500 Words Flash Fiction Story: Soft Murder

Ever heard of the phrase ‘Digging your own grave?’ Because that’s literally what I’m doing right now. I hope all this works out because this is where the zigzag circle is drawn. I’m supposed to bury this dead-man in this spot. I hope that I don’t get pushed in it. You might be wondering how I could be pushed when I’m all alone in this graveyard. Believe me, there’re stranger things going on in this world than you might think.

A few hours ago, I had happily stepped in an ancient-looking bookstore at the corner of my street. The store was dimly lit and smelt like pepper-mint. I looked around, reading blurbs when an odd book caught my attention. I literally felt attracted towards it. I picked it up and felt its cover. It wasn’t only wooden but smelt like it too! The cover had zigzag patterns carved in it. But like I said, It was odd. It wouldn’t open. It had a lock in its center. The bookkeeper might have seen me looking curiously at the book because he came over and handed me its key, telling me I could have the whole of it for free. Noting my raised eyebrows, he smiled eerily and opened the door for me. Confused, I smiled back, stepped out and hurried home, the key jiggling in my pocket.

I turned on the lights in my living-room, turned on the TV, placed the book on my lap and took out the key. They key was even more strange than the book. It felt like Persian Cat Fur but was made of Titanium. It was plain and small, the size of my thumb and had two sharp teeth at one end. I’m telling you, it did not look evil at all! I clicked open the lock and the book gave out a whispering laugh. It hissed something incomprehensible and suddenly I heard my name on the news channel. I looked up in horror and saw my face in the news. Murder In My Name! I looked back at the book.

‘Dead Man in the Graveyard. Bury Him!’

The writing gleamed in purple and below it, a zigzag circle glittered in magenta. I immediately ran out the house from the back-door. I could already hear police-sirens. My feet sped faster than I could. I felt my heart jump out anytime.

And now, here I’m at the graveyard, finished with all the digging and burying. I sigh with relief when unexpectedly, the key in my pocket, leaps out and drills itself in the center of the zigzag circle. The circle is illuminating golden light. A man is elevating out of the circle. I’m 100% sure it’s not the man I buried. The man now, is on ground-level, coming towards me. His eyes are crimson-red, his face: wooden. My neck is in his Titanium fur-like hands. He’s pressing my neck hard. I painfully close my eyes for the last time. I so regret stepping into that bookstore.