Names on a Ground by J.A. Elamparo

NAMES ON A GROUND

J.A. Elamparo

Synopsis

A young and unsure man named ANTHONY stands at the crest of a hilltop cemetery overlooking a city before MONICA approaches him. Monica, a coolly and apathetic longtime friend, is anxious to get out of this place, but Anthony faces indecision to pick that certain ‘spot’ yet. REX, the business-like guy in charge of the family cemetery, reaches Monica and the talks of negotiating the price of a plot purchase resumes. Rex encourages Monica to take a cheaper area of the cemetery at $400. Monica explains that Anthony wants a plot on the hill at $700, higher than what they can afford.

Suddenly a solar-powered smacks Rex in the head, causing him to drop his papers and topple to the ground. A loud fight ensues between two young, offbeat teenagers: KATIE and JOSH. Before Katie wrestles Josh under her mercy, Rex splits their fight and scolds them for their behavior of “disrupting the atmosphere”. Monica joins them and sees a bizarre sight: two excessively decorated graves as the byproduct of a year-long after-school hobby (and contest) between the two teens. Monica wonders why Rex has allowed these two loud youngsters to remain on the grounds for so long. Rex explains his deep debt to the teenagers due to a large number of referrals and a case of mischief that prevented a lawsuit of switched bodies in a past funeral.

Once Rex leaves to find his papers, Monica notices that Anthony has disappeared and goes to search for him. The teens spot a depressed Anthony wandering somewhere else on the grounds, unaware of his identity, and speculate his purpose for visiting the cemetery. Suddenly, Anthony collapses and through a brief montage, the story reveals that he is the one to die. The two teens, Rex and Monica race to Anthony’s help, but Anthony recovers consciousness and refuses to take his pills. When he struggles against his medication and his pills spill all over the ground, Monica is no longer frustrated with him; she is enraged.

As they watch the argument unfold between Monica and Anthony, Rex briefs the two teenagers a hopeless history of Anthony, and his terminal situation before commenting that the two mischievous teenagers should seek their fun with the living rather than the seriousness grounds of death. Monica screams at Anthony, claiming that she doesn’t care about the location of the plot, nor Anthony’s death. Suddenly, she realizes that she has hurt Anthony is hurt breaks down emotionally, taking her words back as they comfort each other. Anthony decides to pick the spot they’re sitting on as his plot. Rex offers the plot at $400, considering his connection to Monica and the insisting of Josh and Katie. Rex and the greet Monica and Anthony goodbye as they leave the cemetery.

Three months later, Katie and Josh continue their hobby of grave decorating as they wait for Monica to arrive at Anthony’s grave.