My Life In Code

16. It's Like One Of Those Movies Where They're Walking Through A Graveyard...

I was such an abusive girlfriend. 

It was only a few minutes later that Max was pulling up to the gate of the graveyard.  He cut the lights and the engine, but the four of us just sat there for a moment.

"So are we ready to do this?" I asked hesitantly.

I think that since we were finally getting ready to do this, actually dig up a guy's grave, they were kind of iffy about it.  I could hear it in their silence. 

"Come on," I said, reaching for the door handle.  "We need to just get this over with."

Once we had everything from the back, we headed for the gate and into the graveyard.  Because of what Drew said before, my mind was kind of running away with those images as we walked past the headstones.  I made sure not to walk directly over them, just in case. 

It took a few minutes to find Kauffman's grave in the darkness.  Once we did, we stood in a semicircle around it, looking down. 

"Alright," I said, holding my hand out for one of the shovels that the guys were carrying.  "Let me get the grass up on top of the plot and then you guys can dig.  We have to make it look like nothing's been disturbed just in case someone comes tomorrow and sees."

"Are you sure you know how to do it?" Ben asked, handing me his shovel.

I nodded.  "Of course."

Carefully, I dug the grass around the grave where Kauffman's coffin was sure to be buried under.  With their help, they rolled the grass up as I dug up under it.  When we were finished, it looked like a big roll of green carpet. 

"Okay, boys," I said, handing the shovel back to Ben and wiping my hands on my pants.  "Start digging."

With the dirt being piled up beside where I sat on the ground, I watched as the three of them dug.  They were moaning and groaning, complaining about how Kauffman shouldn't have been buried this 'freakin' deep.'  I watched with an amused look on my face.

But when we all heard a thud as Max's shovel connected with something other than dirt, everyone paused.

"Did you reach it?" I asked, crawling over to look down into the seven foot hole they'd dug. 

Ben and Drew helped each other up and out of it, knowing that I was going to make them get out anyway so I could go down with Max. 

Those boys were learning fast. 

Max tossed the shovel up to Ben and we both knelt down in the tight space.  As we moved the rest of the dirt off the top of the wooden coffin, I could see the sweat rolling down the side of his face. 

My heart was pounding, but it didn't start beating faster until we finally got to a point where we could crack open the lid of the coffin. 

"You do it," I said, staring down at it.

"Do what?" Max asked, glancing over at me.

"Open it.  I don't want to do it."

He chuckled as I moved back behind him.  After getting Drew to hand down one of the shovels again, he put it under the edge of the coffin lid and popped it open.  I swallowed hard as he leaned down once more, reaching for the edge to lift it. 

Though, under different circumstances, Ben's and Drew's shouts of 'ugh!' and 'disgusting!' would have made me laugh, I couldn't have agreed with them any more than at that moment.  My stomach churned as I tried to look anywhere but at what - or rather who - was lying in the coffin. 

"Even I'll admit this is disturbing," Max said, leaning back on his heels.

We both stared down at the skeleton that looked like he was draped in ribbons of fabric.  It had been eaten away over time, making it look even more eerie.