America: 50☆Stars (Vol. 2)

Episode 36: The Grand Empress of Savannah

November 1997—Savannah, Georgia

A bitter breeze softly swept by the Spanish moss that hung over the branches of olden oaks, dying down when it was time for Bonaventure Cemetery to close for today.

A gravekeeper (aka a sexton which doesn't sound as cool) was wandering around the graves, searching for guests who lost track of time. To the visitors seeing loved ones, they would allow them to say their goodbyes, trusting they would leave shortly afterward. As for the other kinds of visitors—the ones who came to the cemetery for purposes that didn't relate to paying their respects to the dead—they would strongly advise them to leave immediately. Most of them did as they were told. Most of them...

The gravekeeper sighed, "Seriously, what's so special about Bird Girl that has strangers flocking to her?" They watched a young woman wearing her red hair in twintails pose in front of the bronze sculpture while another young woman with ginger hair attempted to take a good picture of her.

"Oh, come on. It's not so hard to capture my charm on camera," said South Carolina in a haughty voice.

Georiga grumbled, "I've already taken a dozen photos."

"Yes, but this one features me doing the same pose as the statue. So, you better get this right."

"Excuse me," the gravekeeper interrupted them, "the cemetery will lock its gates in about five minutes. It's time to leave."

"Okay," said Georgia. "We'll take our leave."

"No! Not yet!" South Carolina snapped at them. "Five minutes is plenty of time for another picture!"

"I've already taken pictures of you the entire day," she groaned.

"Fine." She snatched the camera out of her hand. "You," she shoved the camera into the gravekeeper's hand, "take a picture of me."

"Huh?"

"Don't give me that daft look." She returned to posing in front of the statue. "Take a picture of me."

"But—"

"No buts, peasant! Take a picture of me in front of this statue. I won't leave this graveyard until I get one more picture."

The gravekeeper reluctantly did as they were told.

But after reviewing the picture, South Carolina frowned. "It's too crooked for my liking. Take it again."

"What?"

"Again, I say!" she scoffed. "God, no wonder you're working here. No living being would ever want to deal with your incompetence."

"At least the dead don't complain..." they muttered under their breath.  

Georgia shook her head and sighed, "I'll be waiting outside the cemetery." She left on her own, leaving the poor gravekeeper to deal with the snobby South Carolinian alone.