Odd Prompt : Cobwebs

Also, Taco Tuesday!

This is a little vignette from my Groundskeeper tales world, with poor Chloe doing her best to keep some kind of normal in the cemetery. It’s a romance (loosely) because Taco Tuesday, but also a prompt response for MOTE’s weekly prompt challenge. My prompt challenge for this week came from ‘Nother Mike, with “He was collecting cobwebs from the tombstones…”

You can find the other half of Taco Tuesday at CV Walter’s ‘stack.

Chloe stopped her riding mower and stared into the cemetery. It was very early in the morning, but this was the first morning following a dry day in weeks, with more rain predicted later. If she didn’t get some mowing done, she wasn’t going to. Which was why she was headed up to the top of Bellevue while the dew was still on the grass. 

It wasn’t the damp that had halted her progress, though. In the clear morning light, there was a stooped, shambling figure doing something strange. Not that Benny was ever anything but strange. 

“Benny.” Chloe called out. “Benny, don’t make me get my boots wet.” 

He straightened as much as the ghoul could, and with his hands held out in front of him, he sidled closer to the narrow access road she was parked on. As he came closer, she could see that he was holding something silvery draped over his palms. 

“What in the world are you doing?” She asked him, looking down when he’d come close enough she no longer needed to shout. 

“Gettin’ cobwebs.” 

“Why?” Chloe always regretted asking the ghoul questions, but she always did it anyway. She was too curious for her own good. 

“Well, I read that gathering cobwebs off tombstones was, er, well, it’s kind of a spell.” 

He was digging the toe of his moldy sneaker into the dirt at the edge of the pavement. 

“Stop doing that,” Chloe scolded him, “you’ll lose more toes and it will be even harder to walk.” 

He stopped and lifted one foot in the air like an anxious crane, a pose she’d seen him do many times. 

“What book did you get that out of?” She asked, wondering where he had found a book. 

“Some kids were in the cemetery. They didn’t see me,” he assured her hastily. “Anyway, the candles they were trying to light wouldn’t stay, on account of all the rain. When they left, there was a book on the monument they’d been sitting on. Pretty chalk pictures, too.” 

Chloe face-palmed. Her voice was muffled as she asked, “were the candles black?” 

“Why… yes?” Benny shifted to standing on the other foot. 

“What did the book say you had to do with the cobwebs?” 

“I had to gather them off tombstones, and then if I put them over her eyes, she’s going to see me with love.” 

Chloe felt her jaw drop. 

Benny kept going. “I mean, I wasn’t sure how many I’d need. I figure the more I got, the stronger the spell would be? Spider silk is pretty strong, but only if you get a lot of it. I want her to love me for always.” 

Chloe finally managed to speak. “Benny… Benny, you can’t make someone fall in love with you.”

”Why not?” 

“It’s not ok to force a girl to do something. Would you like it if I made you do things you didn’t want to do?” 

Benny screwed up his face. “I’d do anything for you Miss Brandt.” 

Chloe sighed and resisted the urge to smack her face again. “I’m not asking you to do anything. I’m suggesting you put yourself in the girl’s shoes.” 

“Oh, I don’t think she has shoes. Well, she hadn’t got feet any more, so maybe they are in the crypt…” 

“She’s dead?” Chloe interrupted. 

“No offense, but a live girl would be kind of icky.” Benny gave her side eye. “I’m a ghoul.” 

“I… I know.” 

“And I don’t know how she’d feel. I can’t ask her,” Benny pointed out. “On account of she’s been dead a real long time.” 

Chloe did her best to not think about that. “It is not nice to compel someone to do something.” 

“Oh.” His shoulders drooped, but he kept holding his silvery sheet in front of him.” 

“How about… have you tried courting her? The cobwebs are very pretty. Maybe she’d like them for… for a shawl.” Chloe improvised wildly. 

“You think so?” Benny smiled, which Chloe looked away from quickly. 

“I do.” She started the mower up. “I have to get to cutting the grass. Don’t put them on her eyes, mind! Just shoulders or something. They are all sparkly like jewels, even.” 

“I promise. And maybe I can bring her flowers another time.” 

“Good idea.” Chloe nodded in encouragement. ”She might…” Chloe bit her lips on the words warm up to him, and drove away, then. 

Since taking the groundskeeper job at the cemetery, she’d done some very strange things, but helping a ghoul with his romance came very close to the top of that list. She made a mental note to talk to her boss about the occult ritual Benny seemed to have observed. And another note to herself to really, she meant it this time, never ask Benny questions again.