The morning sunlight filtered through the slats in Lena's blinds, coaxing her awake. She rolled over, groaning as her alarm blared on her phone. Another day, another job hunt. She knew the routine all too well: apply, wait, get rejected—or worse, get ghosted entirely.
After forcing herself out of bed, she threw on her comfiest hoodie and slumped at her small desk, laptop open and ready. She'd already sent in dozens of applications, but today she was determined to keep trying. Maybe today would be different, she told herself, thinking back to yesterday's conversation with Alex, her overly optimistic friend. His words echoed in her head: "Just keep going, Lena. You'll find something. It just takes patience."
An hour later, Lena's email inbox was filled with the same coldly polite responses: Thank you for your application. Unfortunately, we have decided to move forward with other candidates. She sighed, closing her laptop with a little too much force. Her phone buzzed on the desk—a notification reminding her that her mobile data was about to expire. Perfect. As if she needed another reminder of how tight money had gotten. Everything was adding up, and without a job, the pressure was suffocating.
Frustrated and exhausted, she slipped into her joggers and headed out for a run. She wasn't much of a runner, but anything that could help clear her head sounded appealing right now.
The brisk morning air filled her lungs, and with each step, she tried to shake off the heaviness clinging to her. But even as she pushed herself, she couldn't escape the nagging thought of all the rejection emails piling up. She hadn't been running long before the thirst hit her, and she veered toward a familiar street corner, catching sight of her friend's coffee shop. It had become a kind of refuge over the past few weeks, her friend occasionally sneaking her a free cup of coffee when Lena's budget was stretched too thin.
When she stepped inside, the smell of fresh espresso wrapped around her like a warm hug. Her friend waved from behind the counter, flashing her a quick smile. "Hey, Lena! Tough morning?"
"You have no idea," Lena sighed, sinking into a corner seat by the window. Her friend slipped her a steaming cup of coffee a few moments later with a wink. Lena murmured her thanks, cradling the cup between her hands for warmth and comfort. She gazed out the window, watching the world rush by, everyone looking so
busy, so purposeful. Why did it feel like everyone but her had it all figured out?
She pulled out her phone, scrolling through social media with a mindless swipe. Happy faces, vacation photos, new job announcements—it was like salt in the wound. She was just about to close the app and bury herself in her coffee when an ad caught her eye.
It looked different from the others. The text was simple but…odd.
Wanted: Graveyard Cleaner and Companion for the Dead.
Lena raised an eyebrow. Companion for the dead? She clicked on the ad, curiosity piqued. The description was brief, almost vague: a night job, cleaning and maintaining the grounds of Hollow Brook Cemetery, with no experience But what caught her attention was the pay. Her eyes widened as she saw the numbers—more than enough to cover a month's rent and maybe even a little extra.
Lena's mind buzzes as she re-reads the ad, her gaze glued to the numbers as if afraid they'd disappear. A night's work. Just one night. It was almost too good to be true, but the wording of the job—a "companion for the dead"—stirred something unsettling in her. She hadn't ever been the superstitious type, but there was something oddly personal about the ad, as if it were waiting just for her to find it.
Her phone was dangerously low on battery, but she quickly saved the number in her notes. She sipped her coffee absentmindedly, her thoughts drifting back to the endless, polite rejections she'd been getting from other employers. Maybe a strange job was exactly what she needed. Worst case, she thought, it'd make for a bizarre story to tell her friends later.
Once she was home, Lena hesitated only a moment before dialing. The phone rang twice before a deep voice picked up on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Hi, um...I'm calling about the job ad for the graveyard?" Her voice faltered slightly, but she steeled herself. "The, uh, graveyard cleaner and…companion."
A brief pause. Then, a quiet chuckle. "Ah, yes. It's rare for anyone to inquire about that. Are you sure you're interested?"
Lena's grip tightened on her phone, feeling a prickle of nerves. But she needed the money. "Yes," she said firmly, more confidently than she felt. "I'm very interested."
"Good." The voice sounded pleased. "Meet me at Hollow Brook Cemetery at midnight. You'll recognize me."
Lena hung up, a strange mix of excitement and apprehension bubbling inside her. Midnight. She'd never been to a graveyard at that hour—or at all, really, outside of a school trip or two years ago. But she'd always had a sense of curiosity about places others avoided.
The sun had long since set, casting long shadows across the neighborhood as Lena made her way toward the address the man had texted her. She was surprised by how close it was—just a few blocks from her apartment. How had she never noticed a cemetery around here? she wondered, though the quietness of this part of town probably explained it. The area had always seemed deserted, just a forgotten corner where no one lingered too long.
Unable to afford a taxi, she walked the entire way, clutching her phone and re-reading the brief messages from the man who had posted the ad. When she finally reached the address, she was met not by a cemetery, but by a stately, old-fashioned hotel building. It loomed above her, elegant yet somehow eerie, as if it had a hundred years of secrets hidden behind its dark windows.
