Helluva Autopsy

Moxxie

        Max let out a sigh as he stepped outside of Blitzo and Fizzarolli's Funeral Parlor for a breath of fresh air. His feet were throbbing from having been forced to stand all day, pain radiated along his spine and throughout his joints. He had a massive headache and to make matters worse, he wreaked of embalming-fluid. Max glared up at the full-moon as it was already well-past nightfall. Max heavily resented his bosses for forcing him to work so late, Mr. Blitzo especially since he was the hardest on him.

         Being a mortician was no longer Max's dream job. Working for the small, rundown funeral parlor was making him miserable and he knew he would end up quitting on the spot sooner rather than later. Forcing him to cancel his big date with Millie may have just been the final nail in the metaphorical coffin he had gradually been building for this job. Max released another sigh as he glanced over his clipboard, using the light of the parlor's inappropriate, neon, blinking signs to view his workload progress. They were able to identify the bartender as Husk Lauer and the little girl as Nifty Marie as well as many other victims of the sinkhole.

        The only body they had yet to identify was the last corpse they found and also the last corpse they had left to autopsy for the night: That mysterious, grinning brunette of whom they have since labeled John Doe for the time being. Tears began to sting the brims of Max's brown eyes as he reached into his pocket to retrieve the small, suede, black box that held the engagement-ring he had purchased for his girlfriend. He popped open the box to view the large diamond, his frustrated, tear-filled expression glaring back up at him from the flawless rock's reflection.

        "Gotcha!" Just then, Max was startled into nearly dropping the box by a pair of dainty hands upon his shoulders. He dropped his clipboard as he managed to catch the small box after a bit of fumbling, quickly closing it and hiding it behind his back as he spun around to view his supposed attacker. His pounding heart began to calm upon realizing that it was only his girlfriend, Millie.

        "Sorry! I couldn't resist." The Southern girl giggled at the beads of sweat that now coated her boyfriend's already, pale face. Millie was a tan-skinned, young woman with black, messy hair and a beauty-mark on her left cheek. She wore heavy makeup and black overalls since she was a farmer girl.

        "You almost scared me to dea...tears!" Max panted as he used his free-hand to clutch his pounding chest.

        "Aw, I'm sorry, Maxie..." She apologized with another giggle.

        "What are you doing here?" Max then asked with a small smile since he was happy to see the one and only light he had left in his life.

        "I missed ya so I thought I'd stop by and bring ya some coffee." Millie blushed as she offered a Starbucks cup to her boyfriend of which he eagerly accepted since he desperately needed the caffeine.

        "Moxxie?" Max then began to question the name that was written on the styrofoam cup.

        "I'm sorry, Sweetie; I told 'em to write "Maxie" on it." Millie explained with a sheepish smile her intentions to initially decorate her boyfriend's coffee-cup with the pet-name she often called him.

        "They never get my name right; they didn't even spell "Moxie" right..." Max then began to complain about his irritation with Starbucks' inability to spell his name correctly.

        "Moxxie would make a great nickname for you." Millie then pointed out with a giggle.

        "Ugh! Don't call me Moxxie! It sounds like a dog's name..." Max insisted before turning to pick his clipboard back up from the ground.