Hailley was a high school girl who lived with her parents and brother in the countryside in France. She was like any other teenager, fun-loving, playful and curious, but one thing that made her stand apart from others was her interest in paranormal activities. She was fond of visiting old cemeteries at night. Her mother always dissuaded her not to do so but she called herself a NECROPHILIAC, (a person who has an attraction for corpses). Her parents tried hard to convince her that she would put herself in danger someday but Hailley was adamant. She knew that a different world beckoned her.

Hailley had to submit her school project in the next few days but she was still undecided what to do. She wanted her project to be different but couldn't think of anything. Suddenly, an idea crossed her mind. She decided to research her favourite area of interest.

Next day in school, she told her friends about the idea but they declined, graves intimidated them.

It was a clear sky when Hailley planned to visit the cemetery. She asked her younger brother to accompany her. Her brother was not like her, he was an AGORAPHOBIC (person who can be scared or fooled very easily). But upon Hailey's insistence, he agreed.

This time she had a camera and grave-digging equipment with her. She remembered the last time when she had forgotten t carry the camera and was not able to capture anything. The entire trip has been a waste.

"Are you sure its safe in here?" asked her petrified brother as soon as they entered the graveyard.

"Don't be a squarehead, Alex, of course, its safe."

She handed him a torch and told him to hold it still. Meanwhile, she started taking photographs of the graveyard. She saw a grave that was placed quite differently as compared to the others, so she decided to research that one.

She looked around to see if anyone was there, but there was complete silence.

Without further delay, she started digging the grave. It was after a while when she thought she heard noises from inside the casket........ she felt she was on the way to discover something new. On her earlier visits, she had never experienced anything like this.

She was curious and excited while her brother stood there shaking. He was as white as a ghost. Hailley looked at him but she was not to be deterred.

"Hold the torch still," Hailley ordered.

"Let's go home," said Alex, sweating.

"Yes, once i finish digging."

Suddenly they heard footsteps behind them. A tall and lean figure emerged from the darkness. The man appeared to be in his 40s, his hair unkempt, he was wearing a long ragged coat. His eyes were dark and empty, devoid of any emotion.

"Bonjour Madame et monsieur", said the man in a hoarse voice.

"Merci monsieur." greeted Hailley.

"May i know what you children are doing here?"

"My sister is researching something, i don't know what, i am just helping her", replied Alex hurriedly. He was scared to see the man, he found something strange about him.

"Research..... interesting", said the man. What kind of research? You children should be in bed and not here. You should not be intruding our privacy.

"Who are you?" asked Hailley.

"I'm the caretaker here."

"What's your name?", Alex asked moving slightly towards his sister.

"Benjamin Alberto", replied the man. " You should immediately leave the cemetery before it's too late."

"We will after we are done", said Hailley.

After a long moment of silence, Alberto abruptly said, "I will now leave, it's time to go back." He suddenly disappeared in the dark.

The temperature dropped, the storm was building up. "What's going on?" whispered Alex.

"Don't know," she said, she was busy digging the grave. The noises had stopped coming now. It was only the sound of the violent weather that could now be heard.

The sky had become dark and ugly. The rain fell. It became very difficult for Hailley to continue digging. She had become weary and wet. She decided she would stop digging, go home and come back tomorrow when the storm had receded.

As soon as she stood up, her eye caught the name written on the grave- Benjamin Alberto

Born-1857, Died-19 March; worked as a caretaker and died of a heart attack.

Hailley stood there speechless. She was digging the grave of the man she had just met. She was filled with fear and dread. She couldn't move her legs. Then she remembered what the man had said- I WILL NOW LEAVE. IT'S TIME TO GO BACK ....... had he meant that he had to go back inside the casket? She was petrified, but couldn't think straight. Was the man a ghost, had she seen a ghost!!

"Alex lets go," she said. As soon as she turned to face him, she was horror-struck. Her brother was nowhere to be seen. She called out his name, looked around the graveyard, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Alex, don't play tricks on me, please, we need to get back. It's getting late." But there was no sign of Alex anywhere. He had disappeared.

Hailley was scared, what would she tell her parents? Will they forgive her? After all, they had always told her that she was playing with danger.

"He's gone, forever", said the voice.

She turned around to see who it was, words escaped her, Benjamin Alberto was standing in front of her. He was laughing heartedly. She screamed and ran as fast as she could.....

She told her parents about her experience at the cemetery. "Alex has gone somewhere, I am sorry, it's my mistake. I shouldn't have taken him with me. Please forgive me."

Her parents were spellbound. They could not understand what she was saying.

"What!! Alex, gone somewhere, what do you mean?"

"Mom, Alex was with me while i was digging, but suddenly he disappeared. I looked all around but I couldn't find him." she started crying.

She was inconsolable, her father tried to speak but Hailley did not give him a chance.

Her mother shouted at her, "Hailley, what's wrong with you? I have always told you not to go near the graves but you never listen to me."

"Alex is home, safe in bed. We were with him all the time", my father said.

But he was with me all the time.........

Hailley tried to convince her parents that she was with her brother but her parents tried to convince her that she had gone all alone to the cemetery.

She questioned herself- who was the boy I was talking to then?......

The mystery remains unsolved...