a dim lantern. Jimmy's courage made up for his small frame as he gripped the tiny flat and squared silver cross in his pale fingers, his sweater torn at the wrist swaying in the breeze, slightly covering the cross and at times encompassing it altogether, while his unlaced black boots were sinking into the mud as he moved. Ben on the other hand carried a small wooden stake in his hand, stiff and menacing, a two-sided hammer hanging from his belt.

As Ben moved forward he wiped his face with the sleeve of his hand carrying the lantern, tipping it back and forth so that the flame flickered and almost went out. Ben's raven hair complimented his mild-olive skin in contrast with the dark green of the bushes and the stark white granite of the tombs and headstones. He was taller than Jimmy, but of average height for a twelve-year old boy, around five feet, and slender despite years of working on the family farm, providing him with unusually strong hands, because he spent the rest of his time alone holed up somewhere. If indoors it was usually with a book and if outdoors it usually involved fishing. He was the type of youth whom others were drawn to because Ben projected a sense of confidence mixed with complete humility, despite being reasonably well off as they say. He was often the first to joke around and keeping it light was one of his greatest traits.

But not tonight. There was nothing light about their situation.

The boys were all worked up, breathing heavy and sweating despite the cold shiver that ran through them. Suddenly in the distance a deep and growling howl was heard. It carried through the cemetery and seemed to ricochet off the graves. The boys froze and stared at one another with a look of sheer panic.

What was that? Jimmy asked, a dry gulp following.

It must be a wolf, Ben replied. Let's keep going.

Do you really think we should Ben, I mean, what if it's awake and waiting for us? Why don't we wait until morning?

No good, Ben replied. Becky could be dead by then.

But what if she's already dead, then we'll just end up dead along with her, Jimmy reasoned.

That's the chance we'll have to take.

Jimmy didn't like the sound of that and Ben could read the worry in his eyes. Jimmy lowered his head regretfully and Ben could sense his desperation.

Listen Jimmy, she's my sister and if you don't want to help I'll understand, and you can go home right now and I will go on by myself. I don't want you to do something that you don't want to do.

Jimmy thought for a moment and realized he could not let his friend go on without him.

No, it's all right Ben, I won't leave you. If a vampire kidnapped my sister I wouldn't want to go after her alone. I would want my best friend with me and that's you. So I'm in.

Ben smiled, relieved. Thanks Jimmy, I won't ever forget this.

So the boys moved on through the cemetery, passing quickly to the far east end of the property, where a row of tall pine trees shaded a landscape of massive mausoleums. Instinctively Ben slowed. He felt a chill run through him and heard a twig breaking right behind him, the cracking of the limb ringing loudly in his ears. Ben's head whipped around and the row of pine trees seemed to morph into a wide-open space with an aboveground rose-colored crypt at the end of it, a crypt that was not there before, or if it was, was previously hidden by the pine trees. Jimmy whirled around and suddenly, as if on cue, the awful piercing howls of the wolf's cry rang out just as the boys laid their eyes on the crypt.

They were scared, as scared as they ever had been in their lives, and Ben knew that now, unlike anytime before, there was a good reason to be scared, for at the end of those pine trees was death itself. The color was draining from Ben's cheeks by the second. He was taking deep breaths, his chest rising and falling quickly from the nervous twitch that was taking over his senses. Jimmy noticed this and reached for his friend, grabbing his shoulder and holding up the cross in his hand.

Don't worry Ben, don't worry. Just have faith in this, Jimmy nodded to his cross, and you'll be all right.

Ben grinned nervously and again they crept forward, this time close to one another, their shoulders creating a barrier that not even the fog that now encircled them could penetrate. As the boys walked towards the crypt the wind began to pick up and the pine trees began to squeeze tighter together, the wide-open space growing smaller and more condensed by the moment.

We have to hurry, Ben said.

They picked up their pace to a running start, but the trees only closed faster now around them. The pine trees were moving into place, gliding across the ground, roots and all lagging behind like chess pieces moving across the board. As the boys ran the fog grew thicker, the wind grew fiercer and then, just as the trees at the end in front of the crypt began to close like a curtain on a stage at the end of a play, everything went silent, and the wind, and the fog, and the trees went still. For a few moments it was as if the whole world had simply stopped.

Then the solid lid of the crypt slowly inched open and nothing but a dark shadow could be seen inside. Jimmy clenched his cross tightly; with all his strength he held onto it and stretched out his arm to hold the cross firmly in front of him. Ben, following Jimmy's lead, now raised his stake above his head, ready to come crashing down. They both, almost in unison, raised their lanterns as they stepped forward.

