The lady and the Raincoat

Even as a child, I loved to hear ghost stories and watch scary movies. Often times my childhood neighbors and I would gather in the yard across the street form my childhood home and tell ghost stories. My mother also likes to spin a few herself from time to time. One particular story she said, came from a co worker of her's named Tom...

Tom, was driving home from a country-club dance late one Saturday night. It was pouring down rain and late. As he drove past the Trussville Cemetery, out of the corner of his eye appeared a lovely young girl, dressed in the sheerest of evening gowns, beckoning him for a lift. He jammed on his brakes, and motioned her to climb into the back seat of his sedan. "What on earth is a lady like you doing out here all alone at this time of night? Here", Tom said pulling his raincoat out of the backseat. "Take this to warm you".
"It's too long a story to tell you now," said the girl. Her voice was sweet and comforting. "Please, please take me home. My car broke down a few miles back and I have been trying to get help for the longest time. I live up the road about 5 miles. I do hope it's not too far out of your way."
"Sure. It's no problem". Along the way Tom and the young lady talked and seemed to be hitting it off. Tom was intrigued and fascinated by this lady, who called herself Judy. He asked Judy for a date the following evening.As they entered the drive, Tom noticed that Julie was still shivering. "You are still chilled to the bone. Wear my raincoat inside, I will get it from you tomorrow evening".
The next day Tom went to Julie's house and knocked on the door. An old woman answered and he asked her if Julie was at home. The lady looked surprised to have a visitor. Tom went on to explain that he had given Julie a ride home the night before, as she had car trouble in the rain. He went on the tell the old lady of the nice chat they had and that they had a scheduled date for this evening.
The woman had a sad look and asked him if this was some kind of joke. Tom insisted that it was no joke. She informed him that Julie had died 5 years before after she had been out on a date. Her date left her in the middle of no-where and she was hit by a truck while walking home on a dark road. "How can that be?", asked Tom.
Tom looked so confused when she told him this story that she told him that she would show him Julie's grave, as she was buried close by at the cemetery in Trussville. They drove a short distance and in the back corner of the large cemetery was where they would find Julie's place of burial. Both the woman and Tom were surprised to find Tom’s coat folded neatly laying on the grave.
I have through the years heard similar versions of this urban legend. As a child, though, it never got old. Even today as I drive past that big cemetery in Trussville, I think of young Julie's grave, and I always, always look out for a raincoat to be sitting out there somewhere.