Lena stepped into the lobby, where the smell of polished wood and faint traces of cologne lingered in the air. Her sneakers squeaked against the marble floor, drawing sidelong glances from the staff. She pulled her hoodie tighter around herself, feeling underdressed and out of place. Her fingers fidgeted with the drawstrings as she looked around, hoping to see her potential employer somewhere among the sparse, well-dressed guests.
After a few more moments of awkward waiting, she took a deep breath and dialed his number.
It rang once, twice. Then he picked up. "Hello?"
"Um, hi. This is Lena. I'm here...in the lobby. How long will it take you to—"
Before she could finish, a low, smooth voice answered—not from the phone, but from directly behind her. "Miss Lena?"
She gasped, nearly dropping her phone as she spun around, heart racing. Her gaze traveled up—a long way up—to meet the face of the man towering over her. He was tall, easily over six feet, and he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. His chiseled features were softened only by a slight, knowing smile, and his skin was pale, almost luminous against the dark suit he wore. A wool coat was draped elegantly over his shoulders, and a scarf hung loosely around his neck, completing the look of effortless sophistication.
She managed to stammer a breathless "Yes?" as he looked down at her, a hint of amusement in his striking blue eyes. He seemed so at ease, so in command of the space around him, that she felt her face warming under his gaze.
He extended a hand, gesturing for her to follow. "Come," he said, his voice warm yet formal, with the faintest accent she couldn't quite place. His hand settled gently at the small of her back, guiding her toward the door with an unexpected tenderness.
The cool night air hit her as he held the door open, his other hand gesturing toward the street. She glanced up at him, suddenly shy as he motioned for her to go ahead. Lena had a hundred questions running through her mind, but none made it past her lips. There was something magnetic about him—an almost supernatural charm—that left her uncharacteristically tongue-tied.
"Shall we?" he asked, his voice smooth as velvet, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.
Swallowing, Lena nodded and followed his lead, unable to shake the feeling that her life was about to take a turn she hadn't seen coming.
Lena followed him down dimly lit streets, glancing around as the buildings grew older, their facades cracked and shadowed in the evening light. She was surprised when he didn't flag down a taxi—his polished appearance seemed to suggest he wouldn't want to walk through the quiet streets, especially not on foot with a stranger. But he moved with a calm assurance, his long strides setting a steady pace she had to work to keep up with. She clutched her hoodie, pulling it closer against the evening chill.
After a few moments, she finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Why did you… post that ad online?" The question felt too casual, too mundane, for this strange situation.
He glanced down at her, his expression thoughtful. "I needed someone with a particular set of skills," he said smoothly, his voice rich and even. "The job requires spending the entire night within the cemetery, and most people refused. Many are… uncomfortable with that sort of task."
He cast a brief, assessing look her way, his mouth tilting into a small, enigmatic smile. "I'll admit, I was surprised when you accepted it so readily."
She bit her lip, trying to read his tone. She couldn't quite tell if he meant it as a compliment or a thinly veiled insult. Before she could ask him anything else, they rounded a corner, and the street opened into a dark, narrow road that wound uphill. At the top, silhouetted against the moonlit sky, was a massive wrought-iron gate, half-obscured by shadows. The rusty, broken sign hanging above it bore the cemetery's name, though the letters were barely legible in the dim light.
As they approached the gate, Lena's steps slowed. The entrance loomed before them, framed by thick iron bars and aged stone pillars that looked like they belonged in another era. An uneasy feeling crept into her, but the thought of the pay—enough to cover a month's rent—urged her forward.
The man stopped just outside the gate, his hands slipping into the pockets of his coat. "This is it," he said, nodding toward the shadowed cemetery grounds. "Inside, you'll find everything you need to complete the job. There's a shed just to the left, near the old stone wall." He gestured toward a small, dark shape in the corner, almost hidden in the night's shadows.
She followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing to make out the shape of the shed. It looked ancient and weathered, like everything else around here. Comforting.
He looked back at her, his expression unreadable. "I'll return at dawn to see how well you've done." His voice held a finality to it, as if leaving her there alone in a cemetery at night was the most natural thing in the world.
Lena swallowed hard, nodding. She opened her mouth to ask him something, anything that might make this whole thing feel less surreal, but he was already turning to leave. With one last nod, he glanced back at her, his blue eyes almost gleaming in the faint light. And then he was gone, his footsteps fading down the street, leaving her alone at the gates of the cemetery.
For a moment, she stood there in the silence, the reality of her decision sinking in. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and pushed open the gate. It creaked as it swung inward, and she stepped onto the cold, damp ground, crossing the threshold into the creepy graveyard