Subj:	Meet Zeke - Trinity's Gravedigger
Date:	96-09-24 23:09:31 EDT
From:	Petra.Hinds@admin.utas.edu.au (Petra.Hinds)
Sender:	owner-ag-fanfic@stargame.org
To:	ag-fanfic@stargame.org

"Hello there.  My name's Ezekial.  Most folks 
round these parts call me Zeke.  I've been 
digging graves and caretakin' here at the Trinity 
cemetary for nigh on 60 years.  Made a life long 
career of diggin and fillin, diggin and fillin and 
trying to keep this 'ere boneyard looking presentable.  
Was a time when a man only had to keep up 1 or 
2 holes a week but over the last 10 years or so 
you might say business has bin booming.

Trinity has had more than its share of tragic 
deaths.  It all started around the time that 
Mrs. Temple done threw herself out the hospital 
window. Up until then the Emorys being kilt in 
that fire was the only buryin' I done that wasn't 
from old age or illness.

Since then we done had a steady stream of 
residents wishing to partake in the comforts 
of Trinity Cemetery.

After so many years of seeing the dead go 
down a man gets to take death as part of life 
but I truly shed a tear the day I had to cover 
Merlyn Ann Temple and her daddy's coffins.  
It was a terrible thing to see that motherless 
girl dead so young at the hand of her pappy.  
May he lie in pease.  Father Temple had done 
his best trying to raise those two children
but with Merlyn being as she was the strain 
must have finally caught up with him.  Young 
Caleb Temple comes visiting his sister every 
now and again but most of the time he steers 
clear of the place.  I think it was somthin'
to do with the grave marked for his name.

This boneyard has some pretty strange 
happenings go on at times.  Most of the 
time as I said I pay no mind to em.  I accept 
that a full moon can always be seen here 
on a fine night, that trees grow full size 
overnight and that sometimes graves seem 
to be disturbed but when I saw that grave 
with young Temple's name on it I thought 
some young uns were up to some trickery.  
I done dug that hole up as quick as I see'd 
it but then I done filled it back up even quicker.  
I've lived to be my age by mindin' my own
business and all that money, how it got 
there and who put it there ain't nutting to 
do with me.

As I said I've been doing this for nigh on 
60 years and business has picked up so 
much lately it gets hard for these old bones 
keeping up.  I done hired me a helper.  
Thought I could train him up like a protege 
so that I could retire knowing that things 
were being taken care off.  Well that boy 
done lasted less than a week.  First he 
starts whining about the girlie in the white 
dress who seems to hang around, then he 
up and runs out on me during the buryin' of 
Will Hawkins.  Claims he could hear scaping 
coming from insides the coffin.  Hee Hee 
just as well he had long gone when I's 
found that young bikie boy Ray a wailing 
and a hollering in Merlyn's open grave.

Right now I have me another sorrow filled 
task.  Seems that the day has finally 
come to bury Lucas Buck hisself.  I 
thought I would never live to see it.  I sort 
of feel as if he ain't really gone.  Ifn he is 
I may be guessin wild but I reckon 
business will slow down again some.

I surely would like to be able to rest my 
old bones before they rest them in this 
here boneyard for me."

THE END