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If You Should Ever Need Me
By: Erin C. Maddox
One:
Is she going to be okay?", Sinead said, whispering as her and Lindsay stood in the doorway of Keavy's bedroom.
"I hope so. I can't believe Eddie's...Oh god. What is Keavy going to do?"
"I can hear you both.", Keavy piped up.
"Come on. Let's leave her alone.", Sinead said. They turn and left the hall. Keavy Lynch sat alone in her room. Nothing could describe the emptiness she felt inside. Even this writer couldn't put it in words clear enough. It was like a void. Like part of was taken. And part of her was. It was buried six feet below cold wet, dirt. Encased in a wooden coffin. That part of her would decay into the soil. Keavy twirled the black stone between her fingers. It was half a stone. Edele had the other half. She was buried with it. She remembered Edele giving it to her. Telling her how she'd found it, that is was magical. All that cathartic crap.
"This stone symbolizes the bod between us. If you should ever need me, I'll be there.", Edele had said.
Keavy began to cry as she remembered the words. "I need you now." she wept to the shadows, "I just don't know what to do..." She gazed out at the sky. It was turning darker.
----
Midnight:
The caretaker finished throwing the last mound of dirt over the last grave. He patted it down with his shovel. "There. That should keep 'em in. What am I saying? It's not like they'll ever come back up. Aw, hell, Marty. You're talking to yourself again. Spend too much time around graves. Well, I'm a weirdo, I guess."
Marty stopped. He thought for sure he had heard something. He looked around. Nothing.
"I'm starting to hear things. Great."
He headed to the street to his parked car. The ground below one of the tombstones began to move. Only slightly, as if a mole was burrowing out of the ground. The top soil began to crack and break. Then a hand eventually burst through. Free. In it's fingers it held a dirty black cord. Around the cord, hung half of a black stone.
Two:
"How would you describe the body?", the television journalist asked the coroner.
"The stomach cavity was completely mutilated. The entrails were protrudiing from the wound. There was verifiable tearing as well as teeth marks. Also, the heart and liver were extracted."
"Teeth marks? Are you saying it's possible that there IS a wild animal running lose in the city?"
"At first I thought it was possible. However, we have verifiable data that suggests these are human teeth marks."
"Doctor what do you have to say to those who are watching this broadcast?"
"Lock your doors. I'm not a law man, but it's my personal opinion that a curfew should be set."
"Thank you, Doctor."
Detective Brown turned off the news. "Human teeth marks? Does he realize how nuts that sounds?"
"Nevertheless, he had a good idea", the Captain said, "Issue a curfew. No one's to be out past eleven p.m. At least 'til we apprehend this matter."
"Yes, sir."
------
"Do you believe that guy was eaten by another person?", Lindsay said to Sinead.
"I believe that news program is looking for anything to shock it's viewers and boost it's ratings.", Sinead said.
"But that coroner said-"
"Lindsay, really. Cannibals? Here? I just don't buy it."
"Don't buy what?", Keavy came down the stairs.
"Nothing. Lindsay thinks that guy was cannibalized last night."
"Linds, you really need to lay off the late night ice cream. Okay? Seriously, man. I'm worried about you?", Keavy said.
"Make fun of me all you want. It doesn't change the fact that someone was murdered and something weird happened."
"I'm just glad it wasn't any of us. OH MY GOD! That's Edele's grave! Turn the telly up!", Sinead said.
Lindsay turned up the volume. The TV screen showcased a picture of Edele's tombstone. A reporter stood next to it. The ground was broken and uprooted beside his feet.
"In what may be the second most despicable act to occur last night, the gravesite of beloved late pop star Edele Lynch was robbed and the body stolen. Lynch had just been buried by her grieving family yesterday afternoon. She was a victim of a brutal killing."
"Oh my god. What kind of a sick person...?!", Lindsay said.
Sinead noticed Keavy's crestfallen expression. "Are you all right?"
"I'm...I'm fine. I'm going back to bed." She headed back upstairs. She clutched the stone in her fist.
It felt unusually warm.
3
It moved-trudged-along the beaches, completely oblivious to all who stared. Because it's eyes didn't work properly. All it saw was a blur where there should have been a face.
It clutched tightly to the stone. It didn't know why it was following the stone's will. It didn't know anything.
It...was just a shell. An animated carcass with no real soul.
It only followed the stone. And the stone had one goal in mind: find the other half.
-----
evening:
"Ah, cripes!"
