She stayed back out of sight watching Billy Armen and his friends playing football in the field across from the Shady Arms cemetery where her and Astor had been waiting for their opportunity, just as the sun began to inch its way down behind the horizon the opportunity presented itself, someone had overthrown the ball and Billy missed it and it rolled out into the street. Mary Ann made her move and ran into the street to retrieve the football just as Billy Armen walked up. “Give me the ball you little Brat! Or I’ll belt you a good one!”
Mary looked at the cemetery and smiled at the prospect.
“You want the ball you big ape? Then go in and get it!”
And with all of her might little Mary Ann Montgomery threw the ball right through the gates of the Endless Grave yard to where she knew Astor would be waiting. She backed away, just as Billy’s friends showed up, quickly while their attention was on Billy she ran behind the fence and hid and watched. Boy after boy Refused Billy’s orders to go into the Shady Arms cemetery to retrieve the football until Billy, the king of all bullies was forced to go in all by himself.
“I’m gonna skin that little brat!!” He Yelled.
Slowly he made his way into the Endless Graveyard where Astor had been waiting for him to test his courage.



It was getting closer to nightfall now and everything cast menacing shadows in every direction. Further and further The reluctant hero inched his way into the cemetery, until he saw his precious football resting against a headstone, slowly Billy’s confidence began to grow.
“This ain’t so tough!” he told himself.
And he almost believed it until he heard the slow building moans coming from behind him, and when he turned to see the glowing form of Astor no more than ten feet away he himself became white as a sheet. “Whooooo dare disturb me from my eternal rest??”
He stood there almost frozen in place, as Astors voice became deeper and scarier. All the while Mary Ann Montgomery who had been watching from her hiding place, had to cover her mouth to contain her slowly rising giggles. “Leave Here Now!!”
Billy Armen couldn’t move, and slowly Astor grew closer to him until his nose was but inches from the frightened bullies face.
“Did you not hear me Boy??… I.. SAID… NOOOOOWW!!”
He ran like he’d never ran before, his feet almost tripping over themselves on several occasions. And when he reached the gate moments later Astor could hear the roar of laughter from the other children.



Mary Ann Montgomery showed up by the ghost’s side still halfway giggling. She looked up at him.
“Hmmm. What do you know about that Mr. Astor?” she said. “He was in such a hurry he forgot his football.”
The child bent down and picked it up and began to walk back to the hole in the fence that she’d came in through secretly, when Astor’s voice much softer now gently called her back.
“Mary?”
She turned to face him.
“Maybe you should go out the same way that he did when you return their football to them ay?”
She smiled, and ran to the gate. But stopped suddenly to look back at him, slowly she walked back over to him.
“Mr. Astor sir?”
He bent down to look at her.
“Yes young Miss?”
“Well I know that you helped me with my bully problem, but how did I help you?”
“I don’t know if you will understand Mary, but you see child, sometimes we must realize that it isn’t what we did or did not do in the past that defines us, but it is what we do in the here and now, for ourselves and others, if you take care of the present then the past will take care of itself. I could not pass through the veil not because of someone else.. But because of me, you helped me see that child.”
She sadly looked up at him.
“Well You deserve to be happy, so if you have to go I understand.”
She turned to leave the cemetery and Astor disappeared from view.. Briefly at the first light of day on the next morning he briefly reappeared at his own Headstone and found a single rose on his grave with a note from little Mary Ann Montgomery on it were scribbled three little words.
Rest In Peace.

Scratch ABT. copyright© 2007.

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