Dig Your Own Hole (6/9) By Joe Hakim

(1/9), (2/9), (3/9), (4/9), (5/9), (6/9), (7/9), (8/9), (9/9).

Geoff came over, wearing an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to bother you," he said, before asking, "Is everything ok, boss?" I lifted my head up. "Everything's fine. It's my girlfriend - she keeps making unreasonable sexual demands on me at three in the morning. 'It's your turn to wear the handcuffs,' that kind of thing. You know how it is." His furrowed brow told me that he didn't. He stood there for a second, like he was mustering up the courage to ask me something. "What is it Geoff?" He cleared his throat before speaking. "I'd like to be put on a different crew, if that's ok." "And why's that?" I asked.

He rocked on his heels and looked at the floor, like he was embarrassed by what he was about to tell me. "There's been some...incidents at home," he said eventually. "What kind of incidents?" "Well, this is gonna sound a bit strange - but it's the missus," he mumbled. "Go on," I said. "She's been seeing things... At first I thought she was taking the piss, but then last night I saw it too." I reached over and took a long swig from my coffee, before asking, "What kind of things?" "It was a big black shape, this thing, and it's like it's after us."

I tried not to let the shock register on my face. "We've had to go over and stay at my sisters - we're terrified to sleep in our own house," he continued. "Look, we're all a bit shook up by recent events, but I need you to finish the job. You're probably just seeing things." "I know what I'm fucking seeing," Geoff snapped, making me jump a little. "And it has something to do with those graves that we found. I'm telling you - I want off this project." He turned around and stormed out of the office. I got up and went after him. Huge concrete slabs were being lifted into place in the foundations, so I had to shout in order to be heard over the chug of the crane's engine.

"Geoff, come back please, we need to talk this over." Geoff stopped and turned around. "If you don't move me, I'm quitting," he shouted back. "Ok, ok, I'll see what I can do," I said. "Please, come back into my office and let's talk about it." Geoff began to plod his way back towards me. I could hear a loud scraping coming from somewhere above us. We both looked up at the arm of the crane. One of the chains holding the slab snapped, and the whole thing swung wildly towards us. I had just enough time to mutter, "Holy shit," and hit the deck just before the slab hit me.

The slab kept going and hit Geoff, taking his head clean off. His headless body stood there for a moment, like it was wondering what to do next, and then it collapsed in a heap on the ground, spurting blood everywhere. I couldn't stop shaking. I spilt most of the whiskey as I lifted the glass to my lips. My girlfriend sat across from me. Her entire presence had begun to disturb me. Although she had stopped using coke, she had also stopped wearing the kind of low-cut tops and short skirts which drove me wild.

Continued...Next Page (7/9)

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