On Halloween night, the sun fell; The shining moon replaced it. The sky grew dark. And so did the cemetery on Thickety Lane. The oldest cemetery in Darien, Connecticut. The cemetery was the home of the gossips. Where every scary story took place and where every dare would start. But this Halloween night, everything got worse. 

“Catherine please! It’s Halloween night!” Layla begged into her phone. Her room was dark. She was laying on her bed talking to her best friend Catherine. 

“I’m not going to that cemetery, you know what everyone says about that place!” Catherine’s voice echoed into her phone. 

“It would be the perfect night, I promise it will be the best and spookiest night you have ever witnessed.” Layla got off her bed and grabbed a coat from her closet. “Well if you wanna join, meet me there.” Layla hung up the phone and put it in her pocket and ran downstairs.

“Mom, Dad, I’m going for a walk.” She told them as they were watching a movie. 

“Ok, but be back by midnight!” Mrs. Noble told her. Layla’s dad was sleeping. But he wouldn’t care where she went. 

“Bye!” Layla shut the door on the way out and hopped on her bike. The cold, breezy wind blew in her face as she rode. Soon after, she reached the Darien Cemetery. The trees hung over the graves and it was very dark and small. She shuddered but was excited. She stood her bike up on the grass and walked around the graves and read off the dates. 1943, 1883, 1729, they were all so old! Layla took out her phone and started to record herself and held it up to her face. 

“Hi guys, it’s Halloween 2021, exactly 11:59pm at the old cemetery on Thickety Lane. She sat on a bench and looked around, waiting for Catherine. But suddenly, it was midnight. Layla squealed.

“Guys it’s midnight!” She whispered. And then, a strange wind blew across the cemetery.

“Somethings happening,” She said and got up. “I’m still recording.” And after around 30 seconds, the wind stopped. It was strangely quiet. Too quiet. And then, a dark and scratchy voice echoed through the cemetery.

“Layla…Layla…” Layla was frightened. “Hello?” She said and looked around. Her body shook and froze. What is happening? She thought. And finally behind her, she heard ruffling. She quickly turned around and looked. Nothing was there. Layla really wanted to run but she was afraid to move. She slowly tried to walk backwards toward her bike but each step she took into the dead grass, the more courage she took and the more fear had gone into her. And then, she saw something that scared her so much that she dropped her phone but was still recording. A little skinny figure with two red glowing horns appeared from the trees. Its skin was as red as blood and its eyes were as dark as coal. It’s teeth were rotted and its clothes were ragged and ripped. 

“Safari’s coming,” It’s deep and shrill voice echoed through the cemetery. Layla was so scared, she couldn’t move until she had the courage to run. But as soon as she took one step forward, The devil grabbed her and took her behind the grave of Safari Redding.

“Layla?” Catherine had just parked her bike next to hers at the cemetery. “Layla, are you here?” Catherine walked around the cemetery searching behind graves trying to make sure that she wasn’t playing a prank on her. She kept on looking until she stepped on something hard. She looked down and saw a black reflective object on the ground. She bent down and picked up the abandoned phone. “This is Layla’s phone!” Catherine thought. But before she put it in her pocket, she noticed that her phone was unlocked to her camera roll. And just as you would think, Catherine spotted the last video which was recorded 6 minutes ago.  Catherine was curious. She thought that Layla was playing a prank on her but also she didn’t. So Catherine played the footage.

“Hi guys, it’s Halloween 2021, exactly 11:59pm at the old cemetery on Thickety Lane.” Said Layla’s voice. Her face looked excited and thrilled. Catherine kept watching. “Guys it’s midnight!” She said. But then Catherine saw her face right after. It looked curious. Catherine saw her looking around. “Somethings happening,” She finally said. Now Catherine was confused. “What’s happening?” She thought. “I’m still recording.” Said Layla’s voice. Then  Catherine heard it. What made Layla so curious in the video. A voice started to appeal into the video. “Layla…Layla…” Catherine was now scared. Just like how Layla was in the footage. Layla was shaking. The camera was still showing her face surprisingly. Catherine was urging to see what happened next. To see what happened to her best friend. And finally, it appeared. The camera was showing a bright red figure with glowing devil horns. It had ripped up clothes and the darkest eyes Catherine had seen. Catherine was frightened. “Safari’s coming.” Said the devil on the phone. And then that’s when she dropped her phone and Catherine heard the screaming. Catherine’s heart was pumping. She dropped Layla’s phone and ran to her bike. But then, a cold hand grabbed her ankle.

Catherine did not want to look behind her, but she did. And then she saw Layla. Her face was pale and her eyes were swollen. Her hair was all messed up and her clothes were torn. “L-Layla?” Catherine stuttered. “Hello Catherine!”

Her voice was all scratchy and evil. She crawled and sprawled her body across the grass. “Safari’s coming!” She said, “W-Who’s S-Safari?” Catherine shaked. Layla was still grabbing her ankle and smiled. And then behind Layla was a devil, the same one she saw in the video.

“Hello Catherine!” Said it’s shrilly and scratchy voice. Catherine screamed. She ran as fast as she could. She didn’t dare to look back. But she could hear the footsteps and grunting of their voices behind her. She ran across the cemetery, through graves and through trees. And finally, she tripped on a fallen tree right in the middle of the cemetery. “Please don’t hurt me!” Catherine thought. She grunted and turned to look behind her. About a couple feet away, both Layla and Safari were slowly walking towards her.

They had a very wide smile. Like a spider catching a load of flies. Catherine looked at her knee. The pants were ripped and she had a big bruise. Catherine shuddered in pain. She couldn’t get up. She didn’t have the strength to. But each step they took, the more negative her thoughts were. And the more she wanted to do something. To stop this horrible curse that hurt so many people. So finally, she reached her hand out into the grass. And luckily, she found a long, sharp and thick stick with a pointy end. It was like the stick came to her. She took it and started to sit up. She grunted in pain but it was worth it. She had to save herself. As much as she wanted to save Layla she couldn’t. It just wasn’t possible.

And finally, Catherine had the strength to lean forward and stand up. She held the stick in her hand. She was determined. And finally, Once they both got close enough, Catherine took the stick and screamed. They just kept walking. And finally, Catherine hit them to the ground with the stick. It was a good hit. They both fell to the ground yelling. Howling in pain. And then, Catherine stopped screaming. And watched as two red glowing bubbles appeared from their bodies. It rose and floated. Catherine stared at the floating things in the air and was out of breath. Was this a good sign or a bad one? She watched until they stopped moving. And then, they popped. Just like that. And finally, the bodies disappeared. Catherine was relieved. She stopped shaking. It was time to go home. She started limping to her bike. It was over. The curse. The myth. It was all over. And Catherine was there to witness it all. So Catherine had the urge to ride home. On that one particular and special Halloween night.