Resting Place – Photograph by Michael Rowley –Words by Anthony Hedger

I move through the graveyard with amazing grace and stealth for someone of my senior years. It has helped me on this lovely evening that the moon is almost full and lights the way for me. I may be light on my feet but my eyes are getting a bit blurry of late, I must get them seen too very soon.

I came here over four hundred years ago in a small vessel on the high seas. I was born in a place called Transylvania and since I left it has had many legends attached to it which you may have heard of so I won’t bore you again with them.

I feel quite excited because tonight is the night I get myself a mate, you see I am lonely. I have been for many years. It was fine when I started out as there were always new people to talk to or to have fun with before killing them but I grow tired of all that now and my appetite isn’t what it used to be like. So tonight I find myself a mate and maybe we can explore the world together.

Ah, I see her; she has been coming here every week for the past six months to visit the grave of her late father. He was a fighter that one which made the kill more interesting for me. Yes, yes, I killed him I needed to feed and he happened to be in the right place at the right time, well for me that is so I went for it. If I hadn’t I’d have never have met Retep, my bride to be. I’d sit on the bench and wait for her only at night of course as you know us Vampires cannot be out during the daylight hours. She would slip into the graveyard through the railings where they are bent wide who did that is nobody business, kids I expect. She would come and lay fresh flowers on her father’s grave and talk to him as though he were there before her. When I made my presents known to her I frightened the life from her and she fainted. I apologized to her and chatted for a while and we have become close friends and she has never asked why I am always there at night. If she did I think I would tell her the truth but it is of no matter either way because she will be my wife soon and I don’t think she will mind marring a monster as she is one herself. Oh, sorry, I didn’t say did I yes, she is quite famous around here for being a witch but not many people know her or have seen her so how she became famous I don’t know but her one failing which of course I don’t mind is she has burnt skin all over her body but we monsters must stick together eh?

Oh, you may all come the wedding if you want but be warned my friends you never know what might happen when there are two vampires together and one was a witch who had been burned at the steak before even I was born.

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night, cross, spooky, moon, place, vampire, graveyard, resting, witch, tony, michael, eery, anthony, hedger and rowley