a Picture of the long dead

Don't click the pic! I won't be responsible for whatever happens.

While boondocking in Congress Arizona a few days ago, I visited the old 1800's Pioneer Cemetery and took a few pictures as you might remember and put them on my blog. Then, late that same afternoon, I walked up to the old Pioneer Cemetery with my infrared camera, to see if there was anything I could take a picture of along the way. It wasn't very far, and I got there just as the sun was going down. I was wearing my headlamp because I knew I would be walking back in the dark, and even though I got there when the sun was setting, I could still see okay.

As I ambled up to the parking lot where I had parked my truck just a few hours ago, I walked up to the gate and snapped a few pictures of the inside of the cemetery.

I didn't want to walk inside the cemetery because there's a lot of cactus and other pokey things  growing there, and I didn't want to take a chance of tripping and falling into some of it in the dark. When you're in a cemetery at night you never know what you might trip and fall into.

As I turned and walked back into the parking lot, I thought I heard a faint sound of someone speaking; it was a deep male voice that sounded like it said, "we're ready now" I turned around and looked back at the cemetery and didn't see anyone, and even though what sounded like a voice gave me the creeps, the wind was blowing a bit and that can make strange sounds, so I didn't pay any attention to it, snapped a picture of the cemetery parking lot and gate, turned on my headlamp, and walked back to where the bronco was boondocked.

Putting the pictures into my photo editing software, the first five pictures looked normal, but the last one made my heart race and gave me an overwhelming desire to get in my truck and leave as quickly as possible.

Staring back at me was the expressionless faces of those long dead but unable to find a final resting place. A family that had suffered a great tragedy losing a loved one in this godforsaken desert wilderness. Unable to come to terms with their loss, they're forced to relive this burial over and over again, possibly until the end of time.

Maybe not everyone gets to witness this tragic apparition; it appears this family was waiting at the cemetery for their picture to be taken in remembrance of their deceased family member, but something happened, and the picture was never recorded, which added to the tragedy of their loss, and meant that the family will now have to wait forever at the gate of this lonely burial ground.

So now possibly anyone that shows up with a camera at this forlorn, all but forgotten cemetery will hear that deep voice repeating, "we're ready now," hoping to get that one picture of the entire family together for the last time before committing the loved ones body to lay forever in this desolate, abandoned, desert cemetery.

                                                 Theboondork