Flowers And Headstones

On a chilly, icy evening, Kayla carries her supplies. Her face lights up with a nice blend between passion and excitement. It’s an odd reaction to have while working as a cemetery caregiver, but it’s her first day on the job. She’s been waiting to hear back from the manager for three weeks, and because of this, she never got to experience the delight of the fresh flowers and vines wrapping around the gravestones. It gave the graveyard a more joyous look despite the initial gloom. As she approaches a dusty, cracked headstone, she bends down and gets to work. She starts slowly around the edges, giving it a smooth polish on the outside before finishing in the center.

A few feet away, she hears footsteps and pauses. There shouldn’t be anyone here because of the holiday weekend. Skeptically, she pivots on her toes and finds no one. Furrowing her eyebrows, she then turns back around, picks up her disinfector and sprays carefully on the headstone. The words are engraved in such a sophisticated font, it’s hard to read. Martha Niel is written at the top. Her date of birth and death are below it, reading Mar. 18, 1937-Sept. 3, 2017. Interesting, Kayla ponders. She died recently. The majority of deaths here were from a long time ago, dating back from the 1800s to 1900s. She must be one of the few exceptions. Why is that?

In the corner of Kayla’s eye, she spots movement. Dried leaves crunch in the autumn night, leaving her paranoid. A dark figure appears behind a colorful tree, its red maple leaves blowing calmly, obscuring the figure’s face. It waits, and she stares. Narrowing her eyes, she notices a deliberate, uncertain smile tug at its mouth. It has no lips; no nose; no face. She doesn’t know what it is nor what it could be. Her shoulders tense, and she’s afraid to look away. The more she stares, the more details she pieces together. It seems almost shy as its long, black arm raises. It pauses halfway like it’s rethinking its idea. Then it waves, and she waves back, shooting it a crooked smile. Grinning back, it copies her. However, there’s something odd about it. Looking closely, she sees how its right front tooth is missing. She runs her tongue over teeth, remembering that she, too, lost her right front tooth.

Cold, dry hands grab her shoulders, throwing her off balance, and she gasps. Whipping around, she finds her best friend, Rose, laughing at her. Kayla bows her head, relieved. Rose’s long, brunette hair whirls around her head as the wind hisses like a silent scream. She’s still laughing in the dim, freezing night.

“What is wrong with you?!” Kayla yells.

Rose wipes her cheek as a tear streams down her round face. “I thought this would be the perfect time to scare you because you always scare me. It’s fair game.”

“No.” Kayla sighs, shaking her head. “It’s not, especially not out here. Go home.”

Rose groans and throws her body next to Kayla, who’s still kneeling. “It’s so boring at home, and Halloween’s coming up soon.” She nudges her friend’s shoulder. “What are you dressing up as?”

“Nothing. I have to work. Now leave me alone. I need to finish cleaning by midnight.”

Rose gets up, tugging at Kayla’s arm. “Leave and finish it another time. It’s too nice to be stuck all alone. Come on, let’s go somewhere.”

“No,” Kayla objects. Then the footsteps grow louder, the leaves crunching in an abnormal pattern, and they both pause. They turn their heads to the maple tree, where the figure is gone. A cold, rough breath starts down Kayla’s neck. Both friends freeze as a dark hand is placed firmly on one side of their faces. A shiver crawls up her spine, feeding on her bones. Without turning her head, she hardly meets Rose’s petrified eyes. She can’t imagine it. Her breathing is mixed in with the figure behind her, so much so, she can’t distinguish it from her own.

Leaning down, it whispers into their ears,”Can I join?”