The Graveyard Shift - Written : by Sandra Hill

Titus and Reno, fresh out of prison, need a fresh start and cash. They sign up for a halfway house job program, and the gig? Digging graves in a cemetery at night under the watch of two security guards. Titus is determined to stay out of trouble this time, while Reno, who can’t shake his lousy luck, doesn’t have many options left. The setup is eerie from the start, and the graveyard, silent and foggy, feels like it’s watching them. 

Slick, the first guard, is all sinister smirks and slick talk, giving off that twisted vibe like he’s getting a kick out of their nervous glances. Bruiser, the second guard, is all muscle and no brain, trailing behind Slick with a blank, obedient expression. They lead Titus and Reno to the graves and hand them shovels. “Dig two holes, nice and deep,” Slick says, his eyes narrowing with something that feels like more than just malice.Hours pass as Titus and Reno shovel in silence. 

Shadows stretch across the graves, and something feels wrong. The smell of decayed earth mingles with an unsettling chill. Reno, taking a break, mutters, “Feels like we’re digging our own graves.” Finally, Slick and Bruiser approach them again, this time with a different vibe—a darker, charged energy. Slick, grinning, tells them they’re not done. He holds out a photograph of a woman, placing it between the graves. 

“You see her? She’s important.” The two ex-cons exchange confused glances. Titus narrows his eyes at the photo. “Wait… we’ve been digging up graves that already have people in them?” he asks. Reno’s jaw drops, and he mutters, “They’re playing with some trick dice here…”Just then, Slick and Bruiser pull out guns, training them on Titus and Reno. Slick’s face twists into a cruel smile. 

“This was supposed to be an easy sacrifice,” he says, aiming at Titus. But as he’s about to pull the trigger, the groundskeeper, who had wandered over out of curiosity, accidentally steps on the photograph, releasing a blood-curdling scream that shatters the night. The graveyard lights flicker, and the shadows seem to come alive. The photo burns, and from the grave rises a monstrous woman with gray skin, wild black hair, and sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Her eyes glow, locking onto Slick, who tries to step back, but it’s too late. She pounces, tearing his arm clean off. 

 Bruiser stands frozen in terror as she lunges again, ripping into his face like paper. Titus and Reno snap out of their shock, sprinting toward the edge of the graveyard. Behind them, they hear the guards’ screams fade into the night as the monstrous woman’s laughter echoes in the fog. They manage to make it to the last bus stop, just in time to catch the final ride back to the halfway house, but neither speaks a word. The bus grinds to a halt at a police roadblock. 

The cops, skeptical of their story, handcuff them and throw them into the back of a squad car. “You two got some tall tales,” one officer sneers. But a few minutes later, only a few bloodied officers return to the car, shaken and pale. The one with the keys can barely speak. “Yeah…

let ‘em go,” he mutters to the other officer. “And call the FBI…and a priest.”Finally free, Titus and Reno slump back in their seats on the bus, silent and haunted by what they’ve seen. Reno, staring out the window, whispers, “You know, I think I’m gonna start going to church.”Titus chuckles weakly, “Yeah… facts.” They sit in silence, locking away the memories of that night deep inside.“Can we, uh… never talk about this again?” Titus asks.“Yep,” Reno says, nodding. “Locked up tight.”