THE GRAVEDIGGER

~ Iain Kelly

This was the tree alright, the dead one with no leaves.

Streetlight nearby, no need for the torch I had brought.

A night of hard labour ahead, best get to it.

Sweat and dirt, clanging metal on rocky, hard ground.

Takes longer than you think to dig a deep grave.

At three in the morning I stand back and stretch my aching back, take a drag on a refreshing smoke.

A car arrives. They make their delivery without a word.

Dawn is breaking as I pat down the replaced soil.

Easiest hundred bucks I’ll ever make, no questions asked.

trees-ronda-del-boccio
Copyright Ronda Del Boccio

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

Published by Iain Kelly

39 year old writer, avid film viewer and book reader, employed in the media industry as a television editor.

101 thoughts on “THE GRAVEDIGGER”

  9. Great descriptions, Iain. This was a common practice , especially before it was considered legal for doctors to study anatomy using cadavers.
    Rather grisly work, that 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks Janet. Afraid not this year, just not enough time to do it justice. On the plus side, using the time to start the next novel. Good luck to you achieving it again 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  19. hopefully, it wasn’t a hidden treasure that he’d just buried. otherwise, he could be in deep trouble. those who paid him a hundred bucks would kill him at the first opportunity. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. I like the way you use staccato sentences to convey the truncated nature of your narrator’s thoughts. He is a man of the senses, and the voice you have chosen makes this very clear.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  44. This was an extremely well-written story, Iain. As someone else mentioned, it has a matter of fact tone to it. It shows that the MC is emotionally detached which is why he was a logical choice for the job.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  45. He’s happy to turn a blind eye for the payoff. I guess there are lots of people like that. The tone of your story captures his lack of conscience effectively. Well told.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  46. I liked this, thought it was written well, i just have one small criticism. I hope you don’t mind. $100.00 is not much money for this. Even if it was legal, it seems like it took him hours of work, hard, back breaking work. $100.00 would barely cover that kind of work let alone his silence. Maybe a $1000..too much…five hundred, though.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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