Little Yellow Notebook

Creed's Mortician

Father takes certain bodies into a private room. He never lets me in there, no matter how much I beg to help him. Every time I asked he said that he'd let me in when I'm older, then goes in and shuts the door. I can see inside it, and it looks like every other Morticians prep room that I've ever seen. For the longest time I was kept in the dark about why some bodies go in that room, and other don't. I had never see the corpses in that room so I can never compare them with the others. But I learned why soon enough...

I was home alone, reading my book. There was a knock at the big oak doors and I set down my book. Our guests should never be kept waiting with a cadaver. It puts more trauma on them especially if it's a loved one. The doors creaked open revealing a man in a top hat and long coat. He had dark hair and some unshaven whiskers. He didn't look like one of the delivery men, so I assumed he had just brought the body himself. In which case he would need a second person to help him but at the same time I didn't see a body. Then I noticed a carriage down the path behind him. I saw a man, foreign judging by his darker skin, and wearing a white robe.

"Can I help you?" I asked. I made sure to keep the door closed somewhat, only sticking a part of my body out as father had instructed. When I looked at the man for a response he seemed a bit surprised. Likely because someone so young had answered the door of the funeral home.

"Is your father here?" He asked. I shook my head in response.

"No, he's out right now. But if you have a body you can bring it in for now." I said moving the door a bit closer to my body. The last time someone asked that question, they tried to get in. I had to lock the door, and even that wasn't enough. The man looked down the road at the carriage. He shrugged at the other man.

He turned back to me and said, "sure. Do you mind if we stay and wait inside?"

"Umm...," I hesitated. We don't like letting people stay with the bodies they bring in because it can be a bit awkward when a client is standing over their loved one.

"Please, it's best if we do." He said. I was a little skeptical with his response but judging by his expression it seemed more for my sake than his. Finally I nodded.

"Bring them in, I'll wait and hold the door." I pushed agains the door with my back holding it open while the man went to the carriage. At first he started getting what I assumed was the body, but he was stopped by his friend. The two talked for some time, discussing what I'm not sure. After a couple minutes they lifted the body from the back of the carriage on a stretcher. I pushed the doors open more to let them in better. Once they were inside and closed the door and locked it to make sure no one came in.

I directed them down to the waiting room, while I went upstairs to get the paper work from my father's office. I came down into the prep room where I noticed the sheet covering the body was black. Not entirely unusual but often the sheet is white. I paid it no mind as I sat down and dipped my pen into some ink, the nib clicking softly against the side.

"I need to do some paper work for the body of you don't mind. Especially since the body was not delivered from a hospital."

The man who had now removed his hat looked and nodded. "Just not too personal I hope." The foreign man got a bit tense.

"Let us begin with the name of the deceased."

"Howard Maxwell." He answered. The nib scratched against the paper as I wrote down the name.

"I will also require the names of you and your associate," I explained. The room went quiet as I looked up from the paperwork. The man looked at his tense friend. Then he turned back to me.

"Is it truly necessary?" He asked. I nodded in response.

"Without proper delivery I need to know your names. I apologize if it's too personal."