The light from the lanterns began to fill the crypt and the boys moved closer and closer until they stood looking into the crypt itself. To their utter surprise the crypt was empty. They looked at each other, dumbfounded.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Jimmy was lifted into the air, the lantern and the cross falling helplessly from his hands. Only the sound of flapping wings could be heard. The fog engulfed Ben, blinding him.

Jimmy, Ben cried, Jimmy!

Ben gazed frantically into the sky, tears forming in his eyes as nothing but clouds hovered above. Jimmy was gone and only the darkened sky remained. Ben quickly scanned his surroundings, his eyes falling on the empty crypt, the pine trees, the fog, various tombs, all in a quick circular spotting until his eyes returned to the crypt again.

He lowered his head, defeated. He started to cry but caught himself, took a deep breath, raised his head high and stared determinedly into the empty crypt. He knew that he had lost this fight. He knew that Jimmy was gone, his sister Becky was still missing and that their fate may be like the fate of so many kids in town, twelve in all so far now including Jimmy, who had disappeared into the night, only traces of blood drops left behind. Ben knew that it was only a matter of time before the vampire came for him and the thought made him shudder.

He knelt down into the muddy ground and picked up Jimmy's silver cross, spotted with drops of blood. The feeling of the cross in his hand reassured him that he was not alone. He knew too that if what he was fighting against really was a vampire, than like the great vampire hunters before him, he would need all the faith he could muster if he was to survive his war with the undead.

Chapter Two

The next morning Ben awoke to the sound of weeping coming from the downstairs. He hurried out of bed, threw on his bathrobe, flipped on his slippers, and headed for the stairs. He reached the downstairs hallway that was the entrance to the extravagant two story wood-paneled home his family lived in on the twenty acres of farmland they owned dating back three generations. Ben could see Jimmy's mom sitting in the winged-back chair in the living room, her hands folded over her eyes, her auburn hair covering her strikingly slim frame. Ben's mother was sitting next to her, trying her best to console the woman. Ben thought his mother was the most got-it-together woman he ever knew or heard of. She was the bedrock of the family, the person everyone relied on, the true matriarch. In many ways, she had to be. At just thirty-four years old she had lost both her parents and her husband. And now, of her two children, the youngest, her daughter Becky, had gone missing. And yet, here she was, her hair perfectly kept, her eyes as thoughtful, caring, concerned, and focused as ever, her back upright and confident as she tried to calm Jimmy's mother.

Don't worry, he'll be just fine, he's a strong one for his age and he can take care of himself. In fact, he's probably out there right now searching for the other kids, and probably isn't missing at all, just out as part of a search party. Do you know if he went with some of those elder folks who went out yesterday evening? Have you talked to any of them?

No, I haven't, Helen. When I woke up, before even the sun was out, and saw that he wasn't there and asked Marvin if he had seen him and he said no, Marvin went out looking for him, because it's not like Jimmy to not come home, no matter how late he's out at night playing with the other boys, which isn't often lately, he always comes home. So I spent the morning waiting for him and when Marvin came back without him after searching for a few hours, well, I just ran over to see you and now here I am, Jimmy's mother rambled then began crying again, covering her face with a white handkerchief that she held in her hands. Ben's mom nodded sympathetically.

It's all right Betty, just have yourself a good cry and when you're done we'll form a search party and go looking for him, all right.

Jimmy's mom lit up, Really Helen, you'll help me form a search party?

You bet I will. She looked over at the stairs and noticed Ben standing there, and signaled with her eyes for him to come over and so he did.

And Ben is our first volunteer, she said proudly.

Sure, I'll volunteer, he replied, trying to sound optimistic, though he knew in his heart that no search party would find Jimmy, not on the ground at least.

When did you see Jimmy last? his mother asked.

He stuttered a bit and replied, Last night, a - around…after dark.

Where were you? his mother grilled.

We were out by the pumpkin patch on Hill Road. Old Mr. Jarvis lets us play in his pumpkin patch this time of year, says it's good for the pumpkins. The activity gets them ready for Halloween. So we played Find-the-Moon until about eight o' clock and then had ourselves a long talk with our feet up on the pumpkins till about nine o'clock and then we scattered home, each of us going our own way.

And did he say where he was going? Jimmy's mom asked.

He said he was going home, right home, Ben said quickly, trying to hide the concern in his voice.

