#71: Spooky Season #10 (Carving Tombstones)
Prompt: carved, cemetery, spooked
Starrk is a tombstone engraver, an occupation that sometimes creeps out his younger sister Lilynette.
"Here Lies Dale Harris, R.I.P."
"…"
"Wow, Starrk. That's kinda…boring."
There's a beleaguered sigh and the clinking of tools being moved around.
"What would you have me write instead, Lily?"
"I dunno…something exciting! When I die, I want people to remember me! I want it to be huge and awesome-looking and have, like, lots to say about me!"
"…That sort of thing is usually saved for the funeral."
Coyote Starrk steps out of his workshop, stripping off his heavy gloves and taking the opportunity to stretch his shoulders and back. It gives a satisfying pop and he sighs in relief. Behind him, the room is bathed in cool shadow and the furnishings are minimal: Just a plain wooden floor, a single heavy-duty workbench, and half a dozen slabs of grey stone of varying sizes, some with carvings sketched out and others still blank. The young man looks older than his twenty-four years and moves like he's triple that. He slumps down on a bench next to the door and raises his face to the bright autumn sun.
There's scuffling inside and then a young girl pops out, face twisted in an irritated expression. Lilynette Gingerbuck is Starrk's younger half-sister, but they look nothing like each other. She's about half his age and far more energetic. She also hasn't been working hard all day, so perhaps that's understandable.
"Hey! I wasn't done talking to you!"
"We can talk outside." He mumbles. "I need a break."
"You always seem to be taking a break." She grumbles but sprawls out on the grass in front of him. "So, why did you choose that for the stone?"
"It's traditional, isn't it?"
"I dunno…Is it?"
Starrk shrugs and glances at the plaque stationed over the door. It reads:
Tombstone Engravings: Inquire Within.
He hadn't bothered to add his name to the plaque or even change the wording when he bought it from the previous owner, who'd only done tombstone engravings as a side-job. It works well enough for him.
"I guess. No one ever protests. And there won't be anyone to bother about this one, anyway; he's alone."
"…Oh." Lilynette's voice goes funny and she flips onto her back to look up at the sun. For a moment, there's a passing similarity between her and her half-brother. Her voice is distant when she continues. "He died alone?"
"…Yeah."
"That sucks."
"…Yeah."
"Then who's buying his stone? I mean, he has to have someone…?
"I honestly don't know. It's paid for and there's a delivery address but no one expressed any interest beyond that."
They lapse into silence. Both of them know what it's like to be alone, and the thought of dying like that – lost and un-mourned – is a tragedy that resonates deep inside. Starrk had no one growing up and mostly forged his own way in the world, though his time at college hadn't amounted to much beyond a discovery that he enjoys working with his hands. Lilynette hadn't even known she had a brother until he moved back to the area and she'd been wary of him at first…until she realized just how alone he was and that he welcomed her presence, even if he rarely said it.
It was more than she usually had and she reveled in her brother's undivided attention. His occupation might be creepy but it was also peaceful and, in his presence, she was actually able to breathe without feeling crowded and defensive. And there was something about the creepiness that made it feel edgy and important.
…Important for Dale Harris, anyway.
At least the two of them would remember his name.
"Hey Starrk?"
"Yeah?"
"…You don't think that'll happen to us, do you?"
"What?"
"That we'll…y'know…be alone?"
He stirred and looked down at her for a long moment, blue eyes fathomless.
"…No, I don't think so."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah. We've got each other, right?"
"…Right. Always?"
"Always."
Oof. This challenge is getting harder. Most of my Halloween inspiration has dried up by now.
Four days left!
Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers!
