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// Nightmare Night Surprise! 
// Story: TALES FOR NIGHTMARE NIGHT!   A collection to read AFTER the lights are out! 
// by De Writer 
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Unger glanced around furtively to be sure that he was not being watched by anypony.  He knew the Ponyville graveyard like the back of his hoof and this grave, in spite of what the headstone said, and the sound turf over it, had not been here as recently as last week.

There was something down there that was worth checking out, too.  It was hard to pin down exactly how he knew that.  It was sort of like a scent, but not quite.

Sure that nopony was watching this remote corner of the graveyard, even though the day was going to yield to Nightmare Night in a few hours, Unger set shovel to turf.  He expertly cut turves free, setting them aside.  Once he had made a big enough patch of bare earth, he began to dig in earnest, piling the dirt onto a tarp that he had brought for just that purpose.  He had a sprinkle can full of water along too.

When he was done, there would be almost no sign that he had ever been there.

It did not matter that he was an Earth Pony, digging like this was hard work!  Unger was sweating but grinned as he made a slight correction to the emphasis, there.  WAS an Earth Pony!  Not quite one, anymore.  Earth, for sure.  It was that Pony part that he had his doubts about!

Sweating from his toil, Unger still found a certain pleasure in the rhythm of of it.  Stab and stomp the shovel in, pry the clod free and swing it up and onto the tarp and repeat.

He paused for a sip of water that he had brought to drink and contemplated the headstone of the grave that he was opening.

Desmond Racula, Count of the Across Forest.  The dates of his life were apparently worn from age.  Unger chuckled at it and wondered if the Count had good taste or would taste good? 

Snickering, he thought, “I will know soon enough!”

The sun was setting as he got down to the ornate coffin.  He eagerly cleared the last of the dirt from its lid.

The last bit of the sun slunk from view as Unger hungrily reached to pry open the top of the ancient looking coffin.  As a joke, he chanted, “Nightmare Night!  What a Fright!”

Shocked, he never finished the words!  From inside, the chant was finished, “Give me something sweet to bite!”  The coffin’s lid flew to one side as the hungry vampony leaped, lunging for his throat!


~The End~