One more cemetery story ....


I was on my first 600K brevet in 2001. It had been a good first day. A group of 5 of us stuck together, and the time passed quickly. Then night fell, and as we rode, people started shooting off fireworks from the farms on either side of the road ... our route took us down into Minnesota, and it was the US July long weekend! I'd forgotten about that! That was really cool, cycling along with fireworks overhead. Later the fireworks died off, and the night was clear and beautiful. Stars above, and a plethora of fireflies in the ditches.

After our 2 am stop, the group broke up a bit. Three dropped back, and two of us rode on ahead. At about 4 am, the two of us pulled into a small town in the middle of nowhere, and decided to sit down and wait for the three behind. The route out of the town was a little bit confusing, and one of the other riders had done the route before. We didn't think they were too far back, and so should be along any minute. We waited ... and waited ... and waited ...

Finally we decided that we might as well get going, and try to figure it out ourselves. I was following Tom, about 100 ft back, while he picked out the route. He made a right turn, and I hesitantly followed. I wasn't at all sure that was the right direction, but he seemed to know where he was going.

As we rode, I noticed that there were fewer and fewer street lights ... soon it was quite dark. Then I noticed something else ... the road was getting rougher. Just then, Tom's taillights disappeared ... and I was riding on an unfamiliar surface. I was on grass ... the road had vanished! I stopped and tried to peer around.

In the light of the moon and a distant street light, I realized where I was .......... I was in the middle of a cemetery! Mist wrapped itself around the headstones, moving and swaying and drifting around in the pale moonlight. I was rooted to the spot!! I had been riding for 22 straight hours at that moment, and the sleep deprivation was an aid to my imagination. Add to that the fact that Tom was nowhere to be seen!!! But I couldn't couldn't call his name, scream, or anything. I felt frozen.

Suddenly he came out from around from behind some trees and said, "I don't think this is the right way.". I nearly fell over in a dead faint.