"Hey, you were there when Savannah butchered Thaddues, right?"
"Yeah it was crazy, I'm surprise she got away with it, even in self-defense."
"Well she's giga-rich. She could stab me if she wants."
"No… Savannah wouldn't."
"I didn't say she would… anyway here's the spot."
The meeting site was in a graveyard of all places, I always hated grave yards. It's one of the places I often saw the unseen.
We walked through the cemetery's entrance; the seller was no where to be found. This is actually one of the better possible outcomes. I was expecting to get a shank in the ribcage the second we walked in. I checked my button for the time, it was in watch mode.
"Bro, patience is a virtue. Not everyone is obsessively on time like you."
"Punctuality is also a virtue."
"No it's belligerence, nature moves on its own time."
"Maybe he's just hiding away, so mud pit doesn't catch him."
He chuckled, "This is the eighth floor. The police have bigger fish to fry."
We spread out, Ed going north and I went south. As I traverse the rolling hills of the cemetery my unease ran rampant. I heard sounds and I saw shadows dart around, but only in the corner of my eye.
I learned to ignore it, I walked past Mother Selana's grave.
Her funeral was a sour spot for me. I remember being haunted then too. I browned my pants and my parents had to take me home early.
I don't blame them for not believing me. The existence of undead creatures is hard to believe, even if I could see them.
I heard a strange noise, it was more mundane though. It sounded like metal striking the ground. I took a short cut though some shrubs to investigate, maybe it was our guy.
It was a young man, couldn't be more than a few years older than myself. He were a greyish blue jumpsuit, the boring tone only being broken apart but a pair of bright yellow gloves. He was shoveling someone's grave with a nervous look on his face.
I must have stepped on a leaf or something. Cause he turned around and stared at me intently, waiting for my next action.
I took a deep breath, to keep my face plain. I politely waved at him with a smile before walking away. He hesitated for I moment, he almost waved back before he suddenly charged at me. HE screaming loudly, brandishing the shovel.
"Wait a minute! Don't just act like you didn't see me doing something outrageous!"
I started running, "Come on man, I was just trying to mind my own business."
I ran up a hill, sliding down it to quickly built some speed. The young man copied my movements perfectly. I knew I shouldn't, but I tried jumping over gravestones as a means of confusing and disorienting him. But he copied that too.
Out of pure desperation, I picked up a bottle of champagne and tossed it at him. He swatted it away with the shovel.
"Will you just give it up."
Each time I attempted a shortcut or maneuver to break away from him, he was right behind me. The whole time he was violently swinging at me with a shovel. If I had slowed down by even an iota, my head would have been taken clean off.
My saving grave arrive, he fell over, dropping his shovel on the ground.
It was Ed, he dove in front of the guy, making his body into a tripping hazard.
He recovered back on his feet, he tried to punch me in the face, I rolled under it. The roll sent me sliding over his shovel, and I picked it up. He was shocked to see me kick myself back onto my feet and whacking him with his own shovel, all in one swift elegant motion. He was knocked out cold.
"Great teamwork, our friendship really is one the history books will remember."
"I did all the actual fighting. Thanks for the distraction though."
"Who was that maniac, anyway?"
"Don't know, I just saw him digging up graves."
"He was digging up graves?"
"That's what I said."
"Which is highly illegal?"
"Obviously."
"And he used, that shovel."
"Yeah."
He pointed at me, "The shovel that's currently in your hands and collecting your fingerprints and DNA?"
"Umm… goddammit."
"Hey, I know a homemade remedy to deal with pesky DNA evidence.", a man walks out of the bushes.
I pointed the shovel at him defensively. His hair was greasy, tied up in messy dreadlocks, I swear I could even smell it a bit. He wore a tie-dyed shirt with grey overalls. When I noticed his unkempt look, I lowered my weapon planting it into the ground.
"A small person? I thought you guys died if you ever stepped foot in a real city."
"You see this is why we don't like coming up here, too many sell outs and bootlickers."
We glared at each other with hostility.
"Hey, you're the guy with my fireworks?"
"Oh, you're Ed. They're just in my car."
"You have a car and it took you this long to get here?!"
"What's up with little miss uptight?"
"Late for a date.", Ed said bluntly.
"Oh my apologies ma'am. And I must say you have amazing tastes, most girls would be too shallow to go after someone of his small stature."
"No, he's a guy, and we aren't dating."
"My bad, but there's no reason for him to stay then.", he threw his hands in the air, "You trust me to be alone with him right?"
"I guess I do. Just give him a ride home.", I stepped away
"See you at school Lucas."
"Bye Lucas, may the commonwealth be kind to you."