Mark Schultz and Bud Black were two young thugs that even the criminal element, including drug pushers, avoided like the plague itself. It wasn't that they could be mean at times. It was that they were evil all the time and viscously evil when they wanted to have what they called "fun". These two boys parents were not super outstanding members of the community. They had grown up in the hippie generation when "doing your own thing" and "in your face" rebellion was at its height. They had let their sons grow up doing whatever they wanted. Both families had money, the source of which was open to question. Because of this Mark and Bud had any "toy" they wanted, when they wanted it.
At the moment they were none too happy. Mark's father had bailed them both out of jail, again. This time they had been locked up for picking on old Henry Gray. Gray was an old recluse who lived outside of town. He tended to pay attention to his own business and tried to avoid anyone else's business. This wasn't hard to do because he lived in a Revolutionary War vintage house on a hundred acres of hills, woods, and swamp. He had no good farming land. His ancestors were all buried in the family crypt, on the top of one of the hills on his property. The family had, according to some, a lot of money; but they didn't seem to spend any of it. For example, the old Gray house had no power lines to it, but it did have a phone line.
In general, the Gray family seemed to be loners. Although Henry had a daughter who lived about ten miles from his house, the only person living with Henry was his granddaughter, Val. She was very pretty, in a gothic sort of way.
A week before Mark and Bud had been bailed out of jail they had decided to give old man Gray some trouble, just for the fun of it. He was a feeble old man who looked like a skeleton in pale white skin. They broke out several of his ground level windows and were trying to start a grass fire when they suddenly found themselves on the business end of a double barreled 10ga shotgun. Henry held them at gun point until the sheriff could send someone out to take them into custody.
One of the conditions for bail to be Grayed was that the windows had to be repaired to Mr. Gray's satisfaction. Reluctantly Bud Black's father had seen to the repairs. As a local building contractor he had reasonable contacts for getting the job done right and a relatively low cost.
Mark and Bud had been truly taken aback when they were put in jail and had to stay there until the damage had been fixed. They both agreed that they had to teach old Mr. Gray a lesson.
Two weeks after Bud and Mark had been bailed out, old Mr. Gray died. As per family custom, the body was not embalmed but put into a wooden coffin and placed in the family crypt, on the hill. Once the coffin had been placed in the crypt, Val, and her aunt, returned to the family home.
Two months passed and Halloween was approaching. Mark and Bud had an idea how to get back at the Gray family. They planned on opening Henry Gray's coffin and stealing his body. Then they would soak it in gasoline, hang it in a nearby tree, and set it on fire. Then they planned on visiting Val Gray and having some "fun" with her before they set her house on fire. They didn't plan on leaving Val alive to act as a witness.
It was after dark on Halloween night when they went to the front door of the Gray house. They had no trouble seeing things since there was a wonderfully bright full moon and clear sky. They walked up to the door and knocked.
From inside a female voice called out: "Who's there?"
"Just a couple of old friends of your grandfather."
Val opened the door a crack, holding a kerosene lamp in her hand. As the door opened, Bud and Mark pushed the door wide open and stepped in.
"You fell for it, you slut. Didn't anybody ever tell you to beware of strangers and be afraid of the dark?"
"No, there is no fear of the dark in our family. We happen to like the night. Now, what do you two troublemakers want?"
"Well, we're going to take you to where your grandpa is buried, dig him up, douse him with gasoline, hoist him up into a tree and let you watch him burn. How will you like that?"
"It won't work."
"Listen to her, Bud. She thinks we can't do it."
"I guarantee you can't do it. Take my word for it. For your own sakes I suggest that you forget all about this stupid plan. The further away from this area you are the safer it will be for you."
"And just what do you think makes this place unsafe for us, sweetie?"
"Me, for one, and at least one other that you don't expect to meet."
"I wonder what drugs she's on, Mark. Did you get that, we should be worried about her? What a joke. Now, you dumb slut, you are going with us while we do this. Then, we're going to have a nice little party with you as the toy. When we get done, you and the house will be burned up. How do you like that idea?"
Val, said nothing. Her face made both of the thugs uneasy. She looked almost happy. "Let's go. I want to see you try to do what you said you were going to do. How are you going to open the crypt?"
