A. Renee Art

Merc, Maddie, and Lydia arrived at Painscreek Cemetery. Merc noticed the padlock on the gate and asked Lydia for the code that was left to them. Before Lydia could give it to him, Maddie told him it wasn’t necessary. She pointed out the reason. Merc swung open the gate, no code needed.

“Seriously, dude,” he said, a little shaken, “Is someone else here besides us?”

Lydia thought back to the person she thought she saw on the hospital roof, shook her head and said, “It’s not broken in exactly. Someone simply forgot to lock it back when the place was abandoned, probably.”

“Fine. I’ll go first since I have a shovel. You two wait here.”

Merc took a breath and carefully stepped in, shovel out as if holding a broadsword. Looking around, he saw no one else. He nodded to the girls for them to enter. They spread out. Lydia headed straight ahead. She noted the grave of Andrew Reed and took a picture.

“That’s right, he died before Vivian did.” Finding Dr. Henry Johnson’s grave, she noted the same thing about him with a picture. “Andrew, Dr. Johnson, and Vivian, in that order. And nearby the doctor is Wanda Tyler.”

There was a gated area within this part with only one grave. Upon close inspection, it was Magdalene Roberts’ grave. Charles Roberts’ mother. Looking up at the others, she could see Merc digging at a large white boulder under a tree for the time capsule he read about from that little girl’s letter at the hospital. She made her way over to Madeline while noting and taking pictures of other graves of import.

Vivian Roberts was buried there, of course. A couple of graves with the last name of “Hopkins”. Perhaps they were connected to Bernard Hopkins. And Calvin Bennett. Father Calvin.

“He died the year before Scott was adopted by Father Matthew.” After another picture, she joined Madeline. “Maddie?”

Madeline had been staring at a lone wooden cross at a corner.

“Who’s grave is this,” Lydia asked. After taking a picture of it, she noticed the fresh vase of flowers that was left on it. Feeling creeped out, she gently pulled Maddie away saying, “Let’s…go help Merc.”

Merc said he felt that he was close. Lydia volunteered to take over. Soon they found a white shoebox, men’s size. As soon as Merc picked it up, Lydia suggested they immediately return to the inn.

“You alright Lydia,” he asked.

“Who knows how long we’ve been here digging,” she said, trying to appear calm. “The others could be waiting for us. Besides, it’s lunchtime. I’m starving, how about you?”

As calmly as she could, Lydia began speedwalking with Maddie and Merc behind her while thinking about the guy in a hoodie she saw on the hospital roof.