Secrets of the Cemetery

On 31 October, fifteen-year-old Théo decided to prove that he was too old to fear village legends. Shortly before midnight, he slipped through the iron gate of the cemetery, carrying only a small torch and far more confidence than common sense.

The farther he walked, the quieter the village became. Names on old stones seemed to change when his light moved across them. Then he heard footsteps behind him — slow, regular, stopping whenever he stopped.

At the oldest part of the cemetery, Théo found a grave with no name, only a date: 31 October. A cold voice behind him asked why he had come. He turned and saw a girl about his age, dressed in clothes from another century.

She explained that every Halloween the forgotten dead were allowed to walk until sunrise, but only if somebody living remembered them. The nameless grave belonged to her. Time had erased her name, and without it she would soon disappear completely.

Together they searched the small chapel and discovered an old register. Her name was Éléonore. Théo copied it onto a piece of paper and placed it under a stone at the grave. The wind stopped immediately.

At dawn the girl was gone. Théo never boasted about being fearless again. Every Halloween, he returned to the cemetery with flowers for Éléonore — and for the other names that nobody visited anymore.