“Do you think she’d have minded?” Jack said, gesturing towards the open grave and glancing at James.
“Who? Mum? That aul hag would’ve scolded us for praying in church” James said as he placed a freshly lit cigarette in his mouth, his body loosening on the first puff.
“I suppose, feels a bit strange though doesn’t it?”
“Strange? Obviously! It’s not like we’re going for a walk or cooking a fucking chicken now is it?”
“I suppose not.”
“You suppose right.”
They both looked over at the Gravedigger, a scrawny but vascular man with deep crevasses buried in his cheeks. Jack shuffled from side to side and plunged his hands into the bottom of his pockets.
“You almost done mate? I’m freezing and fucking starved on top of it.” James shouted, trying to pierce the rain’s static haze.
The Gravedigger continued his work, ignoring James’s barking.
“I said are you nearly done mate?” He left the cover of the tree and strode over to the pit in the ground.
“Are you deaf or something? Don’t like being talked to on the job? Thought you’d love a bit of company seeing as all your colleagues are a bit on the silent side.” He bent over, and opened his overcoat revealing the unmistakable image of a handgun, locked in its holster.
“Sorry sir, I didn’t hear you is all. The rain is loud and…..”
“You didn’t hear me? Could have sworn I’d shouted. Could have sworn I saw you look at me” His tone grew evermore aggravated.
“Please sir, I’m sorry I didn’t hear you I swear”
“Leave him alone James, poor bastard’s probably never done anything like this before.” Jack said as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“We don’t need another one.”
James looked up at his brother, a wry smile on his face.
“Ah now I doubt that, I’d say this one has had plenty of fun with the bodies in this plot. I’d say he’s pinched a nice few things here and there, probably robbed our mum too.”
“No sir! No, I don’t do that. I’m a good gravedigger, honest. I dig the plot and fill it back up, that’s all I do, no robbing, no fun, just good old fashioned grave digging.”
James flicked his cigarette in the Gravedigger’s face, and with a piercing look asked again in a slow and sinister tone.
“Alright, well then mate are you almost done?”
“Yes sir, just need to get it open.”
The gravedigger rose, grabbed his crowbar and drove it into the coffin. With a resounding crack, the nails ripped from the wood and revealed the rotten and grotesque figure of Mrs. Gormley.
“Hey mum” James said with a slight wave.
“You’ve probably been getting a bit lonely in there, I’d say the dirt isn’t much to talk to. Well, myself and Jack, yeah Jack is here too, have a little surprise for you.”
Jack’s panting could be heard as he dragged the body of a man in his sixties, a hole burrowed through his skull. James grabbed the feet of the man and with a great heave, tossed they him into the grave. A weak crunch and squelch was heard as the body smothered Mrs. Gormley.
“Say hi to Dad, he’s really missed you.”
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