The Dead Man's Mask (#TNTHorrorContest)

Untitled Part 1

 "No matter what, the only thing I'm asking of you, is that the mask stays on him. I know its an odd request, but its very important to me."  

   The grieving mother put in her last request for her son's burial. She walked away without giving Paul a chance to speak. He could hear her crying echo throughout the chapel as she left.  

   The funeral director now stood in front of the lifeless lump under the sheet in the embalming room.Sorting through his scalpels and cosmetic materials.They were the only friends he had since working on the dead didn't offer up much of a chance to have a life.He was used to the family asking odd favors, but this was a first.Apparently the young man was older,but still very close to his mother, and he was all that she had since her husband had left her.Her life would be  lonely now that her only child had been tragically struck and killed by a car.The funeral was still going to be open casket, but they would have to cover up his crushed bottom half. 

   Paul was never supposed to question the family's wishes, but he was extra curious to see what kind of face would be staring up at him the whole time he was working. He slowly pulled the sheet down to the neck. Twelve years in the business could not prepare him for what he would be looking at.He thought he had seen everything. Bodies mutilated beyond recondition came by him everyday. Bodies in perfect condition, ones in every age group, gender , and race. None of them, not even one had been wearing a face that was still alive over their dead one.  

   For the first time since doing his job, Paul found himself freaking out on the inside. He lost all train of thought. For a moment he just stood motionless. 

The paper mache nightmare was a round face painted up to look like a clown. The pale white paint was clumped up from too many coats, the blood red nose gleamed under the florescent light , the blue domes drawn around the eyes were starting to fade. Everything was highlighted with a black outline to make it look exaggerated. Especially the hideous open mouthed smile.

"Of all the things you've could have picked, you just had to pick a clown" Paul said aloud to the body. He felt himself start to tremble a little bit.There was no way he would be able to hold his tools steady.

Paul felt a sudden chill in the room. He could feel the goosebumps rise in his flesh through his lab coat. Every time he took a breath, he could see it form in front of his face Someone must have messed with the temperature of the room. It had never gotten freezing cold before. He pulled the sheet back up over the body. He needed a few minutes to check the temperature of the room and push the fear out of his mind so that he could do his job.

He went over to the thermostat on the wall.It was reading room temperature, but the cold chill in the room was getting worse.

Paul felt a gust of air on the back of his neck, like someone was breathing on him. It caused him to turn around and see that the slab was empty. The sheet had been thrown to the floor.

Then he felt something familiar .The unmistakable feeling of the clammy flesh of a dead persons hands over each of his eyes. Engulfing his vision in total darkness.

His mind flashed back to his seventh birthday. His dads hands over his eyes as he lead him through the kitchen and into the backyard for his special surprise. When his dad moved his hands, he saw the image that would scar him for life. A dark soul hidden behind a man with a painted on grin. Leaning over him and squeaking his little toy horn. All the other kids laughed and rejoiced. They couldn't see the true terror that was disguised behind those wide green eyes. Paul ran from the monster and locked himself in his room for the duration of that entire birthday party. Avoiding clowns ever since. Until now.

It had caught up to him. This time the evil showed up as a dead young man. One who couldn't wait to let Paul open his eyes again and see the nasty surprise it had in store for him.

Paul felt his consciousness slip away and before he could stop himself from doing so, he fainted.

When he woke up he was still surrounded by darkness. His body felt cold and paralyzed.When he went to move his arms and his legs, he found that he couldn't. He heard music, it was distant at first, but he heard growing more and more near. Then he was pulled out into the light. He was on his back looking up at the ceiling of the morgue. Still not able to move.

He recognized the guy who was in there with him. Its was his co worker Jeff. He tried to cry out, he couldn't speak either. Even so Jeff had his headphones in. Which is where the music was coming from. Heavy metal at a deafening volume. He wouldn't have been able to hear him anyways.

Paul realized that he was helpless. Had they found him on the floor of the embalming room unconscious and mistaken him for dead?

Jeff stopped and studied Paul for a moment, and Paul felt the slightest bit of relief. Until he noticed that the look on Jeff's face wasn't relief. He was genuinely creeped out by something. Paul struggled to communicate with him and make some kind of facial movement. That's when he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflective silver surface of the cold chamber.

Only instead of seeing his face, he saw the paper mache one staring back at him. That hideous smile just as wide as ever.