"Cripes?"
"We're out of milk. Lindsay, could you go to the market and get some?", Sinead said.
"I usually just call Lee for that.", Lindsay said with a wink.
"Get some MILK!"
"I know. I'm kidding. Sheesh."
Lindsay grabbed her coat and headed out the door. Then she came back in.
"Forgot some-"
Sinead handed her some money,
"-yep. That's it."
Lindsay left again. Just as she did, Keavy came back downstairs.
-----
Lindsay gave the clerk the money and he gave her some change and a receipt. He put the milk in a plastic bag for her.
"Have a nice evening, Miss.", he said.
"You, too."
Lindsay headed out the front door, the chimes sounded as she opened the door.
She walked out into the parking lot. The figure stood in the shadows, behind the street lamp.
"Oh. Hello.", Lindsay said, a bit afraid.
The figure stepped forward. And Lindsay nearly wet her pants.
She dropped the milk and took off running before the white liquid even hit the asphalt.
Something told the zombie Edele to follow her.
4:
"AHH!! AHH!!! AHHHH!!!!!" Lindsay ran about the house screaming and waving her arms cartoonishly in the air.
She had been like this since she ran into the door. And when Keavy had asked what was wrong, when Lindsay saw that face, she started to scream frantically.
For it was Edele's face she saw. The walking, animated dead corpse of Edele standing in the parking lot.
And now all she could do was run about like a madwoman and scream.
"What's she going on about?!", Sinead said, clasping her hands over her ears.
"Like the heck I know. She just started screaming like a banshee!", Keavy said.
"Lindsay. Lindsay, try to calm down.", Sinead said.
"AHHH!!! AHH!!! AAAHHH!!!". More screaming. More running.
Sinead had finally had enough. She stepped out in front of Lindsay and grabbed her by the shoulders.
SLAP!
Lindsay stopped, stunned. Sinead had just slapped her across the cheek.
"Sorry.", Sinead said, seeing the shock and disdain that now replaced the frightened expression that was once on Lindsay's face, "But I had to do something. Now what happened? Why were you screaming like that? Did something happen to you?"
Lindsay looked at her, then with a hint of worry in her voice said, "I've lost my mind."
"What?"
"I just saw Edele. In the parking lot of the market.", Lindsay said.
"Lindsay, dead people don't walk around in parking lots."
"Well, maybe Edele doesn't want to admit she's dead. She WAS really stubborn, y'know."
"You saw someone else. It couldn't have been Edele. Be logical."
"I was dreaming it, then?"
"I think you might have been.", Sinead said.
"I think so, too.", Lindsay said, somewhat calmer.
But Keavy wasn't as convinced. Lindsay had been truly scared out of her wits. She had seen something in the parking lot, Keavy was sure of that. But she didn't say anything. She just clutched the stone in her hand.
It felf hot. Like the metal handles of car doors when there's no shade and the Summer sun beats down.
She closed her eyes, tried not to cry.
Then the knocking began....
5.
For a moment they stood watching the door. It shook with each thrust
from the person or thing that was on the other side of it. Dust fell from the frame.
Lindsay backed up into Sinead and the two slunked down into the corner beside the couch. They held on to each other like two frightened children in a dark cave.
"Hold me", Lindsay muttered.
"Only if you hold me", Sinead replied.
The banging continued. Loud. Loud. Louder. The stone around Keavy's neck was glowing now. It was a bright, eerie green.
Loud. Loud. Louder.
"Keavy, what on the Earth is that around your neck?", Sinead said, her voice shakey.
Keavy put her fingers around it, stroking it with her thumb. She didn't look down at it, her eyes fixed on the shaking door.
Keavt just stood there, twiddling with the glowinig stone.
"She's going to eat us!", Lindsay panicked, "I know she is!! Just like that poor man! She's going to eat our livers!! All those horror movies are TRUE!!! AHHHH!!!!"
Sinead gave her a good shake "Lindsay! Try getting a hold of yourself!"
"We're all going to d-"
The door slammed open, hanging on it's hinges. The wood on the outside was splintered.
The lone figure stood in the frame, her back against the dark night. The wind was cold and strong. The figure just stood there, her long black hair blowing in the wind, her clothes covered in fresh dirt and dried blood.
The stone glowed in her hand, just as Keavy's did.
A smalle, greenish light illuminated her face. And she just stood there.
And the wind blew behind her.
"Hi, Edele.", Keavy said.
And the wind blew.
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