Be Very Afraid : “Living Graveyard”

The sun was setting as Katie helped her parents carry their suitcases out to their car.

“Katie, won’t you change your mind and join us for the meditation retreat?” asked her mother.

“No way,” replied Katie. “Drinking grass in a blender and chanting is not my idea of fun.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” said her father. “Now, remember, I don’t want any of your friends over while we’re gone.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she replied. Yeah, right, Pops. When crows fly!

After her parents drove away, Katie returned to the house to call everyone about her party. Lounging on the leather couch in her father’s plush office, she made a list of people to invite. She smiled as she thought about how much her social status at Malibu High School had improved since her family moved into their huge new house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a wonder what a change of address could do for one’s popularity. A beep from the computer interrupted her thoughts.

“I KNOW YOU’RE ALONE!” flashed across the screen.

Wondering which of her crazy friends sent the message, she laughed as she typed a response: “Finally, freedom at last.”

Suddenly, all the lights went out. Fear brushed the pit of her stomach as she reached for the light switch. Nothing happened. OK, don’t panic, she told herself. Almost everything in their house was activated and controlled by the computer. Calmly, she entered the password to access the control panel.

“GIVE UP!” replied the screen.

Angrily she typed, “Who is this?” No response.

Slamming down the keyboard, Katie picked up the phone. The line was dead. A curse escaped her lips as she remembered their phone system was hooked up to the computer. Maybe someone was trying to sabotage her party. Well, she wouldn’t let the idiot succeed. Remembering the cell phone in her car, she rummaged through the desk until she found a flashlight. Racing to the front door, she turned the knob but it would not open. The security bolts were engaged.

Checking all of the doors and windows, she found everything locked. Frantic, she threw a chair against a window. Nothing happened. Then she remembered. The windows had shockproof glass.

Defeated, she returned to the computer and typed, “Who is this?”

“YOU HAVE TAKEN WHAT IS NOT YOURS. NOW YOU MUST PAY!” hissed the computer.

With shaking hands she typed, “What are you talking about?”

“YOUR GREEDY LITTLE FAMILY BUILT THEIR DREAM HOUSE ON AN ANCIENT BURIAL GROUND, DISTURBING OUR SLUMBER.”

A chill rose up Katie’s spine when the computer started to vibrate, almost appearing to breathe. Panicking, she yanked the cord out of the socket. The screen faded to black, then sputtered back to life, revealing a new message.

“THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF ENERGY BESIDES ELECTRICITY. WE HAVE POWERS YOU CANNOT IMAGINE.”

Katie’s palms began to sweat as she typed, “What do you want?”

“WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US, SWEET KATIE, IN OUR LIVING GRAVEYARD!”

Frantically, Katie typed, “We’ll move. . . .

Anything you want. Just leave me alone.”

“IT’S TOO LATE,” the computer sputtered. “YOUR MATERIALISTIC FAMILY HAS SOILED THIS HALLOWED GROUND. IT’S PAYBACK TIME. THERE’S NO WAY OUT. YOUR GRAVE AWAITS!”

“Rot in hell!” she screamed.

The computer hissed and shook. A rotten smell began to permeate the room, making her retch.

Bolting from the room, she ran through the dark house away from the smell of rotting flesh. Remembering a crawl space under the house that led to the backyard, she raced down the basement stairs. Dropping to the ground, she studied the crawl space. It was a narrow dirt tunnel that did not look very sturdy. Fear clouding all reason, she entered the narrow passageway. As she clawed her way forward, the dirt walls began to collapse around her, muffling her screams, forcing her into a premature grave. Death pressed its cold, moist lips to her ear and whispered, “Sweet dreams.”

Silence fell over the house like a heavy veil, shrouding the evil that lay within. From her secret grave below the house, Katie left a message on the computer for her parents: “WELCOME HOME.”

Silently she waited in anticipation for them to join her.