The Moonlit Road - The Promise

Adapted from folklore by Craig Dominey

Deep in the hot steamy backwoods of Lost Creek, Louisiana, there once lived two young boys named Tom and Clay. They were the best of friends - so much so that they each made a solemn promise to be the best man at the other's wedding when they grew up. They cut open the palms of their hands with hunting knives and shook hands on it, sealing their promise in blood.

As they got older, the two friends became very different men. Tom was a soft-spoken and humble fella who was quite content working his family's small livestock ranch. But Clay was a hothead who frequented the local tavern almost every night. "That temper of yours is gonna get you in trouble one day," Tom constantly warned his friend. And sure enough, his warning came true. Clay got in a barroom brawl one night over a gambling debt, and was promptly shot dead.

Tom spent many months grieving for Clay, and visited his grave every week at the tiny local cemetery a few miles outside of town. But Tom knew he eventually had to get on with his life, and so he did. A year later, he met a young woman named Isabelle, whose family had just moved into the area. After a six-month courtship, the two decided to get married.

It was then that Tom remembered the promise he'd made to Clay when they were kids. Since Clay was dead, he obviously couldn't be the best man. But Tom felt he should show respect for their friendship and at least ask him, no matter if he was alive or dead. Besides, Tom was kind of a superstitious fella. And he figured with a temper like Clay had, he might just come back as a ghost and make his life miserable if he didn't!

Graveyard

So one night, Tom walked down the long dusty road to Lost Creek Cemetery, lantern in hand. He opened the rusted cemetery gate with a loud CREAK and walked past the crumbling tombstones to Clay's barren grave. He took a deep breath, then told Clay about his wedding plans. "Remember that promise we made when we was kids?" asked Tom. "Well, it'd be great if you could be my best man. But since you're dead and all..."

Before Tom could finish this sentence, he felt the ground start to shake underneath his feet. It got louder and louder, and lightning crashed across the sky. A giant sinkhole opened up where Clay's grave used to be. Then Tom's blood ran cold as he saw Clay's corpse rise slowly out of the earth, a big grin on his face, looking no different than the day they buried him.

"'Bout time you came 'round here and asked me!" Clay said. "I thought you'd never make it!"

-1-

Return to top