The House on Cemetery Hill by Barry Forbes

Author:Barry Forbes [Forbes, Barry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Leo Press

11

A Hillside Survey

They drew lots, Pete won—and couldn’t stop grinning. That bugged his sister to no end.

“No gloating,” Kathy admonished him sternly.

Suzanne came in second. For a few moments, she avoided eye contact with her best friend. After losing to her brother, Kathy was in a foul mood.

“Don’t sweat it,” Tom said, trying to cheer her up. “We’ll hide out down here and guard the road.”

“Big deal.”

It was after ten o’clock on Wednesday night, a cool and breezy summer evening in Prescott. Tom was at the wheel of the Chevy, cruising along Cemetery Hill’s circular roadway, lights off. The grassy mall slipped past by in slow motion.

The goal was to survey the house on the ridge. Thinking ahead and not knowing what to expect, the foursome had dressed in dark clothes. In the back of their minds, caution was the keyword.

“Remember,” Tom warned earlier, “Marsden is carrying a weapon.”

Now, it was showtime.

“You realize how freaky this is, right?” Suzanne asked as the Chevy circled the grassy mall. “We’re the only ones out here—the only live ones, anyway.”

“I sure hope so,” Kathy said, studying the gravesites as they passed by.

They stopped shy of the ranch house’s open gate and the steep road leading to the top of the ridge.

“Okay,” Tom said. “Remember, if we call or message, it means that another car has showed up, and it’s heading up the hill.”

“Got it,” Pete said. This was way too much fun. He almost saluted.

“Good luck.”

“Yes, sir,” Suzanne said, mocking her brother.

Suzanne and Pete stepped from the car, gazing up. From the bottom of the hill, only the roof of the ranch house was visible, shrouded by a soft glow of light.

“Oh, boy,” Pete said, rubbing his hands together. “This should be interesting.”

Suzanne, careful by nature, felt a little trepidation. “Let’s not get caught.”

“I hadn’t planned on it.”

“Good to hear.”

By prior agreement, Tom drove the Chevy farther along the mall’s circular road, then turned around for an unobstructed view of the grassy mall, the hillside, and the gravel road leading up to the ranch house. From this vantage point, he and Kathy could spot an incoming car on Cemetery Hill’s roadway, long before it reached the gate. He pulled over, shut off the ignition, and opened the windows.

“Can you see anything?” he asked Kathy.

“Not a thing,” she replied. “Way too dark.”

Pete and Suzanne began their trek upwards. Somewhere in the distance, the whooo-whooo of an owl started. Except for the ever-present cicadas, the steep hillside was quiet, the only sound falling footsteps on the rough graveled road. Five minutes passed before they paused, catching their breath.

“We’re close,” Pete said, breathing hard. He loved every second of the adventure.

Not much later, they caught the whiff of an odd smell. “What is that?” Suzanne whispered.

“Cigarette smoke, I think.”

“Awful.”

Then they froze. Faint voices carried on the breeze. Car doors slammed, and an ignition fired up. Then two more. There was a distinct sound of tires rolling on gravel.

“Get off the road!” Suzanne hissed.

They raced across the hillside, ducking low, putting distance between themselves and the roadway.

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