Short Stories/Dreams

Tombstones and Butterflies

I glanced around my hiding spot; no one in town came to the graveyard. It was haunted, they said. Full of death and tears, they said. That's how I liked my favorite places to be.

I leaned against a tombstone, glancing around. It was dark, but I could still read what was engraved on the stones. 'Andrew Curringham' the one I was leaning against read. '1957-1974'. I did the math in my head; he had died when he was 17. That was a year older than me.

I sighed, plucking a flower from the wild field. I laid it by his grave, leaning down to kiss his tombstone. Dying at 17 years old would've been hard, not experiencing much. I started outside of the graveyard, but a gentle, cold hand was laid on my shoulder.

I turned, surprised someone was in the cemetery. A pale teenager, looking at the age of 17, smiled at me, wrapping his arms around me. He whispered, "Thank you," kissing my forehead gently. "No one has come to my grave, or given me a flower, or kissed me, in a long time." I hesitantly hugged him back, patting his shoulder.

"Andrew?" I whispered, glancing up at him. He let out a small sigh, hesitantly nodding. "How are you here?"

"I've been waiting for you, the one who came," he smiled sadly. He lifted my head and leaned down, about to give me my first kiss. "And once I kiss you, you'll be dead too," he mumbled under his breath. I barely heard him, but I turned my head at the last second. His ice cold lips brushed my cheek, before Andrew pulled away.

He glared, his eyes dark and scary. I froze as he grasped my wrists and pushed me against a tombstone, holding me captive. "Lucy, you could've let me do it nice and quick. But you didn't. So I have to call my friends to help." I stared frightfully at him.

He whistled, a tune unbearable to my ears. I screamed in pain; he wouldn't let me put my hands over my ears to ease the pain. As he stopped, I saw them.

His friends.

"Do you like my butterfly collection?" He smirked, turning to look at his friends. Butterflies, of all sizes and colors, floated towards us. Andrew plucked one out of its lazy movement and pressed it against my neck.

I screamed in pain as it ripped through tissue, to crawl slowly into my body. I almost collapsed, but Andrew was holding my hands above my head, keeping me there.

"Don't you wish you let me kiss you?" Andrew purred, releasing the others on me.