The Girl at the Grave (c) 2019 Raven Darkwytch

The Girl at the Grave

Old Norris knelt by the grave of his dearly departed wife, she had passed a few years back and Norris had felt the light of his world had gone with her, removing the old flowers and replacing them with new ones.  He had done this task every Sunday after his wife had passed away and had never particularly thought much of it, however, this Sunday was to be different.

Norris would be unable to recall what it was that had first sent a chill down his spine first, had it been the crunch of the leaves behind him or the soft whispering voice “please Sir, can you help me find my parents?”

He quickly turned around and saw a rather thin and pale girl stood before him he blinked and rubbed his tired old eyes and started to speak slowly “are they buried here?” he thought to himself that the girl before him couldn’t be more than a teenager.

The girl shook her head “no Sir, but it is so important that I get a message to them.” Old Norris looked kindly upon this lass and wondered what this pretty thing was doing in such a sad place of death and decay if her parents were not buried here. He smiled unto her and hoarsely whispered: “what is your name dear?”

She was quick to answer and looked him in the eyes “I’m Katy sir, Katy O’Donnell” Norris reached out his hand “well, I am Norris, Norris Butcher, now you said you had to get a message to your parents, do you know where they are?”

“They are probably at home sir, and yes sir, I need to tell them that I miss them very much, I would tell them myself, but I am can’t leave this place just yet” the girl gave the address and Norris promised he would give the message.

Norris left the strangely pale girl behind and headed home planning to find the address the next morning.  It wasn’t until the local paper arrived in the morning and he saw the front page news that he found himself startled for there on the front page was an image of the same girl he had seen under the headline ‘Corpse found at graveyard’ the story went on to say how the young girl had been found stabbed, her body horribly mutilated and the police had no idea at that time who she or her killer had been but it was to be assumed she had died Saturday night perhaps on her way home from some nearby nightclub.

Norris remembered the address and having read the news rushed quickly to it and met Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell at the front door. He explained what he had seen that Sunday morning and relayed them the message that young Katy had wished to give them. Mrs. O’Donnell burst out in tears and hugged Norris.

It is hard to predict what brought these circumstances about and all I have done is repeated the tale as it was told to me by Norris himself, perhaps it is but a tale that Old Norris tells, perhaps there is a grain of truth to it, I have no way of telling, so I leave that for you to decide.