Matilda In The Graveyard

• Seraphine McNamara,
• Short Story
• 2017

Once upon a time there lived a young girl called Matilda, she lived in a small cottage with her parents. Her family were dirt poor so Matilda had no toys. She had only one friend to play with, her kitten, Ginger. Matilda's dad was a wood cutter and they lived near a big old forest. On one side of the forest was an old, deserted graveyard. Some of the head stones were over two hundred years old, but nobody ever visited these days.
Every day Matilda went to gaze at the eerie, sad tombstones. She was sad for all the people who had been forgotten. Her father had told her that her great Aunt was buried there but she was too frightened to spend the time hunting through the grave stones for her Aunt's name inscribed in the stone.
Then one night Matilda felt a need for adventure. She snuck out of the cottage with only one candle for light. Once Matilda took ten steps forward, a wind blew and put her candle out. In the dark, she felt like turning back but she didn't. It was a cold and windy night. As Matilda walked into the graveyard she stumbled and fell, Matilda was too frightened to call for help. She hit her head on a grave stone and went unconscious. Her head started bleeding.
While she was lying on the ground, she dreamed an old lady came to help her. The old lady was dressed in old fashioned clothing. She held Matilda's hand and wrapped her in a warm blanket. She told her that her father would be coming to find her soon. Matilda thanked her and asked her name.
"Oh little one, I am your aunt, I died a long time ago and I am buried here. I have been watching over you for as long as you have been alive."
Sometime later Matilda woke up, her head was still sore and bleeding and there was no sign of the old lady but Matilda was wrapped in a warm, cosy blanket and beside her was a freshly picked flower.
Her father came that morning calling her name. He found her under a tree still wrapped in a blanket with a flower beside her. As he carried Matilda home her head began to bleed and he asked Matilda what had happened.
"Oh Daddy I tripped and hurt myself."
"Were you scared?" he asked.
"No daddy because my great aunt was there to look after me," replied Matilda.
"I had a dream about her too. She told me to get up and come and find you but it was only a dream," her father said.
"But who gave me the blanket" asked Matilda?