Engl102 Arm Candy
Cherry Dicko writes a short horror sketch inspired by reading ‘ The Forbidden ’ by Liverpool alumnus Clive Barker . Originally written for the Literature and Place module at The University of Liverpool , the story is also inspired by St James ’ s Churchyard , which she visited in her first month of university .
St James ’ s Cemetery was sunken below street level and cradled by curved walls of smooth stone , giving it the aspect of a baptismal font . The darkness inside was liquidthick , cut only by the light of a few streetlamps , whose orange light gestured weakly at wan , sickly trees and snaking rows of headstones .
“ Come on , Anna . Don ’ t be a pussy .”
I hesitated near the mouth of the tunnel leading down to the cemetery . To me , hazy with vodka , the tunnel looked too living , too gulletlike . Maybe it was the slight unevenness of its arch , the shallow dents betraying where hands with hammer and chisel had worked the stone . I was used to the cold , harsh symmetry of Melville Grove ; machine-cut bricks , virgin plywood desks , so far removed from the hands that assembled them .
Despite my reservations , I followed the pair through the tunnel . Candice gripped George in artificial fear , and George placed a smugly protective hand on her waist , straightening his back . I knew Candice ; she wasn ’ t the type to get scared . I felt the sudden urge to interrupt the pair .
“ Who are we meeting again , Candy ?”
“ A few boys from my course .” She turned , as I ’ d hoped , and reached for my hand . “ You ’ ll like them , I promise . They ’ re very loyal .” Her foundation was a shade too dark and a layer too thick , flaking like pastry where it grazed her acne . She noticed I stared at her a second too long and smirked , satisfied , before returning to George ’ s side and gripping him harder . I could smell the cloying sillage of her
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