Graveyard Shift

Pauline gasped and grabbed Bob’s arm. “Over there! I saw something move.” She pointed to a large tombstone that appeared grey in the dark cemetery.

“It’s just your imagination, so relax” he replied with annoyance.

“How long do we have to stay out here for your stupid initiation ritual?” she asked, snuggling up to him. The graveyard was cold and the monolith behind them was hard and even colder. She glanced back up at the granite figure of an angel carved into the stone. It reached with arms outstretched and a benevolent smile as if to welcome the dearly departed back home. However angelic it was meant to be, it gave Pauline the creeps.

“Just until dawn,” Bob replied as if that even was a few minutes away. Pauline checked her wristwatch and knew it was only midnight. “Legend has it that whoever spends the night next to this gravesite will be found the next morning, dead and lying in the arms of that angel.” He jerked a thumb in its direction but didn’t look up as if afraid to lock eyes with it. “What a load of crap.”

“Yeah,” Pauline responded but without much conviction. “I thought the legend only applied to children out here. The angel is said to protect them by taking them to heaven.”

“Yeah, that’s why we don’t have anything to worry about.” Bob said. “Come on, let’s make out while we’re waiting.” He leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips, but a faint noise stopped him. They looked up at the direction of the sound. The angel’s benevolent smile was replaced by a maniacal sneer. The fingers, once delicate and welcoming, were now hooked into claws as it reached down and grabbed them each by the throat in a cold iron grip.

Word Count: 300