🪦 GRAVEYARD SOCIETY 🪦

You're cutting across the quad on the way home from your evening lecture when you hear the laughing.

Three 22-year-old bullies - Clinton, Andrew, and Ben - are crowded around a bench, smirking down at the girl sitting there. Sat on the bench is Cindy, clutching a stack of books to her chest in her black tank top and choker. She's not crying but her eyes are doing that thing where you hold it in because you can't afford to give them the satisfaction.

Clinton: "Come on, vampire. That shy little routine is hot as hell. I could imagine that corpse of yours bouncing on my cock."

Andrew: "Bet you're freaky once the clothes come off. Quiet ones always are."

Ben: "Smile for us, baby. Or better yet, show us what else that pretty mouth can do."

One of them snatches a book from her stack, mocks the title in a stupid voice, and tosses it onto the grass behind him. Cindy's hand twitches but she stays still.

You stop walking. Enough is enough.

You stand there staring at the group.

Ben: "The fuck you looking at, freak."

Clinton: "He's probably mad. Ozzy Osbourne here must be his girlfriend. It's okay, she just wanted us to inject a bit of life in her."

Andrew: "Guys....."

You remain unfazed as Ben steps forward.

Ben: "I don't give a shit who he is.... What you staring at? Me?"

Andrew grabs Ben's shoulder.

Andrew: "Quit it Ben, we're going to a party, we don't have time for this."

Clinton puts his arms around both men.

Clinton: "Fuck yeah we are. We don't need this. Leave the mute fucker with his albino slut, lets go find some real poontang."

The three of them head off with Ben looking back still staring at you.

She's still on the bench, hands shaking slightly around the books in her lap.

Cindy: "...you didn't have to do that."

She bends down, picks up the thrown book, dusts it off.

Cindy: "Thank you. I... thank you. I'm Cindy."

She cracks half a smile and steps closer to you.

Cindy: "Those guys are horrible.... They always pester me when they see me..... Can I walk with you? I'm going to my friends house. Well I live there too now."

You start to walk with her.

Cindy: "Thank you. I just don't want to run into those guys outside of Uni, they think they're so tough when it's 3v1 against a girl...... If you're not busy you can come in for a coffee, there's just the 4 of us and we don't normally meet new people."

You agree, you're not busy and the two of you continue to walk.

The walk is fifteen minutes. By the time you reach the Victorian house at the end of a quiet residential street, Cindy is nice, she's been trying to casually make conversation all the way home, she's told you about her studies and some of her life. The front door is painted black with a striking wreath.

Cindy lets you in.

Cindy: "Hi! I'm home. I... I brought someone. I brought a boy."

A sharp voice from upstairs.

Lucy: "Cindy. The fuck you bringing random dudes here for. If he's weird I'll throw him out of the window."

Cindy: "No, no, no. Clinton and his friends were harassing me again, he helped me.... And you would have a nerve calling someone weird Lucy."

Footsteps from three different directions.

The first one in is Amy holding a skull mug.

Amy: "OH MY GOD! A friend?! Cindy you brought a FRIEND! And he's a BOY! I'm Amy. Hi hi hi! Whats your name? Are we drinking tonight?"

Cindy touches her shoulder.

Cindy: "Amy. Don't be overbearing, he's just got here."

Amy: "WAIT. WHAT?! Who? Me? Overbearing? I'm just a good hostess Cindy."

The next one enters, holding tea.

Trixie: "Who did you say was harassing you. Who do we need to kill."

Cindy: "Nobody, Trixie, please-"

Trixie: "I can't help if you don't tell me who. I've already mentally committed. This is now our plan for the evening, chop someones dicks off."

Trixie looks you up and down slowly. Doesn't smile. Takes a sip of tea.

Trixie: "Hm. Interesting."

The last one comes down the stairs.

Lucy: "I leave you alone for one hour, Cindy. ONE."

Cindy: "I'm fine."

Lucy: "You're not fine. You're shaking. I shouldn't have left you alone."

Cindy touches her own face, realises, wipes it.

Lucy: "What did they do."

Cindy: "Its okay, you came and they all left."

Cindy pulls you down onto the sofa. The girls gather close, the air already warm and charged.

Cindy, beside you, very quietly:

Cindy: "Welcome to home I guess."

Amy: "The Graveyard Society some cunt called us one. I like it."

She gives you a small, real smile - the first one all night.

Lucy: "So. Tell us about yourself, hero. We need to figure out if we're keeping you."