The Willow Village Cemetery is a strange place unlike any other cemetery that I have found myself in before. It is located on the far edge of the town and is far removed from the rest of Willow Village. The entrance is an arched rusty iron gate that stretches high with the words “Willow Village Cemetery” proudly displayed.

The grounds are meticulously maintained, yet I have never seen a single soul there. Of course, I have yet to see anyone at all since my time here has begun. The level of care that the cemetery receives is astonishing. Especially considering the apparent lack of caretakers.

There is a mismatch assortment of all kinds of perennial herbs, fruits, flowers, cacti… Basically every plant that I have ever seen. Not to mention more than a few that I have not seen, it is actually remarkable. There are various plants that shouldn’t be alive in this climate. I’m not exactly a green thumb… but I know a little bit from some books that I once went through.

There are headstones and statues, crypts, as well as mausoleums, everything that you come to expect from a cemetery. There is something strange about this place however. Although, I guess that should go without saying…everything is strange in Willow Village.

I can’t read any of the names, whether it be on the tombstones, or the words on the memorials. All I see is a blur when I try and make out any information. I know they are there, but it’s like there is something that is stopping me from seeing them.

There is a small bunkhouse to the side that appears to be abandoned, it looks like it has been for quite some time. There is nothing in there besides some worn furniture and an old tea kettle. I thought about fixing the place up, for all of two seconds, before I realized that the thought of spending the night alone in the Willow Village Cemetery was off-putting to say the very least.

It’s incredibly peaceful though, I can’t explain it. A lot of this town I find remarkably unsettling, some of it downright terrifying. Yet the cemetery is not one of those places. It is quiet and simple in a way that I don’t quite understand.

It should be terrifying here, the rest of this forsaken “village” is. It just isn’t though, it’s hauntingly beautiful and strangely wonderful in a way that I can’t even begin to describe.

I noticed one other thing that it is maybe worth mentioning, it never rains in the cemetery. Not once have I ever seen any sign of water build up anywhere… It is perfectly dry despite the rain storms that I know occur out here. It’s as if this place is a little pocket that is untouched by the rest of the village’s eco system.

Perhaps this location is a safe haven away from the rest of this dreary and unforgiving place, or maybe that’s just exactly what it wants me to think.. so that I end up letting my guard down.

If that is the case, then it is with some reluctance, that I admit it is half working. I almost feel safe here in the cemetery, as strange as that sounds.

You can’t exchange peace of mind for any price, so regardless of whether or not the safety that I feel here is a fabrication… Well I am just glad to have one place where I can actually feel like there’s a little bit of hope.

Hope is such a strange and fascinating concept. It becomes increasingly hard to partake in with the absence of other humans. It’s almost as if we rely on each other to optimize that battery, but when you are all alone… That is another story.

Your own thoughts burden you and there’s no outlet. No human interaction can make it all seem like it is all in your head. Your reality that you sit in inside of your own mind is then projected out into reality. Being alone with your thoughts is one of the most dangerous places that you can ever be.

I’m glad this cemetery gives me a little bit of quiet, it’s the only place where those thoughts seem to slow down.