Through Their Eyes

Graveside Secrets

One fateful night 8 years ago, as the moon hung low in the dark starry sky and the shadows danced menacingly across the town, a kind soul was kidnapped by a mysterious cult that lurked in the shadows of Fright Wood. The townspeople turned a blind eye due to their naivety, and she was never found.

The people of Fright Wood had grown comfortable with ignoring the things they couldn’t explain. Strange disappearances were spoken about in hushed voices over dinner tables before quickly changing the subject. Odd sounds drifting from the woods at night were dismissed as wild animals. Missing pets, eerie lights among the trees, and stories passed down from older generations were all written off as folklore meant to scare children into behaving. It was easier to believe that nothing was wrong than to confront the unsettling truth that something ancient and evil might be watching from beyond the tree line.

Some claimed they had seen figures dressed in black wandering near the forest after midnight, but those stories were laughed away by neighbors and local authorities alike. Others insisted they heard chanting carried through the wind whenever the fog settled over Fright Wood, yet no one dared investigate. Fear had a peculiar way of disguising itself as skepticism. As long as everyone pretended nothing was happening, life could continue as though the darkness didn’t exist.

It was Skylar’s junior prom and her date unfortunately stood her up so she decided to walk around the empty town’s streets at night. Skylar unfortunately was an orphan and lived with a wonderful and caring foster family that she adored, but she always missed her real mom and dad deeply. Skylar’s parents passed away in a horrible house fire while Skylar was at Emby’s house for a sleepover when she was only 12 years old and their remains were never recovered. That night of the prom Skylar decided to visit her parents’ graves at the town’s cemetery where she was never to return.

She had waited nearly an hour, smoothing the wrinkles from her dress each time headlights appeared in the distance, only to watch every passing car continue on without stopping. Eventually the music inside the school faded behind her as couples laughed their way into the gymnasium, leaving Skylar standing alone beneath the glow of the entrance lights. No phone call. No text. Not even an excuse.

Jason.

She let out a bitter laugh as she wandered down the quiet sidewalk.

“Real classy,” she muttered under her breath.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Maybe Jason had never intended to show up at all. Maybe agreeing to take her had been nothing more than some stupid dare or bet made with his friends. She could almost picture them laughing in the school parking lot, congratulating each other for pulling off the cruel prank. It was only speculation, of course. She had no proof that was what happened.

Still…

It certainly felt believable.

She kicked a loose pebble into the street, watching it skip across the pavement before disappearing into the darkness.

“Kick rocks, Jason,” she whispered with a sarcastic smile, shaking her head.

If he didn’t want to go with her, he could have simply said so. Embarrassment would’ve hurt far less than waiting around hoping someone would show.

As she continued walking, the town seemed unusually still. Porch lights glowed warmly from distant homes, but very few windows were lit. The occasional breeze carried the scent of damp earth and pine through the nearly deserted streets. Her heels clicked softly against the pavement, echoing louder than they should have in the silence. The farther she walked, the more the excitement of prom faded into the background, replaced by a familiar ache she knew all too well.

Missing her parents always seemed to hurt the most on nights like this.

Moments they should have been there for.

Moments she wished she could share with them.

Without really thinking about it, her feet carried her toward the cemetery—the one place where she still felt closest to them, even if all that remained were names carved into cold stone.

But what happened next is jarring…