Ben felt terrible lying, but the truth was unthinkable. There was no way he could tell them Jimmy was scooped out of the air by a vampire while they were hunting it in the cemetery last night, in the hopes of getting Becky back before she was either killed or turned into a vampire herself. No, this little white lie would be better than telling the truth, because that would only make things worse. Ben believed, as most kids did, that most grown-ups just wouldn't understand or couldn't believe that there were such things as vampires, ghosts or monsters. Sure, they may have believed when they were kids, but now that they were adults they had lost all faith. And so it was better to just go along with this disappearance theory while he knew what really to fear. Besides, he thought, it's not the adults the vampire is going after, it's the kids. And therefore the kids were the only ones who really needed to know the truth so they could protect themselves. Ben had taken those basic steps already, carrying a cross and hanging garlic around his windows and the door to his bedroom, which he somehow convinced his mother was something he learned in school and claimed it was good for his health.

Many years ago when he was very young, his father told him the legend of the vampire and a few things one could do to protect against a vampire attack. Ben at the time being so little, for he was no more than five or six years old, didn't think of the stories as anything more than fairy-tales, like Hansel and Gretel, or Jack and the Beanstalk, or Snow White. But when the kids started disappearing, leaving traces of blood behind, he remembered some of the things his father had mentioned, and though he did not know for sure, something told him that maybe those stories weren't just stories, and to be on the safe side he relayed his theory to his closest friend, and he and Jimmy set out in search of a vampire.

So you haven't seen or heard from him since last night at nine? Jimmy's mom continued. Well, he certainly could have made it home from Jarvis' farm within a half-hour at the latest. But he didn't, he didn't Helen, and that's how I know something bad has happened to him, or he would've come home.

Jimmy's mom broke down weeping now, Ben's mother hugging her and rocking back and forth with her, doing her best to comfort the poor woman in her sadness.

Ben's admiration for his mother only grew stronger.

Don't fret, Ben's mother encouraged. We're going to get some of the men together and we're going to go out with Marvin and Ben here, and together with the townspeople we're going to find your boy. Jimmy's probably just got himself lost in the woods, that's all, just lost in the woods.

Ben stared at his mom who looked up at him now, and for the first time he could see the worry in her eyes, and he knew that she too was telling a little white lie, and that sometimes they were necessary because the truth can hurt and when a person can be spared it, why not, it's just the way it should be. Heartache is everywhere in this town he thought, and we don't need sorrow when, if only for a moment, we can postpone its impact. The truth about Jimmy will undoubtedly be revealed and when it is, Jimmy's mom will have herself a really good cry. For now though, what she needed was some hope.

Chapter Three

The late afternoon sun had arrived and beat down on the town with a blazing fury. The fall was always dastardly hot here, as if the color-changing leaves had no impact and the soon to be bare branches were sunburned. In this region of the world, the fall was hot while the trees shed their leaves in preparation for the cruel winter to come. Ben sprang from his back porch and ran towards the shed where the dogs were kept, two strong German Shepherds each about four years old, that he has had since they were puppies and his teacher Mrs. Barlow was giving them away. Ben named them Midnight and Magic. Midnight denoted by the pitch black fur that covered his body; Magic recognizable by the black and tan belly that hung low to the floor, a roundabout dog with a healthy appetite and a full stomach to prove it. Ben loved both dogs, but Magic had a special place in his heart, because Magic helped young Ben by getting Ben's mom when he had fallen from a tree and had broken his right leg two years back. Ben couldn't move too well and so Magic's calling for Ben's mom allowed her to bring Ben back to the house in time for the doctor to arrive. The doctor set his leg and in a couple of months he was as good as new, and has never had even an ache in that leg since.

When Ben reached the shed he could hear the dogs barking for him. Ben wished he had thought to bring the dogs with him last night, a mistake he would not repeat again. In fact, he told himself that those dogs, if he could help it, were not to leave his side until all this business with the vampire was over. Ben believed in the unique powers and senses that animals had, especially dogs. They could hear things, smell things and see things that humans could not so easily identify, and perhaps, if the vampire was to come after him, as surely it would, Midnight and Magic could pick up its trail before it was too late.

Ben opened the shed and the dogs rushed forward with their paws high up, reaching for him and toppling him over, then soaking him with their slobbery tongues trying to give him the affection they felt he, as their master, deserved, for dogs are truly loyal beyond any other animal when it comes to the devotion to their master.

All right, all right, I know, I love you too, thank you.

Ben gave each a strong back and forth stroke through their fur, which the dogs thoroughly enjoyed, waving their tails wildly.

Come on now, we have work to do. We have to go find Jimmy and maybe Becky and the others too if we're lucky.

He got up quickly and went for the leashes that hung on the two nails wedged into the back of the door. They were thick leather leashes with strong metal clasps and he leashed Midnight first, then Magic, and tried his best to hold on as the dogs rushed out the shed door and into the backyard.

When Ben finally regained control of the