Free Flowers in a Dumpster by Mark Allan Gunnells Page B

first met her at school he had harbored a major crush, but once she joined the group he had put such thoughts out of his mind.
    The sound of cables snapping intensified . . .
    . . . then stopped altogether.
    A silence, so profound it felt like going deaf, replaced the noise. The trio stood perfectly still. Cane, intending to break the silence, was cut off when a new noise arose. This softer sound was somehow more ominous. Scrambling and scratching, like something clawing its way along the ground and pavement. Several somethings, actually. Perhaps dozens. It came from everywhere, surrounding them.
    “I think we should go,” Kinsley said, an unmistakable tremor in her voice.
    Topher, his usual prankster persona discarded like an old sock, nodded mutely.
    “Are you guys insane?” Cane asked. “This is what we came here for. Finally something is happening. Get your equipment ready and let’s investigate.”
    Kinsley gripped his elbow tighter. “This isn’t like the others. This isn’t ghost lights or creaking floorboards. Listen to that . . . something is out there.”
    “Yeah, and I’m going to find out what.” Cane raised the camera and scanned the cemetery around him. He didn’t focus on any one area since the sound was everywhere. He stared intensely at the display screen, his surroundings becoming a green and black otherworld. At first he saw nothing, but then an object zipped across the screen, low to the ground like an animal. It moved so quickly any real details were indiscernible.
    “There,” he said, pointing. “Something darted between the grave markers about twenty yards that way.”
    Topher started to speak, but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “What kind of something?”
    “I’m not sure, maybe an—oh shit! There went another one! And another!”
    “What are they?” Kinsley asked. The tremor of her voice replaced with an edge of hysteria.
    “I can’t say for sure. Topher, are you getting anything on the EMF?”
    When Topher didn’t respond, Cane tore his gaze away from the camera’s display to look at the other man. Topher’s face resembled little Gracie’s statue, pale contrasting against the darkness. The EMF reader hung at his side, forgotten as the chaos escalated. Cane repeated his question louder, making Topher jump into action. “Um, no, there’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
    “Are you sure that thing’s batteries aren’t also dead?”
    “I’m sure. Look, maybe we should get out of here. Whatever this is, it doesn’t sound supernatural.”
    “It’s certainly not natural,” Cane said softly, turning back to the camera. The things seemed to swarm around them, surrounding them. From what he could see on the display they looked similar to scorpions, complete with stinger-tipped tail raised above them. They were far too big to be scorpions, though. About the size of a full-grown bulldog.
    “Let’s just go,” Kinsley said, grabbing Topher’s elbow. “Cane can stay if he wants.”
    “Dude, come with us,” Topher said. “Sounds like whatever it is, is getting closer.”
    Cane heard them but didn’t respond. He slowly turned full circle, watching the night through the camera display. Yes, Topher was right. Those things swarmed around them in a constricting circle that tightened like a noose. Still, he couldn’t force himself to leave.
    Topher took Kinsley by the hand. “Suit yourself. We’re out of here.”
    The two started off, back in the general direction of the main gate, where they’d have to scale the fence to get to the car—parked two blocks away behind an abandoned gas station. They had the flashlights, whereas Cane had the night-vision camera.
    “Fuck, look at that,” Kinsley exclaimed behind him. This grabbed Cane’s attention. He hurried over to the other two to investigate the discovery.
    They stood in front of another Sago Palm. Cane was about to turn away when he noticed what caused Kinsley to shout out. Kinsley trained her