Page 40 of Sinners Keepers
“You covered them, all right. So here we are, with no collateral in the matter; either burying him to die or sending a message to your precious daughter that sayswhatexactly?”
“Shut the fuck up or I’ll be digging a hole next to him foryou.”
Snick. Thunk.
Each thunk of dirt piled on top pushed the flimsy cardboard closer to my body, making it harder and harder to breathe. I knew the feeling was at least partially in my head, the absolute darkness increasing the sensation of being utterly trapped tenfold.
The shoveling continued relentlessly until I could barely move beneath the suffocating weight... and then it stopped.
“Cardboard fuckingbox,” the voice I didn’t recognize chided.
“I was in a pinch, you fucking asshole,” Ellis replied.
I strained to listen as the voices continued to carry through the soil, growing fainter and more distorted with each word spoken until they faded completely into silence.
The seconds dragged on as I counted in my head, contemplating how long I should wait before making any attempt to move. Then, the low whine of a vehicle's engine broke the silence, and the sound waned into the distance.
I felt like a wild animal in a too-small cage. Twisting around in the tight space, I squirmed out of my bloody shirt. Folding it and wrapping it around my nose and mouth to keep from eating all the dirt I was about to tunnel my way through, I took a mental inventory of anything I may have on me to make it easier to cut through the cardboard.
Had Ellis been stupid enough to leave me armed? I pressed my back into the bottom of the box; no gun.
That was my favorite gun. Prick.
I shoved my hand into my right pocket, hoping I could catch at least one small break tonight. Not that I couldn’t shred the soggy material with my bare hands, I just assumed he was at least cognizant enough to duct tape me in.
Then again, maybe not.Dumb fuck.
I felt the cold bite of the knife handle and I slipped it from my pocket. I can imagine that he’d felt hurried, but damn he really wassofucking stupid. My fingers trembled slightly as I flicked my wrist, snapping the blade open. With one last deep breath, I clenched the handle tightly and stabbed the tip into the box, splitting it down the middle. I was immediately assaulted by dirt, but at least I could move more freely now, so I began my ascent.
My torso ached with each heave I took to propel myself upward, my weak muscles working against the fatigue as I climbed. Ellis—or whoever the other guy was—was too fucking stupid to even bother packing the dirt down. I felt like a fucking zombie, or some undead creature clawing my way out of the shallow grave.
With one final push, I broke the surface and tore the shirt from my face. Gasping for dirt-free air, I struggled to take in my surroundings. Bits of soil clung to my eyelashes and every other square inch of my aching body.
Rows of gravestones jutted out of the ground, weathered and covered in thick moss. A chill wracked my body.
Not because of the temperature of the night.
Or because of my current state, which admittedly wasn’t promising.
No. Neither of those things had my adrenaline spiking any more than it already was.
It was the cemetery itself; the dead fucking bodies, their souls lingering long after being lowered into the ground.
Cemeteries are number one on the list of haunted places I avoid at all costs, and I wasnotabout to tango with a fucking ghost tonight. I needed to get the fuck out of there.
They could keep their incorporeal asses away from me.
I opened and closed my hands, the muscles in my forearms contracting as I did, willing my fucked nervous system to get it the fuck together.
I struggled to focus on what I should do next, my skin crawling at the thought of the long-dead bodies in the ground beneath me. This wassodisrespectful to the departed. I hoped they somehow knew I was not here by choice.
The wind swept across my face, carrying with it a faint moaning sound. It could’ve been all in my head, but I was sure I could hear hushed voices coming from behind each of the nearby gravestones.
I shuddered, then shook it off. “Thank fuck he’s gone and I can get out of here now,” I said loudly to no one in particular. I had to double down on the fact that this was allhisfault. Hopefully, none of the spirits would attach themselves to me once I made a run for it.
My mind wandered to the rock salt embedded in my skin and I released a relieved breath.
Sammy, get the salt!Heh heh. I was probably good on that front.
