On a lonely hill covered in graves, stands a man holding a shovel, staring sadly up at the stars. Jonathan Graves is the gravedigger in Darkmoon village. He is a cursed man, stuck between the land of the living and the dead. Bound to the graveyard, he cannot die but isn’t truly alive. He digs graves for eternity, burying generations of people over countless years. Imprisoned to the graveyard and bound to a life of servitude, his only saving grace is one night a year that his soul can rest. Once a year his soul is free to do whatever it wants, go anywhere, but every year Jonathan chooses to rest. To not exist for twelve hours before being pulled back into this reality to work and dig, day and night for another year. The Gravedigger wore black pants a torn green shirt, a black gravediggers cloak, a worn black hat, old boots and work gloves, with pale green hair, pale white skin and glowing yellow eyes. He wore the cloak and hat out of habit from when he was alive, it would keep him dry and warm from the cold rain that frequented the hillside. The rest of his clothes were just what he happened to be wearing at the time of his death.
Many years ago Darkmoon village and many other towns across the land were affected by war. War between two kingdoms, a war so important at the time, yet years later no one remembers why it took place. The war resulted in mass casualties leaving Darkmoon village and the surrounding areas in need of a place to bury their dead. On a great hill outside of Darkmoon, there was a large plot of land were a new graveyard was built. The only problem was finding someone to dig the graves. The local gravediggers all refused to work so far from their families and dig graves in such numbers. The conditions were terrible and the hours long. Only one man took the job, a man named John, now simply calling himself Graves. He took the job on the condition that his family was taken care of as long as he worked in the giant graveyard. So the deal was made and he began work. His family was now given a steady wage for John’s hard work, meanwhile John lived in a house in the graveyard itself. Years passed and the arrangement continued, he worked himself into the ground, working to keep his family and generations to come secure and comfortable.
The day finally came that John could no longer work, he was on his deathbed and since he couldn’t work, his family would no longer receive support from the kingdom. Before he died, he was offered another deal. To be a gravedigger for eternity, to escape death and take care of his family line for generations. He accepted the deal, unaware of how long eternity really was. The next night a hooded stranger arrived at his little cottage, the man conducted a strange ritual and caste a spell. Jonathan felt no difference and lived for another week afterward. Once he died however, he did not stay dead for long. After he drew his last mortal breath his eyes slowly closed. Magic surged through his now lifeless body and his eyes shot back open. He lurched forward and staggered out of bed. He felt different, not alive, yet he could move and talk, so he wasn’t dead. He felt like he was in a haze, like going days without sleep. He could process thought, but felt tired. Now that the curse had taken affect, he would never sleep, never rest, never die, Jonathan was already starting to regret his decision.
Decades passed in the blink of an eye. Once Graves got into the routine of it all time passed quickly and he could go through a year as if it were a day. Every year he had a short time of freedom and he would rest for the upcoming year. After such a long time had passed, Graves wondered how his family was doing. After decades away from his town, he hoped that all his hard work had been worth it. He didn’t even know how great a grandfather he was at this point, generations of kids, one after another, he probably had a large family to visit.
So the night finally came, the night the shackles were released and he could leave the graveyard. He could feel the curse lift, but there was no physical sign than anything had changed. Graves began to float toward the exit, a little nervous as it had been so long since he had left. Then he stopped. He didn’t want to scare his family, and he probably looked ghastly in his current state. Luckily being beyond death, Graves could look as alive or dead as he wished. So he stopped floating and placed his two skeletal feet firmly on the ground. He straightened his back making cracking noises as he did. Eyes began to form in his sockets and the spectral yellow glow faded. His body became less transparent and his skin returned to a more alive color. After a few moment of adjustments, Graves looked like a normal alive man. His clothes even looked clean and were no longer torn. Now was time to visit the village, to see how his family progressed and to catch up with his loved ones.
Graves straightened his hat and strapped his shovel to his back, under his cloak. He approached the giant graveyard gate, unlocked and wide open. He slowly walked forward, cautiously. He wondered what the outside world would look like, his town, his family. What had changed after so many countless years? He stepped through the gate and smiled as the curse no longer held him. He walked down the hill when he came to a split in the road. Two paths lay ahead, one a direct and sunny route to Darkmoon village, the other a longer and more twisting path, but it would take him to his family’s house first. Take the long dark road, or the short breezy path. One to see his family right away the other would let him check on the town first.
You choose….
No comments:
Post a Comment