It’s not completely abandoned. Even though the arched windows and doors of the church are covered with plywood, there’s a hand written cardboard sign nailed to the fence. “Please keep the cemetery neat. Garbage pickup is on [too blurry from water damage to read].”

The air is cold and the sky is blue. There wind is coming from everywhere and it carries a bite. I go back to the car to get my jacket. The gate is slapping against a post and creaking at the same time — I want to laugh because it all looks so much like a scene from a Sergio Leone spaghetti western, only it isn’t funny.… continued…