Tales Of Then || Flash Fiction

Unholy Treasure

{short story inspired by the words 'it's just that I've been hungry since, well, forever''}
{those words would not have been possible with out abanimezuki }

         

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" The word's billowed out of her mouth as a white cloud against the dark night.

Glen thrust the end of his shovel into the nearly frozen ground, the soft crunch sounding as he pulled away dirt. "Of course we should be doing this, Shay!"

Then, mumbled under his breath to Rick, "I knew we shouldn't have brought her along."

Shay switched the flashlight to her other hand, sticking her frozen flesh into her coat pocket. The bubble of artificial light wavered on the patch of frozen grass the guys were digging into.

"Don't you want to know if the legend is true, Shay?" Rick leaned on his rusting shovel. "This coffin could be filled with treasure!"

"I-I don't know, Rick. What if we're digging up a body?"

"Someone scared of a little old ghost?" Glen laughed, then pulled down his red cap to cover his red ears.

Shay said nothing and decided it was better if she kept it that way.

The two boys dug into the earth, their shovels scraping and heaving away the earth's flesh. Wintry night air made their labored breathing like ghosts in front of them. All minds, but one, were focused on what golden treasures lay beneath them. Maybe it was gold coins, or stacks of money. The possibility of rare gems made their minds race with desire and greed.

Pale light shone out of the old flashlight, guiding the shovels to their destination and lighting up the crumbling gravestone.

The engraved words were no longer there, only white and gray stone worn and beaten by the world. No other graves kept this lone death-marker company. Only a tree on a hill and the stars in the sky above.

None of teenagers questioned the oddity of it. They only ignored the whispering wind on their necks and the ever-watchful presence at the back of their minds.

And then—clunk!

Shovel met wood.

Their gloved hands frantically got to work clearing away dirt. Burned letters seared the coffin and stared back up at them. Their blood ran cold.

                'The devil lays here.'

A knew kind of chill filled the air.

Glen laughed, unable to keep the nervous hitch out of it. "Something to scare people way from treasure." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Shay, hand me the crowbar." Rick held out his gloved hand.

She handed it over, ignoring the primal urge to run far, far away.

The only sound was the popping of many nails. Everything had gone silent except for that sound, even the tree's leaves had turned noiseless.

And then the last nail was set loose.

And when they moved away the coffin lid, they couldn't comprehend was lay before them.

He looked like he belonged to another long-ago era, but his sheet-white skin was still intact. His hair had not disintegrated. He looked alive—save for the sunken cheeks and the arms crossed over his chest—

Pale eyes flew open.

And the corpse smiled.

With unhuman ability, it lunged forward and sunk his teeth into Glen's neck. Bright crimson swelled out of the demon's mouth as it turned to smiled upon Rick.

The flashlight fell to the earth, casting the scene in shadows as Shay ran for her dear life. Rick's scream erupted from the silence.

And then something landing in front of her.

His eyes gleamed with malicious delight. Her friends blood dripped from it's chin.

"Please," she whimpered.

But the demon smiled and wrapped his pale fingers around her neck.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've been hungry since—well—forever."

And he sunk his teeth into her flesh.

~awatin~